People with higher attachment anxiety experienced a stronger link between problematic cannabis use and depression, with the combination of high anxiety and avoidance predicting the greatest increases in depressive symptoms over time.
Mental health clinicians, addiction therapists, researchers studying cannabis and psychological vulnerability, and anyone interested in the cannabis-depression link.
What the researchers found
Attachment anxiety significantly moderated the cannabis-depression association at both timepoints (p=0.013 at T1, p=0.002 at T2), and a longitudinal three-way interaction (p=0.014) showed that depression increases were greatest among individuals high in both attachment anxiety and avoidance.
Why it matters
This study identifies attachment insecurities as a key vulnerability factor that amplifies the depressive impact of cannabis use, suggesting clinical interventions should address emotional regulation alongside substance use.
The numbers in context
N=1,745 (412 lifetime users); two timepoints (2024-2025); attachment anxiety moderation p=0.013 (T1), p=0.002 (T2); three-way interaction p=0.014; avoidance showed paradoxical buffering effect among users
How the study worked
Two-wave longitudinal study of 1,745 Israeli adults (412 lifetime cannabis users) assessed at T1 (2024) and T2 (2025) using ASSIST, PHQ-9, and ECR measures, with cross-sectional moderation models and longitudinal change models.
What this study cannot tell us
Israeli sample may not generalize globally; self-report measures; two timepoints limit understanding of temporal dynamics; cannot establish causality; lifetime cannabis use group includes variable use patterns.
How to read the evidence
Longitudinal design with validated instruments and adequate sample size, though limited to two timepoints and self-report measures.
When this study was published
Published 2026; data collected 2024-2025.
The bigger picture
Understanding that psychological vulnerabilities like attachment insecurity magnify cannabis-related mental health risks could transform treatment approaches from substance-focused to relationship-and-emotion-focused.
Questions still open
- Would attachment-focused therapy reduce cannabis-related depression? Does this interaction hold for other substances? Why does avoidance appear to buffer the cannabis-depression link?
Common questions
Does cannabis cause depression?
Who is most at risk for cannabis-related depression?
Read the original research
Problematic cannabis use and attachment insecurities as Joint predictors of Depression: Cross-Sectional and longitudinal models.
Addictive behaviors, 175, 108604
Citation
Gliksberg, Or; Shmulewitz, Dvora; Skvirsky, Vera; Levitin, Maor Daniel; Feingold, Daniel; Kor, Ariel; Lev-Ran, Shaul; Mikulincer, Mario. (2026). Problematic cannabis use and attachment insecurities as Joint predictors of Depression: Cross-Sectional and longitudinal models.. Addictive behaviors, 175, 108604. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2026.108604
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