Self-isolation: A significant contributor to cannabis use during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Subst Abus
; 41(4): 409-412, 2020.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-843081
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Emerging research suggests the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a significant increase in self-reported isolation and loneliness in a large proportion of the population. This is particularly concerning given that isolation and loneliness are associated with increased cannabis use, as well as using cannabis to cope with negative affect.Objective:
We investigated whether self-isolation due to COVID-19 and using cannabis to cope with depression were unique and/or interactive predictors of cannabis use during the pandemic, after controlling for pre-pandemic levels of cannabis use.Method:
A sample of 70 emerging adults (mean age = 23.03; 34.3% male) who used both alcohol and cannabis pre-pandemic completed measures of cannabis use (i.e., quantity x frequency) and a novel COVID-19 questionnaire between March 23 and June 15, 2020. Pre-pandemic cannabis use levels had been collected four months earlier.Results:
Linear regressions indicated self-isolation and coping with depression motives for cannabis use during the pandemic were significant predictors of pandemic cannabis use levels after accounting for pre-pandemic use levels. There was no interaction between coping with depression motives and self-isolation on cannabis use during the pandemic.Conclusions:
Those who engaged in self-isolation were found to use 20% more cannabis during the pandemic than those who did not. Our results suggest that self-isolation is a unique risk factor for escalating cannabis use levels during the pandemic. Thus, self-isolation may inadvertently lead to adverse public health consequences in the form of increased cannabis use.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Self Medication
/
Social Isolation
/
Marijuana Smoking
/
COVID-19
/
Loneliness
Type of study:
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
Limits:
Adult
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Young adult
Country/Region as subject:
North America
Language:
English
Journal:
Subst Abus
Journal subject:
Substance-Related Disorders
Year:
2020
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
08897077.2020.1823550
Similar
MEDLINE
...
LILACS
LIS