Social anxiety is a common mental health problem that increases the risk of experiencing cannabis-related problems. In fact, social anxiety more than quadruples the risk of developing cannabis use disorder, yet it is inconsistently related to more cannabis use. Inconsistent findings may be due to lack of attention to protective behavioral strategies (PBS) among socially anxious cannabis users. PBS are cognitive-behavioral strategies to reduce cannabis use and related problems. Yet socially anxious persons may be less likely to use PBS for a variety of reasons (e.g., fear of negative evaluation for engaging in behaviors to reduce use), leading to heavier or more frequent use and related problems. The current study examined the mediating role of PBS in the relationships of social anxiety with past-month cannabis use and related problems among current (past-month) cannabis users (N = 102). Social anxiety was significantly positively related to past-month cannabis problems, but not directly related to cannabis use. Social anxiety was significantly negatively related to PBS. Social anxiety was indirectly (via PBS) related to more frequent use, greater peak use, and more cannabis problems. Serial mediation analyses indicated that social anxiety was indirectly related to more cannabis problems via the serial effects of PBS and cannabis use variables. Findings suggest that socially anxious persons may be vulnerable to heavier cannabis use and more cannabis problems due to PBS underutilization. Treatment implications are discussed.

社交焦虑是一种常见的心理健康问题，会增加遇到大麻相关问题的风险。事实上，社交焦虑会使患大麻使用障碍的风险增加四倍以上，但它与更多的大麻使用并不一致。不一致的发现可能是由于缺乏对社交焦虑的大麻使用者的保护性行为策略 (PBS) 的关注。PBS 是减少大麻使用和相关问题的认知行为策略。然而，社交焦虑的人可能由于各种原因不太可能使用 PBS（例如，害怕对减少使用的行为进行负面评价），从而导致更频繁或更频繁​​地使用以及相关问题。N  = 102）。社交焦虑与过去一个月的大麻问题呈显着正相关，但与大麻使用没有直接关系。社交焦虑与PBS显着负相关。社交焦虑与更频繁的使用、更大的使用高峰和更多的大麻问题间接相关（通过 PBS）。连续中介分析表明，社交焦虑通过 PBS 和大麻使用变量的连续效应与更多的大麻问题间接相关。调查结果表明，由于 PBS 未充分利用，社交焦虑的人可能容易受到更多大麻使用和更多大麻问题的影响。讨论了治疗意义。