Citation

Langwerden RJ, Morris SL, Fernandez SB, Contreras-Peréz ME, Hospital MM, Wagner EF. Cannabis 2023; 6(3): 127-138.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2023, Research Society on Marijuana)

DOI

10.26828/cannabis/2023/000173

PMID

38035169

PMCID

PMC10683752

Abstract

Guided Self-Change (GSC) is a Motivational Interviewing (MI)-based early intervention program, infused with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), for individuals with substance use problems. In this study, we implemented a 4-session GSC program with the innovative addition of mindfulness-based techniques at a minority-serving institution to reduce substance use and negative consequences among self-referred university students. We investigated processes that may be associated with behavior change, including perceived risk of use and self-efficacy ratings among university students who reported their primary substance of choice was cannabis (n = 18) or alcohol (n = 18). The sample of 36 participants (M(age) = 24.4, SD(age) = 5, range 18-37) mostly identified as female (58.3%), then male (41.7%); 52.8% identified as Hispanic/Latine, 22.2% as Black or African American, and 19.5% as a sexual minority. Among cannabis primary using students, results indicated that the perceived risk of weekly cannabis use, confidence to change, and readiness to change showed statistically significant increases from pre- to post-assessment. Among alcohol primary using students, confidence to change and readiness to change showed statistically significant increases from pre- to post-assessments. All results yielded large effect sizes, which may be inflated due to the small sample size.

FINDINGS suggest that over the course of participation in a brief, 4-session targeted GSC program, there were significant increases in perceived risk and self-efficacy among minority university students who engage in primary cannabis or primary alcohol use.

Language: en

Keywords

university students; cannabis; substance misuse; brief intervention; GSC