Negative emotional tendencies explained the link between low distress tolerance and cannabis use problems in daily users
A study of 203 daily cannabis users found that negative affectivity (the tendency to experience negative emotions) mediated the relationship between low perceived distress tolerance and cannabis use problems, withdrawal, cessation barriers, and low quitting self-efficacy.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Researchers studied 203 urban adult daily cannabis users (29.2% female, mean age 37.7, 63% African American) to understand why low distress tolerance is linked to cannabis problems.
Negative affectivity (the general tendency to experience negative emotions) significantly mediated the relationship between distress tolerance and multiple cannabis outcomes:
- Cannabis use problems (b=-0.58, 95% CI [-1.14, -0.21])
- Cannabis withdrawal (b=-0.65, 95% CI [-1.36, -0.21])
- Self-efficacy for quitting (b=-0.83, 95% CI [-1.85, -0.22])
- Perceived barriers to cessation (b=-0.71, 95% CI [-1.51, -0.24])
In other words, people who perceive they cannot tolerate distress tend to experience more negative emotions generally, which in turn drives cannabis problems, withdrawal severity, low confidence in quitting, and perception of more barriers to stopping.
Key Numbers
203 daily cannabis users. 29.2% female, mean age 37.7, 63% African American. Significant indirect effects through negative affectivity on all four outcomes (all confidence intervals excluded zero).
How They Did This
Cross-sectional study of 203 daily cannabis users. Self-report measures of distress tolerance, negative affectivity, cannabis use problems, withdrawal, quitting self-efficacy, and perceived cessation barriers. Mediation analysis to test indirect effects.
Why This Research Matters
Identifying negative affectivity as the mechanism linking distress intolerance to cannabis problems suggests a specific treatment target. Interventions that help daily users manage negative emotions could potentially reduce cannabis problems and improve quitting success.
The Bigger Picture
This fits within a broader understanding of addiction as partly driven by emotional dysregulation. Rather than cannabis use being a "choice" issue, it may be fundamentally an emotion management issue for daily users, with cannabis serving as an ineffective coping strategy.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Cross-sectional design cannot establish causal direction. Self-report measures of all variables. Sample limited to urban daily users, mostly African American, so generalizability is uncertain. Distress tolerance was measured as perceived capability, not actual behavioral tolerance.
Questions This Raises
- ?Would emotion regulation interventions reduce cannabis problems in daily users?
- ?Is negative affectivity a cause of cannabis problems or a consequence of daily use?
- ?Would these findings replicate in non-urban or less frequent user populations?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Negative affectivity mediated the link between distress intolerance and all four cannabis outcomes
- Evidence Grade:
- Moderate. Clear mediation findings with appropriate statistical methods, but cross-sectional design limits causal inference.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2018. Emotion-focused approaches to cannabis use disorder treatment have continued to develop.
- Original Title:
- Negative affectivity as a mechanism underlying perceived distress tolerance and cannabis use problems, barriers to cessation, and self-efficacy for quitting among urban cannabis users.
- Published In:
- Addictive behaviors, 78, 216-222 (2018)
- Authors:
- Manning, Kara(2), Paulus, Daniel J(2), Hogan, Julianna B D(2), Buckner, Julia D, Farris, Samantha G, Zvolensky, Michael J
- Database ID:
- RTHC-01745
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
What is negative affectivity?
Negative affectivity is a personality trait reflecting the tendency to experience negative emotional states like anxiety, sadness, irritability, and nervousness. People high in negative affectivity tend to see the world more negatively and experience more emotional distress in daily life.
How could this help with cannabis treatment?
If negative affectivity is the key mechanism, then therapies targeting emotion regulation (like cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, or dialectical behavior therapy) might be more effective than approaches focused solely on cannabis use behaviors. Treating the emotional root could address multiple cannabis outcomes simultaneously.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-01745APA
Manning, Kara; Paulus, Daniel J; Hogan, Julianna B D; Buckner, Julia D; Farris, Samantha G; Zvolensky, Michael J. (2018). Negative affectivity as a mechanism underlying perceived distress tolerance and cannabis use problems, barriers to cessation, and self-efficacy for quitting among urban cannabis users.. Addictive behaviors, 78, 216-222. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2017.11.041
MLA
Manning, Kara, et al. "Negative affectivity as a mechanism underlying perceived distress tolerance and cannabis use problems, barriers to cessation, and self-efficacy for quitting among urban cannabis users.." Addictive behaviors, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2017.11.041
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Negative affectivity as a mechanism underlying perceived dis..." RTHC-01745. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/manning-2018-negative-affectivity-as-a
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.