TY - JOUR
T1 - The influence of peer's social networks on adolescent's cannabis use
T2 - a systematic review of longitudinal studies
AU - Torrejón-Guirado, María-Carmen
AU - Baena-Jiménez, Miguel Ángel
AU - Lima-Serrano, Marta
AU - de Vries, Hein
AU - Mercken, Liesbeth
N1 - Copyright © 2023 Torrejón-Guirado, Baena-Jiménez, Lima-Serrano, de Vries and Mercken.
PY - 2023
Y1 - 2023
N2 - AIM: A systematic review was performed to summarize the key findings of the peer influence on cannabis use through Social Network Analysis (SNA) studies and identify limitations and gaps with the purpose of informing future research and practice. Longitudinal studies were included since they provide robust information about social relationships change over time.BACKGROUND: Adolescents' cannabis use is a global problem, which has awakened an interest in its determinants such as social influences. Research has shown the importance of these influences on cannabis uptake and use. SNA is an useful relational approach to examine socialization mechanisms related to the onset of cannabis use in adolescents.METHOD: A search was conducted in PyscINFO, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science for longitudinal articles published until February 2023, to examine cannabis use and peer's social networks. We focus on peers' influence of peers on cannabis use. Additionally, information about effect of cannabis use for peer selection was collected.RESULTS: The results of the included studies ( n = 8) showed that friends' cannabis use was most often/strongly associated with cannabis use. There was also an increase of cannabis use when the adolescent did not feel close to the school's peers, had a higher proportion of friendships relative to the total number of ties in the neighborhood, had a central position, did not belong to any group but had ties to members of two or more groups, had cannabis user friends (especially in early ages), and lived in a neighborhood where cannabis was used. CONCLUSION: Cannabis use is mainly related to friends' use. Yet, future studies are warranted to control for relevant selection effects to further knowledge on network effects on cannabis use, improving the design, and improving the modeling of the network. This systematic review may inform about the critical aspects of preventing cannabis use among adolescents, taking into consideration their complex social environment.
AB - AIM: A systematic review was performed to summarize the key findings of the peer influence on cannabis use through Social Network Analysis (SNA) studies and identify limitations and gaps with the purpose of informing future research and practice. Longitudinal studies were included since they provide robust information about social relationships change over time.BACKGROUND: Adolescents' cannabis use is a global problem, which has awakened an interest in its determinants such as social influences. Research has shown the importance of these influences on cannabis uptake and use. SNA is an useful relational approach to examine socialization mechanisms related to the onset of cannabis use in adolescents.METHOD: A search was conducted in PyscINFO, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science for longitudinal articles published until February 2023, to examine cannabis use and peer's social networks. We focus on peers' influence of peers on cannabis use. Additionally, information about effect of cannabis use for peer selection was collected.RESULTS: The results of the included studies ( n = 8) showed that friends' cannabis use was most often/strongly associated with cannabis use. There was also an increase of cannabis use when the adolescent did not feel close to the school's peers, had a higher proportion of friendships relative to the total number of ties in the neighborhood, had a central position, did not belong to any group but had ties to members of two or more groups, had cannabis user friends (especially in early ages), and lived in a neighborhood where cannabis was used. CONCLUSION: Cannabis use is mainly related to friends' use. Yet, future studies are warranted to control for relevant selection effects to further knowledge on network effects on cannabis use, improving the design, and improving the modeling of the network. This systematic review may inform about the critical aspects of preventing cannabis use among adolescents, taking into consideration their complex social environment.
KW - adolescents
KW - cannabis
KW - friendship
KW - peer influence
KW - social network analysis
U2 - 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1306439
DO - 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1306439
M3 - Review article
C2 - 38188050
SN - 1664-0640
VL - 14
JO - Frontiers in Psychiatry
JF - Frontiers in Psychiatry
M1 - 1306439
ER -