Posttraumatic stress and marijuana use coping motives: The mediating role of distress tolerance

Carrie M. Potter; Anka A. Vujanovic; Erin C. Marshall-Berenz; Amit Bernstein; Marcel O. Bonn-Miller

doi:10.1016/j.janxdis.2010.11.007

Posttraumatic stress and marijuana use coping motives: The mediating role of distress tolerance

Carrie M. Potter, Anka A. Vujanovic, Erin C. Marshall-Berenz, Amit Bernstein, Marcel O. Bonn-Miller

Department of Psychology

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

The present investigation examined the explanatory (i.e,. mediating) role of distress tolerance (DT) in the relation between posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptom severity and marijuana use coping motives. The sample consisted of 142 adults (46.5% women; M_age=22.18, SD=7.22, range=18-55), who endorsed exposure to at least one Criterion A traumatic life event (DSM-IV-TR, 2000) and reported marijuana use within the past 30 days. As predicted, results demonstrated that DT partially mediated the relation between PTS symptom severity and coping-oriented marijuana use. These preliminary results suggest that DT may be an important cognitive-affective mechanism underlying the PTS-marijuana use coping motives association. Theoretically, trauma-exposed marijuana users with greater PTS symptom severity may use marijuana to cope with negative mood states, at least partially because of a lower perceived capacity to withstand emotional distress.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	437-443
Number of pages	7
Journal	Journal of Anxiety Disorders
Volume	25
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2010.11.007
State	Published - Apr 2011

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
Data collection for this project was supported by a National Institute on Drug Abuse National Research Service Award ( 1F31 DA21006-02 ) granted to Dr. Vujanovic, a National Institute on Mental Health National Research Service Award ( 1F31 MH080453-01A1 ) granted to Erin C. Marshall-Berenz, and a National Institute on Mental Health National Research Service Award ( F31 MH073205-01 ) granted to Dr. Amit Bernstein. The authors express appreciation to Dr. Michael J. Zvolensky of The University of Vermont for contributing a portion of the data presented for purposes of the current study (1 R03 DA016566-01A2). Dr. Bonn-Miller acknowledges that this work was supported, in part, by a Veterans Affairs Clinical Science Research and Development (CSR&D) Career Development Award – 2 . The views expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

Keywords

Coping
Distress tolerance
Marijuana
Posttraumatic stress
Trauma

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Clinical Psychology
Psychiatry and Mental health

Access to Document

10.1016/j.janxdis.2010.11.007

Cite this

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title = "Posttraumatic stress and marijuana use coping motives: The mediating role of distress tolerance",

abstract = "The present investigation examined the explanatory (i.e,. mediating) role of distress tolerance (DT) in the relation between posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptom severity and marijuana use coping motives. The sample consisted of 142 adults (46.5% women; Mage=22.18, SD=7.22, range=18-55), who endorsed exposure to at least one Criterion A traumatic life event (DSM-IV-TR, 2000) and reported marijuana use within the past 30 days. As predicted, results demonstrated that DT partially mediated the relation between PTS symptom severity and coping-oriented marijuana use. These preliminary results suggest that DT may be an important cognitive-affective mechanism underlying the PTS-marijuana use coping motives association. Theoretically, trauma-exposed marijuana users with greater PTS symptom severity may use marijuana to cope with negative mood states, at least partially because of a lower perceived capacity to withstand emotional distress.",

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note = "Funding Information: Data collection for this project was supported by a National Institute on Drug Abuse National Research Service Award ( 1F31 DA21006-02 ) granted to Dr. Vujanovic, a National Institute on Mental Health National Research Service Award ( 1F31 MH080453-01A1 ) granted to Erin C. Marshall-Berenz, and a National Institute on Mental Health National Research Service Award ( F31 MH073205-01 ) granted to Dr. Amit Bernstein. The authors express appreciation to Dr. Michael J. Zvolensky of The University of Vermont for contributing a portion of the data presented for purposes of the current study (1 R03 DA016566-01A2). Dr. Bonn-Miller acknowledges that this work was supported, in part, by a Veterans Affairs Clinical Science Research and Development (CSR&D) Career Development Award – 2 . The views expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the Department of Veterans Affairs.",

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AU - Bernstein, Amit

AU - Bonn-Miller, Marcel O.

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N2 - The present investigation examined the explanatory (i.e,. mediating) role of distress tolerance (DT) in the relation between posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptom severity and marijuana use coping motives. The sample consisted of 142 adults (46.5% women; Mage=22.18, SD=7.22, range=18-55), who endorsed exposure to at least one Criterion A traumatic life event (DSM-IV-TR, 2000) and reported marijuana use within the past 30 days. As predicted, results demonstrated that DT partially mediated the relation between PTS symptom severity and coping-oriented marijuana use. These preliminary results suggest that DT may be an important cognitive-affective mechanism underlying the PTS-marijuana use coping motives association. Theoretically, trauma-exposed marijuana users with greater PTS symptom severity may use marijuana to cope with negative mood states, at least partially because of a lower perceived capacity to withstand emotional distress.

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Posttraumatic stress and marijuana use coping motives: The mediating role of distress tolerance

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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