Date of Award

8-2025

Degree Type

Masters Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

School

Psychology

Committee Chair

Ashley Jones

Committee Chair School

Psychology

Committee Member 2

Michael Madson

Committee Member 3

Eric Dahlen

Committee Member 3 School

Psychology

Abstract

Particularly considering the ongoing changes in legalization, there has been a growing prevalence of cannabis use among college students. Similarly, students have endorsed increased mental health concerns following the COVID-19 pandemic. Resulting in a cycle of harmful use, research has supported a positive relationship between negative affect and cannabis-related negative outcomes. Protective behavioral strategies for marijuana (PBSM) have been successful in reducing cannabis-related negative outcomes; however, the frequency and utility of PBSM use for students experiencing increased negative affect is unknown. Participants included 330 college students (Mage = 19.17) from 12 U.S. universities who were predominately White non-Hispanic (57.9%), and female (67.3%). Using an SEM framework, total PBSM use and its subscales were evaluated as mediators of the effects of negative affect on cannabis use. Invariance testing was conducted to determine if the relationships functioned similarly across cannabis state legalization status. Negative affect demonstrated positive relationships between harmful cannabis use and cannabis-related negative outcomes. These relationships were not mediated by PBSM use but were invariant across cannabis state legalization status. Findings suggest that college students experiencing negative affect are more vulnerable to cannabis-related negative outcomes and should be the focus of campus mental health and harm reduction services.

ORCID ID

0009-0009-7914-8924

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