Ali M Yurasek1, Jennifer E Merrill2, Jane Metrik3, Mary Beth Miller2, Anne C Fernandez4, Brian Borsari5. 1. College of Health and Human Performance, Department of Health Education and Behavior, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, United States. Electronic address: a.yurasek@ufl.edu. 2. Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI 02903, United States. 3. Providence Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Providence, RI, United States; Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI 02903, United States. 4. Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, United States. 5. San Francisco VA Medical Center, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States; Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, CA, United States.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Concurrent use of marijuana and alcohol among college students is highly prevalent and associated with negative consequences. It remains unclear whether marijuana use is influenced by or lessens the efficacy of alcohol interventions delivered within a stepped-care approach. METHOD:Participants were 530 college students who violated campus alcohol policy and were mandated to an alcohol-focused brief advice (BA) session. Participants who reported continued risky alcohol use (4+ heavy drinking episodes and/or 5+ alcohol-related consequences in the past month) six weeks following the BA session were randomized to a brief motivational intervention (BMI; n=211) or assessment only (AO; n=194) condition. Follow-up assessments were conducted 3, 6, and 9months' post-intervention. RESULTS: Multiple regression analyses revealed that marijuana user status did not influence drinking outcomes following the BA session. However, hierarchical linear models suggested that marijuana users who were randomized to BMI or AO reported higher levels of binge drinking, pBAC and consequences compared to non-users, regardless of condition. Despite this, heavy drinking marijuana users and nonusers had equivalent reductions on alcohol use outcomes following the BMI sessions. Marijuana users who received aBMI did not significantly reduce marijuana use frequency compared to participants in the AO group. CONCLUSION: Use of marijuana did not lessen the efficacy of the BA session on alcohol use or consequences. Findings suggest that marijuana users respond similarly to alcohol interventions as do non-users and can benefit from brief or more intensive alcohol interventions. A marijuana-focused intervention may be warranted to facilitate changes in marijuana use.
RCT Entities:
OBJECTIVE: Concurrent use of marijuana and alcohol among college students is highly prevalent and associated with negative consequences. It remains unclear whether marijuana use is influenced by or lessens the efficacy of alcohol interventions delivered within a stepped-care approach. METHOD:Participants were 530 college students who violated campus alcohol policy and were mandated to an alcohol-focused brief advice (BA) session. Participants who reported continued risky alcohol use (4+ heavy drinking episodes and/or 5+ alcohol-related consequences in the past month) six weeks following the BA session were randomized to a brief motivational intervention (BMI; n=211) or assessment only (AO; n=194) condition. Follow-up assessments were conducted 3, 6, and 9months' post-intervention. RESULTS: Multiple regression analyses revealed that marijuana user status did not influence drinking outcomes following the BA session. However, hierarchical linear models suggested that marijuana users who were randomized to BMI or AO reported higher levels of binge drinking, pBAC and consequences compared to non-users, regardless of condition. Despite this, heavy drinking marijuana users and nonusers had equivalent reductions on alcohol use outcomes following the BMI sessions. Marijuana users who received a BMI did not significantly reduce marijuana use frequency compared to participants in the AO group. CONCLUSION: Use of marijuana did not lessen the efficacy of the BA session on alcohol use or consequences. Findings suggest that marijuana users respond similarly to alcohol interventions as do non-users and can benefit from brief or more intensive alcohol interventions. A marijuana-focused intervention may be warranted to facilitate changes in marijuana use.
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