# What role does cannabis use have in anxiety? Examining the moderating effect of sensitivity to unpredictable threat.

> **NIH NIH F31** · UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO · 2020 · $40,358

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
 The goals of this fellowship are to further develop the applicant’s knowledge and research skills in anxiety
and comorbid disorders, advanced statistical methods (particularly longitudinal methods), and psychophysiology.
In line with these goals, the cornerstone of the applicant’s training will be the daily activities associated with the
proposed study of the directional relationships between anxiety and cannabis use (i.e., whether anxiety is
associated with subsequent cannabis use and/or whether cannabis use is associated with subsequent anxiety)
and whether sensitivity to unpredictable threat (SUT) moderates these directional relationships. The project will
serve as the applicant’s dissertation and help her pursue her goal of becoming an independent investigator who
utilizes psychophysiological techniques to further our understanding of how transdiagnostic constructs, including
SUT (one of the main constructs examined in this diversity NRSA application), contribute to vulnerability for
anxiety disorders (ADs) and co-occurring psychopathologies. The proposed training plan is multidimensional
and includes course work, regular sponsor meetings, statistical training, and professional development activities.
In addition to the skills to be gained by the applicant, the project’s goal is consistent with several facets of NIMH’s
strategic plans as it has the potential to greatly advance understanding of the processes contributing to why ADs
frequently co-occur with cannabis use disorders (CUDs). It is critical to understand the comorbidity between ADs
and CUDs as this comorbidity is associated with costly social and economic consequences and rates of CUDs
may further increase due to recent changes in social acceptability and state cannabis laws.
 Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) is a method that can help elucidate the temporal relationship
between anxiety and cannabis use as it captures subtle variations in mood and behavior as they occur. The
handful of EMA studies on anxiety and cannabis use have been mixed, however, and had several important
limitations. Moreover, there are likely specific individual difference factors that impact the association between
anxiety and cannabis use. Heightened sensitivity to unpredictable threat (SUT) is one such individual difference
factor as it connotes vulnerability for ADs and is also likely to play a role in cannabis use. The present study will
therefore utilize a multimethod assessment of SUT (e.g., EMG startle, event-related potentials, and self-report)
to test (1) the directional relationship between cannabis use and anxiety (and state experiences of SUT more
specifically) and (2) whether trait SUT moderates the temporal relationships between state anxiety (and state
SUT) and cannabis use in 60 moderate cannabis users over a 2-week EMA period. Mentorship for this project
will be provided by experts in the areas of psychopathology, substance use, EMA, and psychophysiology
(sponsor...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9990150
- **Project number:** 1F31MH121003-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO
- **Principal Investigator:** Kelly Correa
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $40,358
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-06-29 → 2023-06-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9990150

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9990150, What role does cannabis use have in anxiety? Examining the moderating effect of sensitivity to unpredictable threat. (1F31MH121003-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9990150. Licensed CC0.

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