2 results
Cannabis use and posttraumatic stress disorder: prospective evidence from a longitudinal study of veterans
- Jane Metrik, Angela K. Stevens, Rachel L. Gunn, Brian Borsari, Kristina M. Jackson
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- Journal:
- Psychological Medicine / Volume 52 / Issue 3 / February 2022
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 17 June 2020, pp. 446-456
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Background
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is the most highly co-occurring psychiatric disorder among veterans with cannabis use disorder (CUD). Despite some evidence that cannabis use prospectively exacerbates the course of PTSD, which in turn increases the risk for CUD, the causal nature of the relationship between cannabis and psychiatric comorbidity is debated. The longitudinal relationship between PTSD diagnosis and traumatic intrusion symptoms with cannabis use and CUD was examined using cross-lagged panel model (CLPM) analysis.
MethodsProspective data from a longitudinal observational study of 361 veterans deployed post-9/11/2001 included PTSD and CUD diagnoses, cannabis use, and PTSD-related traumatic intrusion symptoms from the Inventory of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms.
ResultsA random intercept CLPM analysis that leveraged three waves (baseline, 6 months and 12 months) of cannabis use and PTSD-related intrusion symptoms to account for between-person differences found that baseline cannabis use was significantly positively associated with 6-month intrusion symptoms; the converse association was significant but reduced in magnitude (baseline use to 6-month intrusions: β = 0.46, 95% CI 0.155–0.765; baseline intrusions to 6-month use: β = 0.22, 95% CI −0.003 to 0.444). Results from the two-wave CLPM reveal a significant effect from baseline PTSD to 12-month CUD (β = 0.15, 95% CI 0.028–0.272) but not from baseline CUD to 12-month PTSD (β = 0.12, 95% CI −0.022 to 0.262).
ConclusionsStrong prospective associations capturing within-person changes suggest that cannabis use is linked with greater severity of trauma-related intrusion symptoms over time. A strong person-level directional association between PTSD and CUD was evident. Findings have significant clinical implications for the long-term effects of cannabis use among individuals with PTSD.
Planetary science and exploration in the deep subsurface: results from the MINAR Program, Boulby Mine, UK
- Samuel J. Payler, Jennifer F. Biddle, Andrew J. Coates, Claire R. Cousins, Rachel E. Cross, David C. Cullen, Michael T. Downs, Susana O. L. Direito, Thomas Edwards, Amber L. Gray, Jac Genis, Matthew Gunn, Graeme M. Hansford, Patrick Harkness, John Holt, Jean-Luc Josset, Xuan Li, David S. Lees, Darlene S. S. Lim, Melissa Mchugh, David Mcluckie, Emma Meehan, Sean M. Paling, Audrey Souchon, Louise Yeoman, Charles S. Cockell
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- Journal:
- International Journal of Astrobiology / Volume 16 / Issue 2 / April 2017
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 20 April 2016, pp. 114-129
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The subsurface exploration of other planetary bodies can be used to unravel their geological history and assess their habitability. On Mars in particular, present-day habitable conditions may be restricted to the subsurface. Using a deep subsurface mine, we carried out a program of extraterrestrial analog research – MINe Analog Research (MINAR). MINAR aims to carry out the scientific study of the deep subsurface and test instrumentation designed for planetary surface exploration by investigating deep subsurface geology, whilst establishing the potential this technology has to be transferred into the mining industry. An integrated multi-instrument suite was used to investigate samples of representative evaporite minerals from a subsurface Permian evaporite sequence, in particular to assess mineral and elemental variations which provide small-scale regions of enhanced habitability. The instruments used were the Panoramic Camera emulator, Close-Up Imager, Raman spectrometer, Small Planetary Linear Impulse Tool, Ultrasonic drill and handheld X-ray diffraction (XRD). We present science results from the analog research and show that these instruments can be used to investigate in situ the geological context and mineralogical variations of a deep subsurface environment, and thus habitability, from millimetre to metre scales. We also show that these instruments are complementary. For example, the identification of primary evaporite minerals such as NaCl and KCl, which are difficult to detect by portable Raman spectrometers, can be accomplished with XRD. By contrast, Raman is highly effective at locating and detecting mineral inclusions in primary evaporite minerals. MINAR demonstrates the effective use of a deep subsurface environment for planetary instrument development, understanding the habitability of extreme deep subsurface environments on Earth and other planetary bodies, and advancing the use of space technology in economic mining.