One method of strengthening the interpretation of mediational analyses associated with cross-sectional data is to conduct an additional analysis reversing the proposed mediator and criterion variables (Preacher & Hayes, 2004; Sheets & Braver, 1999; Shrout & Bolger, 2002). Here, we evaluated whether marijuana use coping motives mediated the association between PTS symptom severity and DT. Results were not consistent with mediation in this direction, as PTS symptom severity remained a significant predictor of DT, even after controlling for marijuana use and marijuana use coping motives (t = −4.90, β = −.37, sr2 = .14, p < .001).
