Louisiana State University, Department of Psychology, 236 Audubon Hall, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA.
Louisiana State University, Department of Psychology, 236 Audubon Hall, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA.
Addict Behav. 2023 Feb;137:107528. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2022.107528. Epub 2022 Oct 22.
Individuals with elevated social anxiety are particularly susceptible to cannabis problems, and sex differences in factors underlying this relation have been identified - e.g., among those with elevated social anxiety, men may use cannabis to cope with negative affect (NA) generally whereas women may use to cope with social anxiety specifically. This study examined the relations between social anxiety and cannabis-related behaviors by sex among 401 (75.3% female) undergraduates who endorsed past-month cannabis use. Among both sexes, social anxiety was related to more cannabis problems and coping (to decrease NA generally) and social anxiety (to manage NA in social situations) motives. Among men (not women), social anxiety was related to less frequent cannabis use and more conformity (to fit in with others) motives. Among women (not men), social anxiety was related to more enjoyment, experimentation, boredom alleviation, altered perceptions (to modulate perceptual experiences), and relatively low risk (perceived low risk) motives. The relation between social anxiety and cannabis problems occurred indirectly via coping motives for both sexes, and among men (not women) via conformity motives. Among women (not men), social anxiety was indirectly related to cannabis problems via enjoyment, experimentation, boredom, altered perceptions, and social anxiety motives. Findings suggest that among those with elevated social anxiety, men and women appear to use cannabis for different reasons, and that these reasons may play different roles in cannabis problem risk among men and women. Data highlight the importance of considering sex in efforts to understand the role of social anxiety in cannabis-related behaviors.
社交焦虑水平较高的个体尤其容易出现大麻问题，并且已经确定了导致这种关系的因素存在性别差异——例如，在社交焦虑水平较高的人群中，男性可能会使用大麻来应对一般的负面情绪（NA），而女性可能会使用大麻来专门应对社交焦虑。本研究通过对 401 名（75.3%为女性）报告过去一个月大麻使用情况的大学生的性别进行分析，考察了社交焦虑与大麻相关行为之间的关系。在两性中，社交焦虑与更多的大麻问题和应对（一般减少 NA）和社交焦虑（在社交场合中应对 NA）的动机有关。在男性（非女性）中，社交焦虑与较少的大麻使用和更高的从众（与他人保持一致）的动机有关。在女性（非男性）中，社交焦虑与更多的享受、实验、缓解无聊、改变感知（调节感知体验）和相对低风险（感知低风险）的动机有关。社交焦虑与大麻问题之间的关系通过两性的应对动机间接相关，而在男性（非女性）中则通过从众动机间接相关。在女性（非男性）中，社交焦虑通过享受、实验、无聊、改变感知和社交焦虑的动机与大麻问题间接相关。研究结果表明，在社交焦虑水平较高的人群中，男性和女性使用大麻的原因似乎不同，并且这些原因在男性和女性的大麻问题风险中可能发挥不同的作用。研究结果强调了在努力理解社交焦虑在大麻相关行为中的作用时，考虑性别的重要性。
