BACKGROUND: There is growing evidence that people with mental health disorders are more likely to use marijuana or to have used it in the past. We sought to explore the association between psychological distress and marijuana use.
METHODS: Between July and December 2016, heterosexuals at increased risk for HIV infection were recruited using respondent-driven sampling as part of the National HIV Behavioral Surveillance (NHBS) system in Denver, CO. Persons were included if they: reported sexual contact with the opposite sex, were between the ages of 18 and 60, and were of lower socioeconomic status (defined as having income at or below the federal poverty line or educational attainment of a high school diploma or less). Participants completed a behavioral survey which included questions regarding their HIV risk factors as well as past 30 day marijuana use and mental health (Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6)). Past 30 day marijuana use was categorized into three groups: None, occasional use (less than weekly), regular use (1-4 days a week), and heavy use (5-7 days a week). The K6 scale is a measure used for screening psychological distress and severity of depression or anxiety disorders. The K6 categorizes psychological distress into three groups: no distress, mild to moderate distress, and severe distress.
RESULTS: Participants were mostly female (63.6%), ≥ 41 years of age (51.1%), and Hispanic (63.6%). Of 407 eligible participants, 59.7% had used marijuana in the past year and 55.3% had used marijuana in the past 30 days. Regarding past 30 day use, 30.9% were heavy users, 12.8% were regular users, 11.6% were occasional users, and 44.7% reported no past 30 day use. On the K6 scale, 25.3% had severe distress, 72.0% reported moderate distress, and 2.7% were well. Among heavy users of marijuana, 3.2% scored in the low range for psychological distress, 65.1% scored in the mild to moderate range, and 31.8% scored in the high range. Among individuals who reported no past 30 day use, 3.3% scored in the low range for psychological distress, 76.4% scored in the mild to moderate range, and 35.9% scored in the high range.
CONCLUSIONS: There is a high prevalence of psychological distress and concurrent marijuana use among this population. The interaction between marijuana use and psychological distress should be further explored in terms of chronology, health implications, and impact of marijuana on acute and long-term distress.