Adults with ADHD who persistently used substances perceived cannabis as therapeutic for mood and ADHD symptoms
A mixed-methods study from the MTA adult follow-up found that persistent substance users with ADHD perceived cannabis as enhancing positive mood and improving negative mood and ADHD symptoms, though broad perceptions about substance use and mood did not differ between ADHD and non-ADHD groups.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Researchers analyzed narrative comments from 92 persistent and desistent substance users from the MTA (Multimodal Treatment Study of ADHD) adult follow-up (ages 21.7-26.7).
Persistent substance users generally perceived that substance use positively affects emotional states and that positive emotional effects outweigh negative ones. This perception did not differ between ADHD and non-ADHD groups.
However, qualitative analysis revealed ADHD-specific perceptions: both ADHD and non-ADHD persistent users reported that cannabis enhanced positive mood, but ADHD persistent users additionally perceived cannabis as improving negative mood and ADHD symptoms specifically.
These self-medication perceptions may help explain why cannabis use is elevated among people with ADHD and why it persists despite potential negative consequences.
Key Numbers
92 total (67 persistent, 25 desistent substance users). 50 ADHD, 17 comparison group among persisters. No ADHD group differences in broad substance-mood perceptions. ADHD-specific perception: cannabis improves negative mood and ADHD symptoms.
How They Did This
Mixed qualitative-quantitative analysis. 67 persistent and 25 desistent substance users from the MTA adult follow-up. 50 ADHD and 17 comparison group among persisters. Narrative coding of substance use-emotion perceptions.
Why This Research Matters
Understanding why people with ADHD are more likely to use cannabis persistently requires understanding their subjective experience. If they perceive cannabis as genuinely helping their ADHD symptoms and mood, simply telling them to stop may be ineffective without providing alternative symptom management.
The Bigger Picture
Self-medication is a widely discussed but under-studied aspect of cannabis use in ADHD. This study provides direct qualitative evidence that people with ADHD perceive cannabis as therapeutic, which has implications for how clinicians should address cannabis use in this population.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Small qualitative sample. Self-reported perceptions may not reflect actual therapeutic benefit. MTA participants have extensive treatment histories that may not generalize. Persistent users may be motivated to justify continued use.
Questions This Raises
- ?Does cannabis actually improve ADHD symptoms, or is the perception driven by placebo or mood effects?
- ?Would providing better ADHD treatment reduce cannabis use in this population?
- ?Could cannabinoid-based treatments be developed specifically for ADHD?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- ADHD substance users specifically perceived cannabis as improving ADHD symptoms and negative mood
- Evidence Grade:
- Preliminary. Qualitative findings from a well-established longitudinal study (MTA), but small sample and self-reported perceptions limit generalizability.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2018. Research on cannabis use in ADHD has continued, with some exploring cannabinoid-based treatments.
- Original Title:
- How Substance Users With ADHD Perceive the Relationship Between Substance Use and Emotional Functioning.
- Published In:
- Journal of attention disorders, 22(9_suppl), 49S-60S (2018)
- Authors:
- Mitchell, John T(6), Weisner, Thomas S, Jensen, Peter S, Murray, Desiree W, Molina, Brooke S G, Arnold, L Eugene, Hechtman, Lily, Swanson, James M, Hinshaw, Stephen P, Victor, Elizabeth C, Kollins, Scott H, Wells, Karen C, Belendiuk, Katherine A, Blonde, Andrew, Nguyen, Celeste, Ambriz, Lizeth, Nguyen, Jenny L
- Database ID:
- RTHC-01766
Evidence Hierarchy
Uses interviews or focus groups to understand experiences in depth.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Does cannabis actually help ADHD?
This study found that people with ADHD perceive cannabis as helpful for their symptoms, but perception does not equal efficacy. Controlled studies of cannabis for ADHD are very limited, and the cognitive effects of regular cannabis use (particularly on working memory) could actually worsen some ADHD symptoms.
Why is cannabis use more common in people with ADHD?
Several factors may contribute: impulsivity associated with ADHD, self-medication for mood and attention difficulties, and shared genetic factors. This study adds evidence for the self-medication explanation by documenting that ADHD users specifically perceive cannabis as addressing their symptoms.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-01766APA
Mitchell, John T; Weisner, Thomas S; Jensen, Peter S; Murray, Desiree W; Molina, Brooke S G; Arnold, L Eugene; Hechtman, Lily; Swanson, James M; Hinshaw, Stephen P; Victor, Elizabeth C; Kollins, Scott H; Wells, Karen C; Belendiuk, Katherine A; Blonde, Andrew; Nguyen, Celeste; Ambriz, Lizeth; Nguyen, Jenny L. (2018). How Substance Users With ADHD Perceive the Relationship Between Substance Use and Emotional Functioning.. Journal of attention disorders, 22(9_suppl), 49S-60S. https://doi.org/10.1177/1087054716685842
MLA
Mitchell, John T, et al. "How Substance Users With ADHD Perceive the Relationship Between Substance Use and Emotional Functioning.." Journal of attention disorders, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1177/1087054716685842
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "How Substance Users With ADHD Perceive the Relationship Betw..." RTHC-01766. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/mitchell-2018-how-substance-users-with
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.