Citation

Pocuca N, Acland E, Geoffroy MC, Orri M, Chadi N, Seguin JR, Parent S, Boivin M, Tremblay RE, Côté SM, Castellanos-Ryan N. J. Stud. Alcohol Drugs 2023; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, Alcohol Research Documentation, Inc., Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey)

DOI

10.15288/jsad.23-00144

PMID

38095215

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Emerging adulthood (18-25 years) is associated with peak prevalence of cannabis use. While population-based longitudinal studies have found little change in cannabis use among emerging adults during COVID-19, research examining changes among vulnerable subgroups is lacking. The present study examined the association between emotion dysregulation at 23 years and change in cannabis use frequency and problem cannabis use among a large sample of emerging adults, from before to during the COVID-19 pandemic.

METHOD: Longitudinal data from N=1,226 emerging adults (59% females; n = 738 reported cannabis use), who completed online surveys pre-pandemic (2019; age 21) and one year into COVID-19 (2021; age 23), as part of the Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development.

RESULTS: There was no significant overall within-person change in cannabis use outcomes during COVID-19, among the emerging adult sample. However, emotional clarity (a dimension of emotion dysregulation) at 23 years significantly moderated change in problem cannabis use during COVID-19. Namely, low emotional clarity at 23 years was associated with increased problem cannabis use (B=0.79, 95% CI [0.23, 1.34]), while high emotional clarity at 23 years was associated with decreased problem cannabis use (B=-0.68, 95% CI [-1.27, -0.09]) during COVID-19, among males only.

CONCLUSIONS: Findings highlight the need to consider changes in cannabis use during COVID-19 among emerging adults with elevated emotion dysregulation (and particularly, low emotional clarity among males) and reiterate the need for supports and targeted-interventions to reduce cannabis use and decrease associated harms as society emerges from COVID-19.

Language: en

Keywords

Cannabis use; COVID-19; emotion regulation; emerging adulthood