The role of personality traits on self-medicated cannabis in rheumatoid arthritis patients: A multivariable analysis

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 18; no. 1; p. e0280219
• Main Authors: Galindo-Donaire, José R, Hernández-Molina, Gabriela, Fresán Orellana, Ana, Contreras-Yáñez, Irazú, Guaracha-Basáñez, Guillermo, Briseño-González, Oswaldo, Pascual-Ramos, Virginia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 12-01-2023; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Arthritis; Arthritis, Rheumatoid - drug therapy; Autoimmune diseases; Biology and Life Sciences; Cannabis; Chronic illnesses; Comorbidity; Comparative analysis; Complications and side effects; Cross-Sectional Studies; Disease; Drug therapy; Drug use; Electronic health records; Evaluation; Female; Health risks; Humans; Influence; Male; Marijuana; Medical marijuana; Medical research; Medicine and Health Sciences; Medicine, Experimental; Mental disorders; Middle Aged; Neurosis; Pain; Patient outcomes; Patients; Personality; Personality traits; Psychopathology; Psychosis; Quality of Life; Recreational use; Rheumatoid arthritis; Rheumatoid factor; Rheumatology; Signs and symptoms; Smoking; Social Sciences; Substance abuse; Substance abuse treatment; Substance use; Tobacco; Variables; Mexico
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0280219

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients commonly report medicinal cannabis use (MCU). Personality has been independently associated with both RA-related outcomes and MCU, but there is no information available on how they interact in RA patients. This study aimed to investigate a potential association between personality traits and MCU in RA outpatients, as well as to identify additional factors associated with its use.
This cross-sectional study was performed between June 2020 and August 2021. Consecutive RA outpatients had standardized evaluations using an interview format to collect sociodemographic information, comorbidities, risk of recreational substance use, RA-related disease activity/severity, health-related quality of life, depressive and anxiety symptoms, five personality traits, and MCU in the 12 months before the interview. Multivariable logistic regression estimated adjusted odds ratios (aOR). The study was IRB-approved.
180 patients were included; 160 (88.9%) were women with a mean age of 53.4 ± 13 years. Fifty-three (29.4%) patients reported MCU. Among them, 52 (98.1%) used topical formulations. Neuroticism had the highest overall score ([Formula: see text] = 3.47 ± 0.34). Openness to experience trait was higher in MCU patients in the comparative analysis (p = 0.007). In the multivariable regression, higher openness trait (aOR: 2.81, 95%CI: 1.11-7.10) along with moderate risk in tobacco use (aOR: 3.36, 95%CI: 1.04-10.7) and higher RA disease activity/severity (aOR: 1.10, 95%CI: 1.01-1.19) were independently associated with MCU.
In the current study, personality influenced the seeking of MCU for pain relief, associating dynamically with higher disease activity/severity and tobacco use. Contrary to other available information, it did not relate to psychopathology or the recreational use of cannabis. Proactive interdisciplinary clinical evaluations around MCU in RA outpatients should include personality, besides standard clinical assessments, to understand patients' motivations for its use as they may reveal important clinical information.