ADHD and Marijuana-Use Expectancies in Young Adulthood

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Public Health

Background:

• Substance-use expectancies are established risk factors for drug use.
• Young adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are at increased risk for marijuana use.
• The relationship between marijuana expectancies and use has not been previously studied in young adults with ADHD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate differences in marijuana expectancies between individuals with and without ADHD.
• To examine how marijuana expectancies are associated with marijuana use in these groups.

Main Methods:

• The study included 306 young adults (190 with ADHD, 116 without ADHD).
• Participants were from the Pittsburgh ADHD Longitudinal Study (PALS).
• Data on marijuana use and expectancies were collected.

Main Results:

• Individuals with ADHD reported lower levels of social enhancement, tension reduction, and cognitive/behavioral impairment expectancies.
• Both positive and negative expectancies correlated with marijuana use frequency.
• Sexual enhancement expectancies were more strongly linked to use in the ADHD group, while cognitive/behavioral impairment expectancies were more strongly linked in the non-ADHD group.

Conclusions:

• Marijuana expectancies may develop and function distinctively in individuals with and without ADHD.
• These differences could be linked to ADHD-related executive function challenges impacting expectation processing.
• Further research is necessary to confirm these findings and explore underlying mechanisms.