Characterizing anxiety, pain, sleep, and quality of life among patients in a state Medical Marijuana Program

Rebecca L Ashare; Erin Kelly; Emily R Hajjar; Swechhya Pant; Salimah H Meghani; Brooke Worster

doi:10.1016/j.ctcp.2022.101612

Characterizing anxiety, pain, sleep, and quality of life among patients in a state Medical Marijuana Program

Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2022 Aug:48:101612. doi: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2022.101612. Epub 2022 May 31.

Authors

Rebecca L Ashare¹, Erin Kelly², Emily R Hajjar³, Swechhya Pant², Salimah H Meghani⁴, Brooke Worster⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, 14260, United States; Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, United States. Electronic address: rlashare@buffalo.edu.
² Department of Family and Community Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, United States.
³ Jefferson College of Pharmacy, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, United States.
⁴ Department of Biobehavioral Health Sciences and the NewCourtland Center for Transitions and Health and the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, United States.
⁵ Department of Medical Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center/Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, PA, 19107, United States.

PMID: 35667225
DOI: 10.1016/j.ctcp.2022.101612

Abstract

Background: Cannabis is increasingly used for symptom management, but its effects on health-related quality of life (QoL) have been inconclusive.

Objectives: The goal of the present study was to characterize self-reported symptoms and QoL among patients certified to use medical cannabis.

Methods: These data are from the baseline assessment of a 12-month longitudinal study. The survey assessed certifying conditions, current medications, symptoms and symptom severity. QoL was assessed using the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Palliative Care (FACIT-Pal) which includes Physical Well-Being (PWB), Social/Family Well-Being (SWB), Emotional Well-Being (EWB), Functional Well-Being (FWB), and the Palliative Care subscale. Higher scores indicated better QoL.

Results: Overall, 210 patients (114 female, 92 male, 3 non-binary, 1 refused) completed the survey. The most common certifying conditions were pain (48.6%), anxiety (36.7%), and PTSD (15.7%) and the most common symptoms were anxiety (65.2%), pain (56.7%), sleep disturbance (38.6%), and depression (31.4%). Compared to normative data, this sample reported lower QoL, specifically EWB and SWB scores (i.e., T-Scores<45). Opioid/benzodiazepine/sedative-hypnotic use was associated with lower QoL on all subscales (except SWB and FWB) (ps < 0.05). Greater number of self-reported symptoms and medical conditions were associated with lower QoL (ps < 0.01).

Conclusion: Despite mixed evidence regarding cannabis' efficacy for anxiety, 36.7% of the current sample were certified by a physician for anxiety. Lower QoL was associated with more self-reported comorbid medical conditions, higher total symptom count, and reported use of an opioid and/or benzodiazepine. Future longitudinal data will provide critical information regarding the trajectory of these symptoms and QoL.

Keywords: Anxiety; Cannabis; Marijuana; Pain; Quality of life; Symptom management.

MeSH terms

Analgesics, Opioid / therapeutic use
Anxiety / epidemiology
Benzodiazepines
Depression / drug therapy
Depression / epidemiology
Female
Humans
Longitudinal Studies
Male
Medical Marijuana* / therapeutic use
Pain / drug therapy
Quality of Life* / psychology
Sleep

Substances

Analgesics, Opioid
Medical Marijuana
Benzodiazepines