Coping motives associated with affect, anxiety, and depression after cannabis use in young adults: an ecological momentary assessment study

Abstract

Background: Many young adults report engaging in cannabis use to manage their mood, or affect, and psychiatric symptoms of anxiety and depression. Previous research indicates that individuals may experience positive acute effects associated with cannabis use that obscure the long-term detrimental effects, although findings are mixed. This may be because the acute impacts of cannabis use are related to Cannabis Use Disorder (CUD), implying that changes are primarily related to the alleviation of withdrawal symptoms. Acute effects could also be related to coping motives, where individuals use cannabis in response to any distressing state, including but not limited to withdrawal symptoms. Method: The present study examined how symptoms of CUD and momentary coping motives are associated with acute changes in affect and symptoms of depression and anxiety (e.g., anhedonia, worry) through multiple, short assessments completed multiple times throughout the day (i.e., ecological momentary assessments; EMA) before and after engaging in cannabis use. Results: Individuals with CUD did not display significant increases in negative mood or symptoms of anxiety and depression before or after cannabis use. Those with momentary coping motives showed significant increases in negative affect and symptoms of anxiety and depression before use and decreases in negative affect and symptoms of anxiety and depression after use as compared to those with other motives. Conclusion: Results of the present study add to the body of evidence supporting that motives for cannabis use impact the acute effects. Further, that positive acute effects of cannabis use may not be solely related to alleviation of withdrawal symptoms seen in those with CUD, but rather, engaging in cannabis use to manage any distressing state more broadly (i.e., coping motives).