Deciphering marijuana: Cannabis, cannabinoids and mental health

La relación de la planta cannabis sativa con la salud mental tiene una larga historia

Analyzing the Behavior of Cannabis Users during the COVID-19 Confinement in Spain

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our lives is unquestionable, including in the area of substance consumption. This study aimed to evaluate the changes in the pattern of cannabis use during the Spanish COVID-19 lockdown and confinement, and to analyze the variations in the reported motives for cannabis use and withdrawal symptoms. A cross-sectional retrospective study was conducted between April and May 2020, using an instrument that included two time points. Time 1 collected retrospective information on the participants’ habits (N = 89; 73% male; mean age = 29.01) prior to confinement and Time 2 collected the same information during the confinement. Sociodemographic data were collected, as well as the frequency of substance use, cannabis use patterns, sources of cannabis, perceived availability of drugs and cannabis price, and the Marijuana Motives Measure questionnaire and the Cannabis Withdrawal Scale were used. Results showed a decrease in both cannabis use and consumption due to enhancement and social motives. All reported sources of cannabis experienced a reduction except for the Internet, which experienced a significant increase. There was a positive correlation between withdrawal symptoms and coping motives before and during the lockdown. These findings will allow professionals to better develop both prevention and intervention strategies

Sensibilidad a la ansiedad como factor de vulnerabilidad transdiagnóstico para el consumo de tabaco: implicaciones clínicas y para el tratamiento

El tabaquismo es la principal causa evitable de morbilidad y muerte prematura a nivel mundial (López, Pérez-Ríos, Schiaffino y Fernández, 2016; Soriano et al., 2018; Organización Mundial de la Salud [OMS], 2019). En general, hay 1,3 mil millones de fumadores adultos en el mundo y se estima una prevalencia media de 42,5 % de intentos de dejar de fumar en el último año (Ahluwalia et al., 2018; Asma et al., 2015). En España, el porcentaje de fumadores diarios mostró una tendencia al alza en 2018, alcanzando el 34 % de la población. Sin embargo, casi dos tercios de ellos (65,85 %) han informado de al menos un intento de dejar de fumar en el último año (Plan Nacional sobre Drogas, 2019)

Psychometric properties and factor structure of the brief Wisconsin Inventory of Smoking Dependence Motives among Spanish smokers from the general population

Introduction: The brief version of the Wisconsin Inventory of Smoking Dependence Motives (B-WISDM) is a well-established instrument to measure the multidimensional nature of nicotine dependence. However, no previous research has assessed its psychometric properties in the Spanish context. The aim of the present study was to analyze the factor structure and measurement invariance across gender of this instrument among Spanish smokers from the general population. Methods: This cross-sectional study assessed 480 smokers through an online questionnaire including information on tobacco use and several nicotine dependence measures. Confirmatory Factor Analysis was used to assess the factorial structure of the Spanish B-WISDM, its internal consistency, measurement invariance across gender and convergent validity with the Fagerstr¨om Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) and the Glover-Nilsson Smoking Behavioral Questionnaire (GN-SBQ) scores. Results: Results indicate that the eleven correlated factors solution had a better fit when compared to the other tested models (two correlated factors and two second-order factors with eleven first-order correlated factors solution), remaining such structure invariant across gender. Internal consistency of the scale was high (α =0.950; dimension α values ranged between 0.657 and 0.921). Overall scores and dimensions of the scale significantly and positively correlated with other nicotine dependence measures (except for Social/Environmental Goads and FTND). Conclusions: This is the first version of the B-WISDM validated to assess nicotine dependence with a multidimensional perspective within the Spanish culture. Results show adequate psychometric properties regarding its factor structure and measurement invariance across gender, supporting its utility to evaluate the motives driving tobacco use among Spanish smokers from the general population

Trayectorias de policonsumo y diferencias en impulsividad entre adolescentes

Background/Objective: Although alcohol, tobacco and cannabis are the most widely consumed drugs, sparse data exist regarding polydrug use in adolescents and its relationship with impulsivity. This study aims to identify trajectories of polydrug use and analyze differences in impulsivity between them. Method: A total of 1,565 adolescents (54.4% males; mean age = 13.02, SD = 0.57) were annually assessed over three years using the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale, the Zuckerman Impulsive Sensation Seeking Scale, a Stroop Test and a Delay Discounting Task. Frequency of alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis use, intoxication episodes and problem drinking were also assessed. Polydrug trajectories were identified using latent class mixed modelling. To examine differences in self-reported and behavioral impulsivity two mixed multivariate analyses of covariance were used. Results: Three trajectories of substance use were found. The ‘Experimental use’ and the ‘Early use’ trajectories presented the lowest and highest impulsivity, respectively. Substance use increases in the ‘Telescoped used’ trajectory were associated with parallel increases in impulsivity. Conclusions: individuals with divergent patterns of substance use during adolescence differ in their impulsiveness, primarily in general impulsivity and sensation seeking. Present findings suggest the relevance of these facets as possible targets for interventions preventing the onset and escalation of substance use.This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality [grant number MSSSI-12-2012/131] and by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness [grant number BES-2015-073327

The Effect of Prescription Drugs and Alcohol Consumption on Intimate Partner Violence Victim Blaming

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) is a public health problem with harsh consequences for women’s well-being. Social attitudes towards victims of IPV have a big impact on the perpetuation of this phenomenon. Moreover, specific problems such as the abuse of alcohol and drugs by IPV victims could have an effect on blame attributions towards them. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the external perception (Study 1) and self-perception (Study 2) of blame were influenced by the victims’ use and abuse of alcohol or by the victims’ use of psychotropic prescription drugs. Results of the first study (N = 136 participants) showed a significantly higher blame attribution towards female victims with alcohol abuse compared to those without it. No significant differences were found on blame attributed to those with psychotropic prescription drugs abuse and the control group. Results of the second study (N = 195 female victims of interpersonal violence) showed that alcohol consumption is associated with higher self-blame and self-blame cognitions among IPV victims. However, results did not show significant differences on self-blame associated to the victims’ use of psychotropic prescription drugs. Our findings indicate that alcohol consumption, but not prescription drugs use, plays a relevant role in the attribution of blame by general population and self-blame by victims of IPV

Peak provoked craving after smoking cessation

Peak provoked craving (PPC) is an alternative approach to cue-induced craving that focuses on the highest craving level experienced during the exposure to drug-related cues. The main objective of this study was to assess the effect of abstinence on PPC in smokers and to determine whether PPC is altered by continuous abstinence. Results showed reductions on PPC levels only 24 hours after achieving abstinence and craving levels remain significantly lower after 7 days of abstinence

Preliminary Evidence of the Association between Time on Buprenorphine and Cognitive Performance among Individuals with Opioid Use Disorder Maintained on Buprenorphine: A Pilot Study

People on buprenorphine maintenance treatment (BMT) commonly present cognitive deficits that have been associated with illicit drug use and dropout from buprenorphine treatment. This study has compared cognitive responses to the Stroop Task and the Continuous Performance Task (CPT) among individuals on BMT, with recent drug use, and healthy controls and explored the associations between cognitive responses and drug use, craving, and buprenorphine use among participants on BMT. The participants were 16 individuals on BMT and 23 healthy controls. All participants completed a 60 min laboratory session in which they completed the Stroop Task and the CPT, a saliva drug test, a brief clinical history that collected substance-use- and treatment-related information, and the Opioid Craving Scale. The results showed that the BMT participants presented more commission errors (MBMT participants = 2.49; Mhealthy controls = 1.38; p = 0.048) and longer reaction times (MBMT participants = 798.09; Mhealthy controls = 699.09; p = 0.047) in the Stroop Task than did the healthy controls. More days on buprenorphine were negatively associated with reaction time in the CPT (−0.52) and the number of commission errors (−0.53), simple reaction time (−0.54), and reaction time correct (−0.57) in the Stroop Task. Neither drug use nor craving was significantly associated with the results for the cognitive tasks. Relative to the control participants, the BMT individuals performed worse in terms of longer reaction times and more commission errors in the Stroop Task. Within the BMT participants, longer times on buprenorphine were associated with better cognitive results in terms of faster reaction times for both tasks and lower commission errors for the Stroop Task

Gender differences in addiction severity

Gender has been associated with substance use disorders (SUD). However, there are few studies that have evaluated gender differences in a global and a standardized way, and with a large sample of patients with SUD. Our goal is to analyze the role of gender in addiction severity throughout multiple life domains, using the Addiction Severity Index-6 (ASI-6). A naturalistic, multicenter and prospective study was conducted. A total of 221 patients with SUD (80.1% men) were interviewed with the ASI-6. Our results indicate that the Recent Summary Scores (RSSs) of men and women are similar, with the exception of Psychiatric and Partner- Problems, where women showed higher severity (p = .017 and p = .013, respectively). Statistically significant gender differences were found in certain aspects of the ASI-6 domains: men have more problems of physical health, legal issues, and alcohol and other substance use; and woman score higher in problems of mental health, social network, subjective evaluations of SUD consequences, and treatment needs. These results should be taken into account to improve the identification, prevention, and treatment of SUD.Se ha descrito que el género es un factor que condiciona los trastornos por uso de sustancias (TUS). Sin embargo, hay pocos estudios que hayan evaluado esas diferencias de género de manera global, estandarizada y en una muestra amplia de pacientes con TUS. Nuestro objetivo es analizar el rol del género en la gravedad de la adicción a través de los diversos dominios de vida mediante el Addiction Severity Index-6 (ASI-6). Se llevó a cabo un estudio naturalístico, multicéntrico y prospectivo con una muestra compuesta por 221 pacientes con TUS (80,1% hombres). Los participantes fueron entrevistados con el ASI-6. Los resultados han mostrado que las Puntuaciones Sumarias Recientes (PSRs) son similares entre hombres y mujeres a excepción de las correspondientes a Salud mental y Pareja- Problemas, donde las mujeres presentan mayor gravedad (p = 0,017 y p = 0,013, respectivamente). Por otra parte, se han encontrado diferencias estadísticamente significativas e diversos aspectos concretos de las áreas contempladas por el ASI-6, que indican que los hombres presentan más problemas en cuanto a salud física, cuestiones legales y uso de alcohol y drogas, y la mujeres en salud mental, red social y la valoración subjetiva sobre las consecuencias del TUS y la necesidad de tratamiento. Estos resultados deben tenerse en cuenta a la hora de implementar una mejora en la identificación, prevención y tratamiento de los TUS