Cognitive Distortions Associated with Alcohol and Marijuana Use in Uruguayan Citizens

Abstract

Background: Psychological distress (i.e., incipient symptoms of anxiety, stress, and depression) may promote substance use through increased emission of cognitive distortions. These are automatic irrational thoughts that can promote distress, which in turn increases substance use. Aim: This study analyzed, in a sample of Uruguayan citizens, the unique contribution of cognitive distortions on the frequency and quantity of alcohol or marijuana use, over and above the contribution of psychological distress or the use of emotion regulation strategies. We also assessed whether these variables were associated with having initiated or resumed the use of a substance. Methods: A survey asked about alcohol and marijuana use, psychological distress, emotion regulation strategies, and cognitive distortions. The study comprised a convenience sample of 1132 participants (Mean age = 29.07 ± 8.19 years, 72.26% women). Separate hierarchical linear regression analyses were conducted on the frequency and quantity of alcohol or marijuana use, whereas a logistic regression was applied on having initiated or resumed the use of a substance. Results: Several cognitive distortions were significant predictors of frequency and quantity of alcohol consumption or frequency of marijuana use, over and above psychological distress. Differential emission of automatic thoughts was also associated, along with higher scores of psychological distress, with a significantly higher probability of having initiated the use of a new substance or having resumed the use of a substance. Conclusions: Cognitive distortions may promote alcohol and marijuana use. Interventions aimed at modifying these distortions should be considered to reduce the emission of these behaviors.

Keywords:

• Cognitive distortions
• marijuana use
• alcohol use
• regression analyses

Declaration of interest

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by grants from the Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Técnica (PICT-2019-00180 and PICT-2021-I-A-00035) and Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (SECyT-UNC) to the last author. This work was also supported by Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (Argentina) and Agencia Nacional de Investigación e Innovación (Uruguay). These agencies had no role in the study design, collection, analysis, and interpretation of data, writing the manuscript, or decision to submit the paper.