title: Trajectories of marijuana use and psychological adjustment among urban African American and Puerto Rican women.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The current longitudinal study examined the developmental patterns of marijuana use and their relationship with subsequent psychological adjustment in a community-based sample of urban African American and Puerto Rican women.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were interviewed five times over a period ranging from adolescence (mean age 14.0 years) to adulthood (mean age 32.5 years). Outcome measures included depressive symptoms, anger/hostility and the presence of a substance use disorder (abuse/dependence).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three distinct trajectories of marijuana use were identified: non-users, increasers and quitters. Increasers reported higher levels of depressive symptoms and anger/hostility than did non-users and were more likely to meet criteria for a substance use disorder at age 32.5 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings indicate that early-starting long-term use of marijuana is associated with psychological maladjustment among women. Prevention efforts should emphasize the long-term cost associated with marijuana use, and that the best psychological health is reported by those who abstain from the drug.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA. kerstin.pahl@nyumc.org
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Pahl
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Brook
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Koppel
mesh_terms: D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D002189:Marijuana Abuse / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D009519:New York City / Q000453:epidemiology; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult