Browsing by Author "Schluter-Dixon, Magdalen Grace"

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    Promoting self-change in cannabis use disorder
    (2023-04-13) Schluter-Dixon, Magdalen Grace; Hodgins, David; McGrath, Daniel; Stea, Jonathan
    A growing body of literature supports the efficacy of cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) and motivational interviewing (MI) for the treatment of cannabis use disorder (CUD). But, most individuals will not seek treatment and available treatments are often only provided to more severe cases. The overarching aim of this dissertation was to advance our understanding of efficacious treatments for problematic cannabis use among individuals who wish to stop or reduce their use with minimal professional support. However, measurement of cannabis use has generally not kept pace with shifts in patterns and modes of engagement and measures that do capture the diversity of ways in which cannabis is used are not designed to track changes over time. As such, there was also a need for a self-report measure of cannabis use that is more representative of current patterns of recreational engagement than other measures and that can track changes over time in intervention studies. In Study 1, a systematic review was conducted. It summarized data from 42 randomized controlled trials to provide an updated overview of the psychological interventions for CUD in adults. Both in-person and remotely delivered treatment modes were included. Study 2 involved the development of the Cannabis Engagement Assessment (CEA), a self-report measure of past month cannabis use. Convergent validity, divergent validity, criterion reliability and test-retest reliability of the CEA were examined in a community and undergraduate sample. Results suggested that the CEA is a viable self-report measure of cannabis use that is representative of current patterns of recreational cannabis engagement. In Study 3, a brief self-directed treatment workbook for problematic cannabis use was developed and its clinical utility was tested among adults with problematic cannabis use and who wished to recover with minimal professional support. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions (workbook, workbook + motivational interview, or waitlist control), and asked to complete follow-up assessments at 3- and 6-months post-baseline. Overall, results supported the utility of a brief self-directed workbook in combination with a single MI session at promoting changes in cannabis use. The results also lent preliminary support for the utility of the workbook itself.