TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2022//
TI  - A longitudinal mediational investigation of risk pathways among cannabis use, interpersonal trauma exposure, and trauma-related distress
JO  - Psychological trauma: theory, research, practice, and policy
A1  - Hicks, Terrell A.
A1  - Bountress, Kaitlin E.
A1  - Adkins, Amy E.
A1  - Svikis, Dace S.
A1  - Gillespie, Nathan A.
A1  - Dick, Danielle M.
A1  - Group, Spit For Science Working
A1  - Amstadter, Ananda B.
SP  - ePub
EP  - ePub
VL  - ePub
IS  - ePub
N2  - OBJECTIVE: College students are at high risk for cannabis use, interpersonal trauma (IPT) exposure, and trauma-related distress (TRD). Two phenotypic etiologic models posited to explain associations between cannabis use and trauma-related phenotypes are the self-medication (trauma/TRD → cannabis use) and high-risk (cannabis use → trauma/TRD) hypotheses. The primary objective of the present study was to investigate direct and indirect associations among cannabis use, IPT exposure, and TRD above and beyond established covariates. <br><br>METHOD: The current study used data from the first assessment (i.e., baseline survey at Year 1 Fall) and two follow-up assessments (i.e., Year 1 Spring and Year 2 Spring) from an ongoing longitudinal study on college behavioral health. Participants were 4 cohorts of college students (n = 9,889) who completed measures of demographics, substance use, IPT, and TRD. Indirect effects of IPT on cannabis through TRD (i.e., self-medication) and cannabis on TRD through IPT (i.e., high-risk), including tests of covariate effects (e.g., gender, age, race, cohort, alcohol, nicotine), were simultaneously estimated using a longitudinal mediation modeling framework. <br><br>RESULTS: Results suggest that more IPT exposure increases risk for TRD and subsequent nonexperimental (use 6+ times) cannabis use, and that experimental (use 1-5 times) and nonexperimental cannabis use increases risk for IPT exposure and subsequent TRD. <br><br>CONCLUSIONS: Both the self-medication and high-risk hypotheses were supported. <br><br>FINDINGS support a bidirectional causal relationship between cannabis use and trauma-related phenotypes. Additionally, results highlight areas for colleges to intervene among students to help reduce cannabis use and create a safer environment. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 1942-9681
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/tra0001207
ID  - ref1
ER  -