Date Approved
2026
Degree Type
Open Access Senior Honors Thesis
Department or School
Psychology
First Advisor
Kelsey Sala-Hamrick, Ph.D., LP.
Second Advisor
Heather Janisse, Ph.D.
Third Advisor
Natalie Dove, Ph.D.
Abstract
Negative experiences within the healthcare system can shape how individuals cope with psychological distress, particularly in young adult populations. Coping-motive frameworks suggest that when trust in formal support systems erodes, such as after an adverse healthcare experience, individuals may self-medicate with substances rather than risk another unsupportive interaction. This present study examined how negative experiences within the mental healthcare system influence help-seeking attitudes and cannabis use among college students. We hypothesized that (1) individuals with lower utilization of mental health resources will have higher cannabis use compared to those with higher utilization of mental health resources, and (2) greater amounts of adverse experiences with the mental healthcare system will positively predict cannabis self-medicating behaviors and negatively predict help-seeking attitudes for managing mental health symptoms. Undergraduate students at a Midwestern university (N = 26) who have used cannabis within the past 12 months completed an online survey with measures assessing cannabis use, coping motives, help-seeking attitudes, and adverse healthcare experiences. Results from an independent sample t-test indicated no significant differences in problematic cannabis use between individuals with positive mental health-seeking attitudes and those who did not. Additionally, findings from linear regression analyses revealed that adverse healthcare experiences did not significantly predict coping-motivated cannabis use or negative attitudes toward help-seeking. Though the hypotheses were not supported, this line of research provides insight into how distrust in mental healthcare could influence substance-based coping behaviors among college students. Future efforts should be made to continue refining healthcare research in cannabis-using young adult populations.
Recommended Citation
Cafini, Isabella Marie, "Blunt relief: Cannabis use as coping mechanism for undergraduate students with adverse healthcare experiences" (2026). Senior Honors Theses and Projects. 919.
https://commons.emich.edu/honors/919