Citation

Newberger NG, Forkus SR, Thomas ED, Goldstein SC, Ferguson JJ, Sullivan TP, Weiss NH. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2023; 250: e110905.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2023.110905

PMID

37515827

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Women experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV) are at increased risk for developing hazardous patterns of cannabis use. Research suggests that women experiencing IPV use cannabis to cope with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms. To advance research, we used experience sampling methods to explicate the within-day concurrent and proximal relations between PTSD symptom clusters and cannabis use among women experiencing IPV.

METHOD: Participants were 145 community women (M age = 40.66, 41.6% white, 31.4% Black, 10.9% Hispanic or Latina, 8% American Indian/Alaska Native, 5.8% Bi-/multi-racial) experiencing IPV and using substances who completed three surveys a day for 30 days.

RESULTS: Externalizing behavior (OR = 1.37, 95% CI [1.15, 1.65], p < 0.001) and dysphoric arousal (OR = 1.27, 95% CI [1.09, 1.49], p = 0.002) PTSD symptom clusters were associated with cannabis use reported in the same survey period.

RESULTS from the lagged models found no proximal associations between PTSD symptom clusters and cannabis use.

CONCLUSIONS: Results highlight the acute effects of externalizing behavior and dysphoric arousal PTSD symptoms on cannabis use among women experiencing IPV. These findings may inform prevention and intervention efforts for cannabis use in this population.

Language: en

Keywords

Intimate partner violence; Cannabis use; Experience sampling; Posttraumatic stress