Men with emotion regulation difficulties have more problematic cannabis use than women with similar struggles
Among 741 cannabis users, emotion dysregulation was more strongly linked to problematic use in men than women, suggesting treatment for cannabis problems may need to address emotion regulation skills differently by sex.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Male cannabis users reported greater emotion dysregulation across almost all dimensions. Overall emotion dysregulation, nonacceptance, goal difficulties, impulsivity, and strategy deficits were all associated with more problematic cannabis use, with weaker relationships in women. Lack of emotional awareness was uniquely linked to less severe problems in men only.
Key Numbers
741 participants, 31.4% female. Male users scored higher on overall dysregulation, nonacceptance, goals, impulse, strategies, and clarity dimensions. Sex moderated the association between emotion dysregulation and problematic use for multiple dimensions.
How They Did This
Cross-sectional study of 741 adult past-month cannabis users (31.4% female). Problematic use was measured with the Marijuana Problems Scale. Emotion dysregulation was assessed using the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS). Hierarchical regression tested sex as a moderator.
Why This Research Matters
Understanding who develops problematic cannabis use and why can improve treatment. This study suggests that difficulty managing emotions is a stronger risk factor for cannabis problems in men, which could inform sex-tailored intervention approaches.
The Bigger Picture
Cannabis treatment programs rarely account for sex differences in emotional drivers of use. This study adds to evidence that men and women may use cannabis problematically for different emotional reasons, supporting the development of sex-specific treatment protocols.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Cross-sectional design cannot determine direction of causation. More men than women participated (68.6% male), potentially limiting power for detecting effects in women. Self-report measures may not capture actual emotion regulation behavior.
Questions This Raises
- ?Why is emotion dysregulation more strongly linked to problematic use in men?
- ?Would emotion regulation skills training reduce cannabis problems more effectively in men?
- ?Why was lack of emotional awareness linked to fewer problems in men?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Emotion dysregulation-cannabis problem link was weaker in women
- Evidence Grade:
- Moderate-sized cross-sectional study with validated psychological measures. Limited by sex-imbalanced sample and inability to establish causation.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2024 in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs.
- Original Title:
- Sex Moderates Associations Between Dimensions of Emotion Dysregulation and Problematic Cannabis Use.
- Published In:
- Journal of psychoactive drugs, 56(3), 342-352 (2024)
- Authors:
- Cavalli, Jessica M(2), Cservenka, Anita(2)
- Database ID:
- RTHC-05182
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Do men and women develop cannabis problems for different reasons?
This study suggests difficulty managing emotions is a stronger driver of problematic cannabis use in men than women. Men scored higher on emotion dysregulation and the link to cannabis problems was stronger for them.
What is emotion dysregulation?
It refers to difficulty managing emotional responses, including trouble accepting negative emotions, staying goal-directed during distress, controlling impulses when upset, and accessing effective coping strategies.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-05182APA
Cavalli, Jessica M; Cservenka, Anita. (2024). Sex Moderates Associations Between Dimensions of Emotion Dysregulation and Problematic Cannabis Use.. Journal of psychoactive drugs, 56(3), 342-352. https://doi.org/10.1080/02791072.2023.2210552
MLA
Cavalli, Jessica M, et al. "Sex Moderates Associations Between Dimensions of Emotion Dysregulation and Problematic Cannabis Use.." Journal of psychoactive drugs, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1080/02791072.2023.2210552
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Sex Moderates Associations Between Dimensions of Emotion Dys..." RTHC-05182. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/cavalli-2024-sex-moderates-associations-between
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.