The Moderating Role of PSSM on the Relationship Between ACEs and Cannabis Use in South Central Appalachia
Abstract
Research indicates that exposure to higher numbers of adverse child experiences (ACEs) contributes to higher rates of cannabis use in adulthood (Collazos et al., 2024). Importantly, psychological sense of school membership (PSSM) has been found to be negatively associated with substance use in adolescent samples (Geate et al., 2018). However, the moderating role of PSSM on the relationship between ACEs and cannabis use has not yet been explored, nor has it been explored in the Appalachian region specifically. Thus, the present study aimed to examine whether the strength of the relationship between ACE scores and cannabis use varied based on college students’ PSSM in Appalachia. It was hypothesized that a higher sense of school membership would weaken the relationship between ACEs and cannabis use. The data was gathered from an online survey conducted through Sona during 2020-2021 in the Central Appalachian region of Tennessee. Participants consisted of 149 college students aged 18-25 (M = 20.9, SD = 1.88; 76.9% female; 73.1% Caucasian). College students self-reported their ACE score (Felitti et al., 1998), their PSSM (Goodenow, 1993), and the frequency of their lifetime cannabis use. A linear moderated regression was conducted through Hayes (2022) PROCESS Macro v4.2, and the overall model was not significant. Additionally, there was no direct effect of ACEs or PSSM on cannabis use, and the effect of the interaction between ACEs and PSSM on cannabis use was not significant, contrary to the hypothesis. Overall, these results suggest that neither ACEs, PSSM, nor the interaction between the two impacted college students’ cannabis use. Given that cannabis is illegal in the state of Tennessee, results may have been impacted by participants’ hesitancy to disclose their cannabis use.
Start Time
16-4-2025 9:00 AM
End Time
16-4-2025 11:30 AM
Presentation Type
Poster
Presentation Category
Social Sciences
Student Type
Undergraduate Student
Faculty Mentor
Rachel Miller-Slough
Faculty Department
Psychology
The Moderating Role of PSSM on the Relationship Between ACEs and Cannabis Use in South Central Appalachia
Research indicates that exposure to higher numbers of adverse child experiences (ACEs) contributes to higher rates of cannabis use in adulthood (Collazos et al., 2024). Importantly, psychological sense of school membership (PSSM) has been found to be negatively associated with substance use in adolescent samples (Geate et al., 2018). However, the moderating role of PSSM on the relationship between ACEs and cannabis use has not yet been explored, nor has it been explored in the Appalachian region specifically. Thus, the present study aimed to examine whether the strength of the relationship between ACE scores and cannabis use varied based on college students’ PSSM in Appalachia. It was hypothesized that a higher sense of school membership would weaken the relationship between ACEs and cannabis use. The data was gathered from an online survey conducted through Sona during 2020-2021 in the Central Appalachian region of Tennessee. Participants consisted of 149 college students aged 18-25 (M = 20.9, SD = 1.88; 76.9% female; 73.1% Caucasian). College students self-reported their ACE score (Felitti et al., 1998), their PSSM (Goodenow, 1993), and the frequency of their lifetime cannabis use. A linear moderated regression was conducted through Hayes (2022) PROCESS Macro v4.2, and the overall model was not significant. Additionally, there was no direct effect of ACEs or PSSM on cannabis use, and the effect of the interaction between ACEs and PSSM on cannabis use was not significant, contrary to the hypothesis. Overall, these results suggest that neither ACEs, PSSM, nor the interaction between the two impacted college students’ cannabis use. Given that cannabis is illegal in the state of Tennessee, results may have been impacted by participants’ hesitancy to disclose their cannabis use.