Date of Award

Summer 2021

Degree Type

Masters Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

School

Psychology

Committee Chair

Michael B. Madson

Committee Chair School

Psychology

Committee Member 2

Richard S. Mohn

Committee Member 2 School

Education

Committee Member 3

Bonnie C. Nicholson

Committee Member 3 School

Psychology

Abstract

The present study evaluated the sequentially mediating role of protective behavioral strategies for marijuana (PBSM) and marijuana use frequency on the relationships depressive symptoms had with hazardous marijuana use and marijuana-related negative consequences in college students Participants were 338 (50.3% male) undergraduate college students age 18 to 25 (M = 22.10; SD = 1.97) who reported marijuana use in the past 30 days. Participants reported their gender and completed measures of depressive symptoms, PBSM use, marijuana use frequency, marijuana-related negative consequences, and hazardous marijuana use through an online survey from a 2018 project. Depressive symptoms were positively associated with marijuana-related negative consequences, but this relationship was not sequentially mediated PBSM use and marijuana use frequency. Further, depressive symptoms were positively associated with hazardous marijuana use, but this relationship was not sequentially mediated PBSM use and marijuana use frequency. These relationships were also found to be invariant by gender. Thus, while this study found positive associations between depressive symptoms and marijuana outcomes, PBSM use and marijuana use frequency alone did not explain the relationship between depressive symptoms and marijuana-related outcomes and that gender did not moderate these relationships.

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