General anxiety disorder symptoms, tension reduction, and marijuana use among young adult females.
BACKGROUND
The current study tested the hypothesis that tension reduction expectancies mediate the relationship between anxiety symptoms and marijuana use.


METHODS
Interview data for 332 young adult females from Southern New England were collected from 2004 to 2009.


RESULTS
In structural equation modeling, anxiety symptoms had a significant direct effect (b(yx) = 0.227, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.086-0.369, p < 0.05) on tension reduction expectancies and a significant indirect effect (b(yx) = 0.026, 95% CI 0.010-0.046, p < 0.05) on marijuana use.


CONCLUSIONS
The effect of anxiety symptoms on marijuana use was fully mediated by tension reduction expectancies. Implications for tension reduction as a possible component of treatment interventions are discussed.
de Dios
Marcel A
MA
Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA. mdedios@butler.org
Hagerty
Claire E
CE
Herman
Debra S
DS
Hayaki
Jumi
J
Anderson
Bradley J
BJ
Budney
Alan J
AJ
Stein
Michael
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008385:Marijuana Smoking / Q000523:psychology*; D012063:Relaxation; D055815:Young Adult