Haley C R Bernusky, Philip G Tibbo, Patricia J Conrod, Fakir Md Yunus, Matthew T Keough, Kara D Thompson, Marvin D Krank, Allyson F Hadwin, Sherry H Stewart
{"title":"Do Anxiety Symptoms Mediate the Association Between Cannabis Use Frequency and Psychotic-Like Experiences in Emerging Adult Undergraduates?","authors":"Haley C R Bernusky, Philip G Tibbo, Patricia J Conrod, Fakir Md Yunus, Matthew T Keough, Kara D Thompson, Marvin D Krank, Allyson F Hadwin, Sherry H Stewart","doi":"10.1177/07067437231176900","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Cannabis is commonly used by Canadian emerging adults (ages 18-25 years), many of whom attend post-secondary institutions. Frequent cannabis use is linked with psychotic-like experiences (PLEs); however, the exact nature of this association remains unclear. Anxiety symptoms may mediate this association, as they are prevalent in emerging adults and have been independently linked with both cannabis use and PLEs. Past work found that anxiety mediated the association between cannabis use frequency and attenuated positive psychotic symptoms (further along the psychosis continuum than PLEs), however this research had yet to be validated in the Canadian population, and trait rather than state anxiety (frequency of anxiety symptoms) was studied. Thus, our primary objective was to examine if anxiety symptoms mediated the association between cannabis use frequency and PLEs in Canadian emerging adult undergraduates. Despite known sex differences in cannabis use, expression of anxiety, and PLEs, past work did not evaluate the potential impact of biological sex on the anxiety-mediated model, and thus is the secondary objective of the present study.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>1,266 first-/second-year emerging adult undergraduates from five Canadian universities provided cross-sectional, self-report survey data in fall 2021 semester. Validated measures of cannabis use frequency, anxiety, and PLEs were administered.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Path analyses supported mediation from cannabis use to PLEs through anxiety (<i>b</i> = 0.07, <i>P</i> < 0.001, 95% bootstrap CI [0.03, 0.10]). No direct effect was found (<i>P</i> = 0.457), suggesting that the cannabis-to-PLEs association was mediated by anxiety. Mediation did not depend on biological sex (i.e., bootstrapped 95% CIs crossed zero).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Anxiety symptoms mediated the association between cannabis use and PLEs in emerging adults regardless of their biological sex. Assuming replication in prospective research, results highlight anxiety as an important intervention target in frequent cannabis-using emerging adults, to potentially prevent development/worsening of PLEs, and in turn psychotic illness.</p>","PeriodicalId":55283,"journal":{"name":"Canadian Journal of Psychiatry-Revue Canadienne De Psychiatrie","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.3000,"publicationDate":"2023-11-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10590089/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Canadian Journal of Psychiatry-Revue Canadienne De Psychiatrie","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1177/07067437231176900","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2023/5/17 0:00:00","PubModel":"Epub","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"PSYCHIATRY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Objective: Cannabis is commonly used by Canadian emerging adults (ages 18-25 years), many of whom attend post-secondary institutions. Frequent cannabis use is linked with psychotic-like experiences (PLEs); however, the exact nature of this association remains unclear. Anxiety symptoms may mediate this association, as they are prevalent in emerging adults and have been independently linked with both cannabis use and PLEs. Past work found that anxiety mediated the association between cannabis use frequency and attenuated positive psychotic symptoms (further along the psychosis continuum than PLEs), however this research had yet to be validated in the Canadian population, and trait rather than state anxiety (frequency of anxiety symptoms) was studied. Thus, our primary objective was to examine if anxiety symptoms mediated the association between cannabis use frequency and PLEs in Canadian emerging adult undergraduates. Despite known sex differences in cannabis use, expression of anxiety, and PLEs, past work did not evaluate the potential impact of biological sex on the anxiety-mediated model, and thus is the secondary objective of the present study.
Methods: 1,266 first-/second-year emerging adult undergraduates from five Canadian universities provided cross-sectional, self-report survey data in fall 2021 semester. Validated measures of cannabis use frequency, anxiety, and PLEs were administered.
Results: Path analyses supported mediation from cannabis use to PLEs through anxiety (b = 0.07, P < 0.001, 95% bootstrap CI [0.03, 0.10]). No direct effect was found (P = 0.457), suggesting that the cannabis-to-PLEs association was mediated by anxiety. Mediation did not depend on biological sex (i.e., bootstrapped 95% CIs crossed zero).
Conclusions: Anxiety symptoms mediated the association between cannabis use and PLEs in emerging adults regardless of their biological sex. Assuming replication in prospective research, results highlight anxiety as an important intervention target in frequent cannabis-using emerging adults, to potentially prevent development/worsening of PLEs, and in turn psychotic illness.
期刊介绍:
Established in 1956, The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry (The CJP) has been keeping psychiatrists up-to-date on the latest research for nearly 60 years. The CJP provides a forum for psychiatry and mental health professionals to share their findings with researchers and clinicians. The CJP includes peer-reviewed scientific articles analyzing ongoing developments in Canadian and international psychiatry.