Reductions in cannabis use are associated with improvements in anxiety, depression, and sleep quality, but not quality of life
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Aims This study examined the longitudinal association between reductions in cannabis use and changes in anxiety, depression, sleep quality, and quality of life. Methods Secondary analyses were conducted based on data from a cannabis use disorder medication trial in 302 adults (ages 18-50). Changes in symptoms of anxiety and depression, sleep quality, and quality of life were assessed in relation to changes in cannabis use during the 12-week trial of treatment. Results Based on the slope of individual cannabis use trajectory, the sample was classified into two groups (Cannabis Use Reduction, n=152 vs. Cannabis Use Increase, n=150) which was included as a binary covariate in subsequent modeling. Controlling for demographics (age, gender, race/ethnicity), treatment condition, and time-varying tobacco and alcohol use, separate latent growth curve models showed a significant association between the Cannabis Use Reduction group and improvement (i.e., lower values in slope) in anxiety (β=-0.09, SE=0.04; p<0.05), depression (β=-0.11, SE=0.04; p<0.01), and sleep quality (β=-0.07, SE=0.03; p<0.05) over the observation period, but not in quality of life. Conclusions These results indicate a longitudinal relationship between reductions in cannabis use and improvements in anxiety, depression, and sleep quality. Clinicians treating patients with co-occurring cannabis use and problems with anxiety, depression, or sleep quality should attend to cannabis use reduction as a component of treatment.
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Reductions in cannabis use have demonstrated noteworthy improvements in depression and anxiety.
“Moreover, reductions in cannabis use have demonstrated noteworthy improvements in depression and anxiety (Hser et al., 2017).”
From Examining the Prospective Associations Between Mindfulness Facets and Substance Use in Emerging Adulthood. (2021) · cites this paper as Hser et al., 2017
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- Authors
- Hser, Y.-I., Mooney, L. J., Huang, D., Zhu, Y., Tomko, R. L., McClure, E., Chou, C.-P., & Gray, K. M.
- Affiliations
- University of California, Los Angeles (US)
- Medical University of South Carolina (US)
- University of Southern California (US)
- Corresponding author
- Hser, Yih-Ing
- Mooney, Larissa J.
- Huang, David
- Zhu, Yuhui
- Tomko, Rachel L.
- McClure, Erin
- Chou, Chih-Ping
- Gray, Kevin M.
- ORCID
- Venue
- Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2017-10
- Volume
- 81
- Pages
- 53-58
- ISSN
- 0740-5472 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC5607644
- OpenAlex
- W2739905229
- Cited by
- 127
- References
- 8
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 17 · 2024: 17 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 22 · 2021: 14 · 2020: 16 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 12 · 2017: 3
- FWCI
- 7.73
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- europepmc.org
- Locations
- Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (acceptedVersion)
- PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
- eScholarship (California Digital Library) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- NIDA (UG1 DA013727, UG1 DA013035, R21DA042280, P30DA016383, K01 DA 036739, T32 AA007474)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pharmacology › Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Smoking Behavior and Cessation
- Keywords
- cannabis use reduction, cannabis use disorder, anxiety, depression, sleep quality, quality of life, co-occurring mental health problems, treatment outcomes
- MeSH terms
- Marijuana Use, Acetylcysteine, Adolescent, Adult, Antioxidants, Anxiety, Behavior Therapy, Marijuana Abuse, Depression, Female, Humans, Longitudinal Studies, Male, Middle Aged, Quality of Life, Sleep, Outcome Assessment, Health Care, Young Adult
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