Social Anxiety and Cannabis-Related Problems: The Role of Psychological Inflexibility

12/08/2026

AI Summary

Social anxiety is positively associated with cannabis-related problems, perceived barriers to reduction, and coping-motivated use via psychological inflexibility.
Psychological inflexibility indirectly accounts for the relation between social anxiety and maladaptive cannabis outcomes, indicating a mechanism for intervention.
Neither social anxiety nor psychological inflexibility was significantly associated with cannabis use frequency, suggesting specificity to problematic patterns and coping use.

AI Summary

The present study tested whether psychological inflexibility indirectly accounts for the association between social anxiety and multiple cannabis-related outcomes (i.e., cannabis-related problems, perceived barriers for cannabis reduction or cessation, and coping-motivated cannabis use).

Results: Results indicated that social anxiety was positively associated with cannabis-related problems, perceived barriers to cannabis reduction or cessation, and coping-motivated cannabis use.

Conclusions: These findings suggest that psychological inflexibility may represent an important underlying process between social anxiety and maladaptive cannabis-related outcomes, particularly those reflecting problematic use patterns and coping-motivated use.

Basic summary

Subst Use Misuse. 2026 Aug 11:1-8. doi: 10.1080/10826084.2026.2711947. Online ahead of print.

ABSTRACT

Background: Social anxiety is associated with worse cannabis-related outcomes, but the mechanisms underlying this relation have been understudied. The present study tested whether psychological inflexibility indirectly accounts for the association between social anxiety and multiple cannabis-related outcomes (i.e., cannabis-related problems, perceived barriers for cannabis reduction or cessation, and coping-motivated cannabis use). Methods: Using a cross-sectional design, data were collected via an online survey from 143 undergraduates (77.6% female, M_age = 19.85, SD_age=2.29) who reported cannabis use within the past three months. Results: Results indicated that social anxiety was positively associated with cannabis-related problems, perceived barriers to cannabis reduction or cessation, and coping-motivated cannabis use. These associations occurred indirectly via psychological inflexibility. In contrast, neither social anxiety nor psychological inflexibility was statistically significantly associated with cannabis use frequency. Conclusions: These findings suggest that psychological inflexibility may represent an important underlying process between social anxiety and maladaptive cannabis-related outcomes, particularly those reflecting problematic use patterns and coping-motivated use. Targeting psychological inflexibility may therefore be a promising intervention focus for individuals with elevated social anxiety who use cannabis.

PMID:42581016 | DOI:10.1080/10826084.2026.2711947

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