Cote J, Chicoine G, Vinette B, et al. Digital Interventions for Recreational Cannabis Use Among Young Adults: Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Behavior Change Technique Analysis of Randomized Controlled Studies. J Med Internet Res. 2024;26:e55031. doi:10.2196/55031
This systematic review aimed to examine the effectiveness of digital interventions targeting cannabis use in young adults. After screening, nineteen randomized controlled studies covering nine interventions were analyzed. Included interventions were aimed at preventing, reducing, or ceasing cannabis use in community-living young adults. Around a quarter (5/19, 26%) of the studies explained the theory used to inform the intervention. More than half (13/19, 68%, 6) of the digital interventions were self-guided, whereas the remaining, representing 4 interventions, utilized a therapist guide. All of the included studies reported cannabis use via different metrics, however, all studies used at least one self-reported measure of frequency of use. All of the analyzable digital interventions (n=3) were superior to placebo in reducing the number of days of cannabis use at follow-up. This meta-analysis, while limited in its scope, provides support for the future of digital interventions designed to reduce cannabis use in young adult populations. The active ingredients for each digital intervention should be selected specifically for the targeted determinants. Previous effectiveness is insufficient to include a particular behavioral change technique. Future research should assess the dosage of specific behavioral change techniques for individual determinants to provide better evidence and support when developing novel digital interventions for cannabis use.