Differences in internalizing symptoms between those with and without Cannabis Use Disorder among HBCU undergraduate students

Abstract

Objective

To determine the differences in internalizing symptoms between those who met criteria for Cannabis Use Disorder (CUD) and those who did not in young adults attending a Historically Black College or University (HBCU).

Participants

The sample included 619 undergraduate students, with 110 (18%) who met criteria for CUD.

Methods

Participants completed an online survey, which included demographic, anxious and depressive symptomatology, and substance use assessment.

Results

Those who met CUD criteria reported more depressive symptoms (M = 22.83 ± 10.74) and anxiety symptoms (M = 45.70 ± 12.82) than their non-CUD counterparts (M = 19.17 ± 10.58; M = 40.57 ± 14.11, respectively).

Conclusion

Differences between those who met criteria for CUD and those who did not are consistent with previous literature and may aid in characterizing internalizing behaviors in HBCU students with CUD. Future research should examine the subgroups that may cycle through withdrawal symptoms, despite not having severe CUD. This subgroup may be at higher risk for psychopathology than their severe counterparts.

Keywords:

• Depressive symptoms
• anxiety symptoms
• Cannabis Use Disorder
• Historical Black College or University HBCU

Conflict of interest disclosure

The authors have no conflicts of interest to report. The authors confirm that the research presented in this article met the ethical guidelines, including adherence to the legal requirements, of the United States of America and received approval from the Virginia State University Institutional Review Board.

Additional information

Funding

The first author was supported by a Diversity Supplement award (3UL1TR002649-02S1) from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences. The contents herein are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent official views of the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences or the National Institutes of Health.