Cannabis is used widely throughout the United States due to a myriad of motivations and factors. As cannabis consumption continues to increase, cannabis-related problems have also followed in prevalence. College student cannabis use has been shown to render consequences like decreased academic performance as well as increased risk of depression and psychosis. While many substance use problems have lurid manifestations, cannabis use problems may not be perceived as overtly deleterious by users or their peers. Intervention is often sought after having experiences of distress due to a certain form of substance use, and little research exists detailing cannabis distress in users seeking treatment. This study aims to address the potential associations concerning cannabis-related distress, motivations to alter use, and general outcomes from a personal feedback intervention in a population of college students (PFI).
The study’s sample consists of 204 undergraduate students attending Louisiana State University who reported past month cannabis use and experienced a cannabis-related problem at least once in the prior 3 months (N=204, 77% female). Participants first completed baseline surveys which measured the following characteristics: demographics, cannabis use frequency (via Marijuana Use Form), cannabis-related problems and subsequent problems distress (via Marijuana Problems Scale), motivation(s) to change (via a modified form of the Center on Alcoholism, Substance Abuse, Addictions readiness ruler). Following completion of the initial survey, participants were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups. The first treatment group was presented personalized feedback of their experiences of cannabis use and problems (PNF), while the second group received identical PNF, with additional education related to cannabis use/effects being presented in a sequential, interactive format (PFI). After one month, participants completed the original baseline survey to track changes in their behavior. Treatment groups were compared in the data analysis through hierarchical linear regression analysis, bivariate correlations, and inferential testing.
Results of the study found that increased experience of cannabis problem distress was associated with increased motivation, confidence, and importance to change. Common forms of problem distress mentioned included insomnia, anxiety, paranoia, financial hardship, legal trouble. Additionally, in users with higher problem distress, the PFI treatment was found to be significantly more effective in altering use than the PNF-only treatment, though both treatment conditions were found to decrease overall past-month use.
Takeaway: when designing cannabis use interventions for college students, evaluation of problem-associated distress may be of clinically relevant value. Interventions which emphasize progressive education and interactivity may be more effective than feedback-only designs.