When Substance Use Is Underreported: Comparing Self-Reports and Hair Toxicology in an Urban Cohort of Young Adults

Steinhoff, Annekatrin; Shanahan, Lilly; Bechtiger, Laura; Zimmermann, Josua; Ribeaud, Denis; Eisner, Manuel; Baumgartner, Markus R.; Quednow, Boris B.

doi:10.1016/j.jaac.2022.11.011

Cited by 31 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 46 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Hair-derived cannabinoids were detected in 95.95% of cannabis users who met the diagnostic criteria for CUD and tested positive for cannabis in a urine sample, indicating the utility of hair analysis for yes/no detection of cannabis use in heavy users, aligning with Steinhoff and colleague's findings indicating high agreement between self-report weekly or daily use with detection in hair (36).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 67%

Associations between hair-derived cannabinoid levels, self-reported use, and cannabis-related problems

Kroon¹,

Cousijn²,

Filbey³

et al. 2023

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background. Given increases in cannabis potency and cannabis use in newly legalized markets, it remains critical to examine the effects of cannabis on a variety of health outcomes. However, quantification of cannabinoid exposure remains rare in cannabis research. It is unclear whether biospecimen measures of cannabinoid exposure, such as those derived from hair, are associated with common self-report measures of use and cognitive and mental health outcomes. Methods. 74 near-daily cannabis users with cannabis use disorder self-reported their quantity of cannabis use, cannabis use-related problems, estimated cannabis potency, and mental health outcomes, and completed cognitive tests. Hair samples were provided to quantify Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC), cannabidiol (CBD), and cannabinol (CBN) using a liquid chromatography atmospheric pressure chemical ionization-tandem mass spectrometry method. Results. Cannabinoids were detectable in 95.95% of the hair samples from individuals who tested positive on a urine screen for cannabis. Hair-derived Δ9-THC concentrations were positively associated with several measures of self-reported potency (relative potency, potency category, and perceived ‘high’) although Δ9-THC, CBD, or CBN concentrations or THC/CBD ratio were not associated with self-reported quantity of use. Furthermore, self-reported THC percentage (category) and potency (category), but not cannabinoid concentrations, were associated with withdrawal and craving respectively. Self-reported measures of quantity of cannabis use (gram/week), but not cannabinoid concentrations, were associated with cannabis use related problems. Mental health problems were associated with self-reported cannabis use-related problems and withdrawal only. Looking at cognitive outcomes, only a small negative association between a measure of cannabis use related problems and estimated IQ was observed. Conclusions. The use of hair-derived cannabinoid quantification is supported for detecting cannabis use in near-daily users. However, the general lack of associations between hair-derived cannabinoid concentrations and commonly used self-report measures does not support the use of hair analyses for quantifying cumulative cannabinoid exposure at this time. Further research comparing hair-derived cannabinoid concentrations with other biological matrices (e.g. plasma) and self-report is necessary to further evaluate the validity of hair analyses for this purpose. The importance of accurately quantifying cannabinoid exposure in research into the effects of cannabis cannot be overstated given newly permissive legal environments and uptick in use.

show abstract

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 67%

Associations between hair-derived cannabinoid levels, self-reported use, and cannabis-related problems

Kroon¹,

Cousijn²,

Filbey³

et al. 2023

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The validity of self-reports to measure different problem behaviors has been confirmed (Gomes et al, 2018), albeit it can entail different response biases, such as social desirability. Future studies could use other objective methods to measure substance use (e.g., hair analyses; Steinhoff et al, 2022) and explore whether substance use can longitudinally reduce levels of self-control or even if substance use by adolescents has an impact on parental practices. This would provide a more complex knowledge about the interrelation among these variables.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Influence of Different Dimensions of the Parent–Child Relationship in Childhood as Longitudinal Predictors of Substance Use in Late Adolescence. The Mediating Role of Self-Control

Rodríguez-Ruiz

Zych

Ribeaud

et al. 2023

Int J Ment Health Addiction

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This study examined longitudinal links between several dimensions of parent–child relationship and adolescent substance use, and tested the role of self-control in mediating these. Data came from the Zurich Project on the Social Development from Childhood to Adulthood. Validated questionnaires were used to measure parent–child domains at age 11, self-control at age 13, and substance use at ages 13, 15, 17, and 20. Low positive parenting and parental supervision, as well as aversive parenting, correlated with substance use. Linear regression model revealed that aversive parenting, low child disclosure, low positive parenting, and low parental involvement at age 11 predicted substance use at different stages of adolescence. These associations were mediated by low self-control at age 13. Involving parents and increasing their knowledge about desirable parental practices and ways to help their children to develop adequate self-control could be an effective element in substance use prevention strategies.

show abstract

“…This could explain differences between men and women in the proportion of SMY [ 29 ], but this is not necessarily due to any bias. Third, self-reports underestimated the prevalence of most substances by 30–60% compared to hair tests [ 49 ]. How young people report SU and whether the internalized view of parents/teachers or peers rather cause under- or over-reporting, must be carefully considered when interpreting results.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Substance use in sexual minority youth: prevalence in an urban cohort

Vock,

Johnson-Ferguson,

Bechtiger

et al. 2023

Child Adolesc Psychiatry Ment Health

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Little comparative data on substance use (SU) between sexual minority youth (SMY) and heterosexual youth (HET) is available. This study compares the prevalence of SU in an urban cohort between SMY and HET and evaluates demographic and psychosocial predictors of SU. Methods Data came from a prospective-longitudinal cohort study in an urban setting (N = 1297). SU and psychosocial variables such as internalizing symptoms, self-control, sensation-seeking, bullying-victimization, subjective stress, leisure activities, and peer influences were assessed with self-reports at age 17 and 20. SU was stratified by sex and sexual attraction, and the groups were compared using regression models, with demographic and psychosocial variables included as covariates. Results SMY- and HET-youth displayed differences in a number of psychosocial variables. Overall, SMY- and HET-youth differed in their 12-months prevalence of SU: At age 17, SMY-females had significantly higher rates of SU than HET-females for cannabis (aOR = 2.14, p = 0.04), ecstasy/MDMA (aOR = 4.29, p = 0.01), and hallucinogens (aOR = 5.59, p = 0.02). At age 20, SMY-females had significantly higher rates of SU than HET-females for tobacco (aOR = 2.06, p = 0.03), cannabis (aOR = 2.24, p = 0.004), ecstasy/MDMA (aOR = 3.93, p < 0.001), stimulants (aOR = 3.45, p = 0.002), and hallucinogens (aOR = 6.65, p < 0.001). SMY-males reported significantly lower rates for tobacco and cannabis than HET-males at age 17. At age 20, they reported significantly higher rates for the use of ecstasy/MDMA (aOR = 2.30, p = 0.04) and hallucinogens (aOR = 2.43, p = 0.03). Conclusions Given that psychosocial variables were significant covariates of SMY-status and SU, our results underline the importance of accounting for these when explaining differences in SU between adolescents. While differentiation by sex is established in most studies, such standardized comparisons are lacking with regards to sexual identities. But knowledge about SU of SMY is critical for designing effective interventions. This is especially true for SMY-females: Thus, SU in SMY-females early in life needs to be explored more thoroughly and addressed with adequate prevention measures.

show abstract

When Substance Use Is Underreported: Comparing Self-Reports and Hair Toxicology in an Urban Cohort of Young Adults

Cited by 31 publications

References 46 publications

Associations between hair-derived cannabinoid levels, self-reported use, and cannabis-related problems

Associations between hair-derived cannabinoid levels, self-reported use, and cannabis-related problems

The Influence of Different Dimensions of the Parent–Child Relationship in Childhood as Longitudinal Predictors of Substance Use in Late Adolescence. The Mediating Role of Self-Control

Substance use in sexual minority youth: prevalence in an urban cohort

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About