Current Projects
Cannabis Use and Its Association with Daily Functioning in Young Adults with Chronic Pain: An ecological momentary assessment burst design
Young adulthood is a high-risk period for the development of substance use problems in general and a subset of young people may be at especial risk: those with chronic pain. Although underrepresented in pain research, epidemiological surveys and systematic reviews suggest that up to 20% of young adults experience recurrent or persistent pain problems that are associated with a wide range of negative outcomes, including poor sleep, physical activity limitations and reduced quality of life. Due to widespread beliefs about its pain-relieving properties, young adults with chronic pain may be using cannabis to manage their symptoms. Although cannabis has garnered considerable attention as a potential treatment for chronic pain, its therapeutic potential—especially in young adults—remains unknown. Further, the impact of naturalistic cannabis consumption on functional outcomes, including pain-related impairment, physical (in)activity, and sleep is poorly understood. The overall objective of this study is to holistically examine how cannabis use is related to pain and functioning (i.e., pain-related disability, physical (in)activity, sleep) in the daily lives of young adults with chronic pain. We will use an innovative 6-month longitudinal measurement burst design to capture momentary experiences and changes over time among cannabis-using young adults with chronic pain. We will examine relationships between naturalistic cannabis use, pain perception and functioning in participants’ daily lives during three 2-week ecological momentary assessment (EMA) periods each separated by approximately 8 weeks. We will test how daily pain and functioning vary as a function of cannabis use at the momentary and daily level and whether these relationships (as well as cannabis use patterns) change over time. The results of this study will allow us to determine the conditions under which cannabis may improve or impair daily functioning and well-being among young adults with chronic pain.
Young Adults: Ages 18-29
Funded by NIH/NIDA: R03DA061123
Status: Recruiting to begin soon
Real-time Patterns and Predictors of Cannabis Use and Co-Use in Adolescents and Young Adults with Chronic Pain
Substance use rapidly accelerates during the transition from adolescent to young adulthood, with marginalized groups experiencing disproportionately high rates of use. In Washington State, young adults with chronic pain are using recreational cannabis for pain relief, despite limited scientific evidence of its efficacy and known negative health effects. Although there have been interventions developed to reduce substance use risk more generally in young people, there has been limited understanding of the unique context in which young people with chronic pain use cannabis and other substances. Our proposal will address this gap by examining the real-world contexts that precipitate cannabis use and co-use with other substances among young adults with chronic pain. Fifty young adults with chronic primary pain will be recruited from the community and a tertiary pain center to complete a 28-day ecological momentary assessment (EMA) capturing contextual vulnerabilities that precipitate cannabis use and simultaneous co-use with other substances. A 3-month follow-up assessment will examine health outcomes associated with cannabis use patterns. Disparities and risk among individuals from marginalized groups will be explored.
Young Adults: Ages 18-25 in Washington State
Funded by: Washington State University + Seattle Children’s Research Institute Collaborative Seed Grant
Status: Recruiting in progress
Graduate and Undergraduate Projects
Health Halo and Horn Effects on Cannabis Edible Packaging
Lab member, Emma Therkildsen received a full-year undergraduate research fellowship from WSU Alcohol and Drug Addiction Research Program to study the effect of cannabis labeling on perceptions of cannabis edible products that may influence decisions to use.
Funded by: WSU ADARP
Status: Recruiting in progress