Psychological distress, distress tolerance, and cannabis-related problems among university students in Türkiye: a mixed-methods study.

BACKGROUND

Cannabis use among university students has been increasingly linked to psychological distress; however, most evidence comes from Western contexts, and little is known about how cannabis use intersects with emotional functioning in non-Western settings. In Türkiye, where cannabis use remains illegal and highly stigmatized, students who use cannabis may represent a particularly vulnerable group. This study examined the associations between cannabis-related problems, psychological distress, and distress tolerance among Turkish university students, and explored students' lived psychological experiences of cannabis use.

METHODS

A sequential explanatory mixed-methods design was employed. In the quantitative phase, 512 university students from Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir completed self-report measures assessing cannabis-related problems (Cannabis Use Problems Identification Test), depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory-II), anxiety symptoms (Beck Anxiety Inventory), and distress tolerance (Distress Tolerance Scale). In the qualitative phase, semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposively selected subsample of 43 students with elevated cannabis-related problems and/or psychological distress. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive and correlational analyses, while qualitative data were examined using reflexive thematic analysis. Findings were integrated at the interpretation level.

RESULTS

Greater cannabis-related problem severity was moderately associated with higher levels of depressive and anxiety symptoms and with lower distress tolerance. Qualitative analyses yielded four overarching themes: (1) psychological effects of cannabis use, (2) cannabis use as a distress regulation strategy, (3) perceived loss of control and ambivalence, and (4) academic and interpersonal consequences. Integration of quantitative and qualitative findings suggested a cyclical pattern in which psychological distress motivates cannabis use for short-term relief, which in turn undermines distress tolerance and contributes to further psychological and functional difficulties.

CONCLUSIONS

Cannabis use among Turkish university students appears closely intertwined with emotional distress and reduced capacity to tolerate negative affect. Rather than being solely recreational, cannabis use often functions as a maladaptive coping strategy. Interventions targeting emotion regulation and distress tolerance may be particularly beneficial in this population. These findings highlight the importance of integrated mental health and substance-use approaches within university settings, especially in culturally conservative contexts.