Relationships Between Prenatal Cocaine Exposure, Cannabis-Use Onset and Emotional and Related Characteristics in Young/Emerging Adults

Abstract

Background: Exposure to substances in utero may have significant early-life consequences. Less is known about the effects in emerging adulthood, particularly regarding patterns of substance use and related characteristics.

Objectives: In this study, we recruited emerging adults, followed since birth, who had been prenatally exposed, or not, to cocaine. Individuals reported on their cannabis, alcohol, and tobacco use, and measures of impulsivity, anhedonia, emotional regulation, and mental health were obtained. Comparisons were made between emerging adults with prenatal cocaine exposure and those without. Correlations were performed between psychological measures and substance use, and regression analyses were conducted to determine potential pathways by which such measures may relate to prenatal exposure or substance use.

Results: Individuals with prenatal cocaine exposure (vs. those without) used cannabis at younger ages, reported greater cannabis-use severity, and demonstrated higher impulsivity, state anxiety, and alexithymia. Earlier age of onset of cannabis use was associated with higher impulsivity, state anxiety, alexithymia, and social and physical anhedonia. Cannabis-use age-of-onset mediated the relationship between prenatal cocaine-exposure status and state anxiety and between prenatal cocaine-exposure status and cannabis-use severity in emerging adulthood but not relationships between prenatal cocaine-exposure status and impulsivity or alexithymia in emerging adulthood. Findings suggest that adults with prenatal cocaine exposure may use cannabis at younger ages, which may relate to increased anxiety and more severe use.

Conclusions: These findings suggest both mechanisms and possible intervention targets to improve mental health in emerging adults with prenatal cocaine exposure.

Keywords:

• Cannabis
• prenatal cocaine exposure
• age of onset
• impulsivity
• anxiety
• anhedonia
• alexithymia

Acknowledgements

 

Author contributions

Dr. Morie wrote the first draft of the manuscript and worked with coauthors on subsequent drafts. All authors contributed to the editorial process and have approved the final submitted version of the manuscript.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflict of interest with respect to the content of this manuscript. The authors report no conflicts of interest with respect to the content of this manuscript. Dr. Potenza has: consulted for and advised Game Day Data, the Addiction Policy Forum, AXA, Idorsia, and Opiant/Lakelight Therapeutics; received research support from the Veteran’s Administration, Mohegan Sun Casino, Children and Screens, and the National Center for Responsible Gaming (no the International Center for Responsible Gambling); participated in surveys, mailings, or telephone consultations related to drug addiction, internet use, impulse-control disorders or other health topics; consulted for law offices and the federal public defender’s office in issues related to impulse-control and addictive disorders; provided clinical care in the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services Problem Gambling Services Program; performed grant reviews for the National Institutes of Health and other agencies; edited journals and journal sections; given academic lectures in grand rounds, CME events and other clinical/scientific venues; and generated books or chapters for publishers of mental health texts. Other authors report no disclosures. The other authors report no financial relationships with commercial interests.

Additional information

Funding

The study was funded by National Institute of Mental Health;National Institute on Drug Abuse. KPM received support from MH018268-31 and K01DA042937. Beyond funding, the funding agencies had no further role in the writing of the report or in the decision to submit the paper for publication.