Identifying adverse childhood experiences and mental health needs among a small sample of pregnant women who use cannabis

Authors

• Aubrey Jones, University of KentuckyFollow
• Lisa M. Blair, Wayne State University
• Julie A. Kurzer, Wayne State University
• Kathy Rademacher, University of KentuckyFollow
• Letitia Ducas, University of KentuckyFollow
• Cynthia Cockerham, University of KentuckyFollow
• Kristin Ashford, University of KentuckyFollow

Abstract

Introduction: As the legalization of cannabis becomes more widespread use has steadily increased. Approximately 5 percent of pregnant individuals self-report use during pregnancy.

Methods: This study uses a mixed methods approach to examine adverse childhood experiences, mental health needs, and cannabis use among a small sample (N =59) of women. Cumulative ACE scores of four or more were considerably high within this sample compared to the US average.

Results: Results of a binary logistic regression indicate an association between ACEs and Cannabis use (OR 1.27, 95% CI (1.002- 1.616) when controlling for maternal age and anxiety. Qualitative results identified two main sub-themes: Medical Use for Mental Health Symptoms and Concerns about Negative Mental Health Effects Postpartum.

Discussion: Results suggest a need for patient education about cannabis use in pregnancy and trauma informed care.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2025

Notes/Citation Information

© 2025 Jones, Blair, Kurzer, Rademacher, Ducas, Cockerham and Ashford. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1616463

Funding Information

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research and/or publication of this article. This project was supported by pilot funds from the University of Kentucky Cannabis Center.

Repository Citation

Jones, Aubrey; Blair, Lisa M.; Kurzer, Julie A.; Rademacher, Kathy; Ducas, Letitia; Cockerham, Cynthia; and Ashford, Kristin, "Identifying adverse childhood experiences and mental health needs among a small sample of pregnant women who use cannabis" (2025). Social Work Faculty Publications. 27.
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/csw_facpub/27