Cross-lagged relations between motives and substance use: Can use strengthen your motivation over time?

Abstract

Motives for substance use have garnered considerable attention due to the strong predictive utility of this construct, both in terms of use and problems associated with use. The current study examined the cross-lagged relations between alcohol use and motives, and marijuana use and motives over three yearly assessment periods in a large sample (N = 526, 48% male) of college students. The relations between substance use and motives were assessed at each time point, allowing for the examination of these inter-relations over time. Results indicated different trends based on the type of substance. For alcohol use, cross-lagged trends were found between freshman and sophomore year for coping, social, and conformity motives with cross-lagged relations between enhancement motives and alcohol use across all years. However, outside of enhancement motives, cross-lagged relations were not found between sophomore and junior year. In contrast, cross-lagged effects were found for marijuana use and coping, enhancement, and expansion motives between sophomore and junior year, but not freshman year. These results suggest that people's expectations that drinking or smoking marijuana makes activities more reinforcing and helps them cope with distress may perpetuate use. In turn, use itself may enhance these expectations over time. Results have direct implications for treatment, with recommended focus on motives, behavior activation, and healthy coping skills in order to interrupt the cycle of substance use.

Relación entre las motivaciones para consumir y el consumo problemático de cannabis

“…Más tarde, sin embargo, pueden evolucionar hasta consumirlo para gestionar emociones negativas, tales como para lidiar con situaciones de la vida diaria, y, por lo tanto, como forma de evitar efectos negativos y de alivio del malestar (Baker, Piper, McCarthy, Majeskie, y Fiore, 2004). En este estadio, el consumo puede confundirse con un supuesto uso terapéutico, así como darse para paliar los efectos negativos de no consumir (Lee, Derefinko, Davis, Milich, y Lynam, 2017). Paralelamente, estas motivaciones se pueden alimentar de fenómenos como la tolerancia, que requieren de un incremento de las dosis consumidas para alcanzar los efectos deseados (Ramaekers et al, 2011).…”

A Latent Transition Analysis of Self-Reported Reasons for Marijuana Use During Young Adulthood

“…Future work including a broader set of motives (C. A. Lee et al, 2017;C. M. Lee et al, 2009), including affect motives, could provide additional nuance to these results.…”

Anxiety sensitivity and cannabis use motives among trauma‐exposed young adult cannabis users

“…2 Those who tend to use substances to cope with negative emotions are at higher risk of developing problematic use. 9,11 This is because, over time, cannabis use may become a habitual coping strategy for managing distress, inhibiting adaptive coping strategies, escalating use, and worsening the negative emotions that initially motivated use. 5 Unfortunately, consistent with the self-medication theory, those with PTSS are at risk for maladaptive use coping motives, such as using cannabis to regulate distress or dampen PTSS.…”