The associations between marijuana use, emotion dysregulation, and heart rate variability among healthy young adults

Recent epidemiological data have revealed that, in past years, there has been an increase in daily marijuana consumption by young adults. To gain better insight into factors that may contribute to problem use, the present study sought to examine associations between marijuana use and emotion regulation in a sample of 210 generally healthy young adults between ages 18 and 30 (mean age = 20.5, SD = 2.2; 52% women) using both self-report and experimental data. Using self-report data, this study found that those who frequently used marijuana reported significantly higher depression scores, compared with those who abstained. Furthermore, though no differences in self-reported anxiety were noted, those who regularly used marijuana employed more emotion regulation strategies to cope with affects than abstainers, especially “acceptance” and “rumination.” In addition to self-report measures, the current study examined heart rate variability (HRV), a widely accepted indicator of emotion regulation capacities, in three groups of young adult subjects (abstinent, moderate, and frequent users). Despite prior literature reporting differences in HRV between those who use marijuana and those who abstain from use, this study did not find baseline differences in its sample. However, subjects who reported frequent marijuana use demonstrated greater physiological reactivity in response to testing, compared with the moderate and abstinent groups. Taken together, the self-report and physiological data may suggest that those who regularly use marijuana may have more difficulty regulating emotions which, in turn, may motivate them toward higher rates of use. Notably, these findings endured after controlling for co-occurring alcohol and cigarette use, as well as depression, each of which have been reported to affect HRV. Clinically, the reported findings may impart clinicians with increased insight into factors which may contribute, in part, to the emotion regulation strategies and behavioral patterns of those who present seeking treatment for marijuana use. Results may also suggest that people entering treatment for marijuana use may benefit from therapies that emphasize emotion regulation skills.Psy.D.Includes bibliographical referencesby Eric J. Garfinkl