Cannabis use disorder severity and sleep quality among undergraduates attending a Historically Black University

Larry Keen 2nd; Arlener D Turner; Lauren George; Kimberly Lawrence

doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2022.107414

Cannabis use disorder severity and sleep quality among undergraduates attending a Historically Black University

Addict Behav. 2022 Nov:134:107414. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2022.107414. Epub 2022 Jun 21.

Authors

Larry Keen 2nd¹, Arlener D Turner², Lauren George³, Kimberly Lawrence¹

Affiliations

¹ Psychology Department, Virginia State University, USA.
² Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Miami, USA.
³ Potomac Behavioral Solutions, USA.

PMID: 35810645
DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2022.107414

Abstract

Nearly one third of Americans experience poor sleep, which is associated with numerous deleterious health outcomes. Poor sleep may be exacerbated when an individual attends college, as they experience drastic shifts in lifestyle and sleep patterns. Previous research suggests cannabis has therapeutic potential for sleep disorders but may also impair sleep quality long-term. However, no study has examined the differences in sleep quality within individuals who meet criteria for Cannabis Use Disorder (CUD). The purpose of the current study was to determine differences in sleep quality among undergraduate students who met criteria for mild CUD (n = 18), moderate CUD (n = 22), severe CUD (n = 16) and students who did not meet criteria for CUD (n = 244). Participants included 300 predominantly Black/African American undergraduate students (79% female), aged between 18 and 25 years. Each participant completed an online survey that included measures assessing sleep quality and CUD criteria. Employing analysis of covariance, the moderate CUD subgroup (M = 9.00, SD = 3.32) reported poorer sleep quality than individuals who did not meet criteria for CUD (M = 6.93, SD = 3.03). Interestingly, the severe CUD subgroup (M = 6.75, SD = 2.52) reported similar sleep quality to individuals who did not meet criteria for CUD (M = 6.93, SD = 3.03). Individuals meeting criteria for mild and moderate CUD reported the poorest sleep quality among the groups, suggesting a differentiation within CUD severity. Future research should assess withdrawal and cannabis use frequency among individuals who meet criteria for CUD to further elucidate disturbances in sleep quality among those with CUD.

Keywords: Addiction; Cannabis use disorder; College student; HBCU; Sleep quality.