Among 1,084 young adults tracked before and during COVID-19, marijuana use frequency increased for 27% of participants, with adverse childhood experiences predicting increases among those with low resilience.
Mental health professionals; substance use prevention researchers; public health officials planning for future societal stressors.
ACEs predicted marijuana increases only among young adults with low resilience
What the researchers found
49.4% used marijuana at either timepoint, with 27.2% increasing and 21.2% decreasing frequency during COVID-19. Among those with low resilience, greater childhood adversity predicted marijuana increases. Greater depression predicted alcohol and e-cigarette increases.
Why it matters
The COVID-19 pandemic created a natural experiment for understanding how societal stress affects substance use. The finding that resilience moderates the impact of childhood adversity on marijuana use points to specific intervention targets.
The numbers in context
1,084 participants. Marijuana: 49.4% used, 27.2% increased, 21.2% decreased. ACEs predicted marijuana increases among low-resilience participants. Depression predicted alcohol and e-cigarette increases. Alcohol: 84.8% used, 32.9% increased.
How the study worked
Longitudinal analysis using Wave 3 (pre-COVID, Sept-Dec 2019) and Wave 4 (during COVID, March-May 2020) from the VAPES study of young adults across six US metropolitan areas. 1,084 participants, mean age 24.8, 51.8% female, 73.6% White.
What this study cannot tell us
Two-wave comparison captures only early COVID-19 (March-May 2020). Self-reported substance use. The sample overrepresents White participants. The observational design cannot confirm causal relationships between ACEs, resilience, and substance use changes.
How to read the evidence
Moderate: longitudinal design capturing pre/during COVID changes, though limited to early pandemic period.
When this study was published
Published in 2022, covering 2019-2020.
The bigger picture
The finding that resilience buffers the ACEs-marijuana link has practical implications: resilience-building interventions during periods of societal stress could protect vulnerable young adults from escalating substance use.
Questions still open
- Did marijuana use changes persist as the pandemic continued? Would resilience-building interventions launched during crises reduce substance use escalation? Are the ACEs-marijuana-resilience interactions specific to pandemics or generalizable to other stressors?
Common questions
Did COVID-19 increase marijuana use?
What protected against increased use during COVID?
Read the original research
Changes in young adult substance use during COVID-19 as a function of ACEs, depression, prior substance use and resilience.
Substance abuse, 43(1), 212-221
Citation
Romm, Katelyn F; Patterson, Brooke; Crawford, Natalie D; Posner, Heather; West, Carly D; Wedding, DeEnna; Horn, Kimberly; Berg, Carla J. (2022). Changes in young adult substance use during COVID-19 as a function of ACEs, depression, prior substance use and resilience.. Substance abuse, 43(1), 212-221. https://doi.org/10.1080/08897077.2021.1930629
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