Cognitive mechanisms in cannabis-related paranoia; Initial testing and model proposal
Katherine Newman‐Taylor, Thomas Richardson, Monica Sood, Mat Sopp, Emma Perry, Helen Bolderston
Psychosis May 13, 2020 DOI: 10.1080/17522439.2020.1757742 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional study (three linked studies) Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Population | General population sample (Study 1 and 2) and clinical population of people with psychosis (Study 3) |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Keywords | Paranoia Attribution Schizotypy Cognition Population Psychosis Distress Clinical psychology Sexual abuse Schizophrenia object-oriented programming Poison control Injury prevention |
| Citations | 18 |
| Key findings | External attribution and cognitive fusion partially or fully account for the impact of established risk factors on cannabis-related paranoia and psychotic-type experiences. |
Abstract
Cannabis use can increase severity of symptoms and risk of relapse for people with psychosis. Childhood sexual abuse and high schizotypy increase the risk further. The mechanisms involved remain unclear, and this limits psychological therapies. In three linked studies, we examined the role of two candidate mechanisms – external attribution and cognitive fusion. Study 1 examined these processes in a general population sample and showed that paranoia, psychotic-type experiences, and linked distress were higher in cannabis-users, and mediated by cognitive fusion but not external attribution. Study 2 examined the impact of established risk factors in general population cannabis-users and showed that external attribution and cognitive fusion partially or fully accounted for the effects of childhood sexual abuse and schizotypy on paranoia, psychotic-type experiences and linked distress. Study 3 examined these same processes in a clinical population of people with psychosis and found that external attribution and cognitive fusion partially or fully accounted for the impact of gender, age of first use, sexual abuse and schizotypy. External attribution and cognitive fusion may be key mechanisms in the maintenance of cannabis-related paranoia and account for the impact of established risk factors. We present a cognitive model incorporating these processes to inform clinical practice.
Comparable studies
Other cross-sectional and survey studies on cannabis, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cannabis use before age 15 and subsequent executive functioning 104 chronic cannabis users (49 early-onset before age 15, 55 late-onset after age 15)... | 2011 | Observational cross-sectional study | n = 148 |
| Patterns of simultaneous polysubstance use in drug using university students Drug-using university students | 2006 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 149 |
| Persisting Reductions in Cannabis, Opioid, and Stimulant Misuse After Naturalistic Psychedelic Use: An Online Survey Online survey respondents | 2020 | Cross-sectional survey | |
| User perceptions of the benefits and harms of hallucinogenic drug use: A web-based questionnaire study Users of hallucinogenic drugs who completed a web-based questionnaire | 2010 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 600 |
| Illicit Use of LSD or Psilocybin, but not MDMA or Nonpsychedelic Drugs, is Associated with Mystical Experiences in a Dose-Dependent Manner Adults recruited from the MAPS website and newsletter, most reporting use of various... | 2012 | Cross-sectional survey | n = 337 |
Citations in the library
Cites 13
- Traditional marijuana, high‐potency cannabis and synthetic cannabinoids: increasing risk for psychosis World Psychiatry September 22, 2016
- Gone to Pot – A Review of the Association between Cannabis and Psychosis Frontiers in Psychiatry May 22, 2014
- Cannabis use and vulnerability for psychosis in early adolescence—a TRAILS study Addiction December 10, 2012
- Course of cannabis use and clinical outcome in patients with non-affective psychosis: a 3-year follow-up study Psychological Medicine February 5, 2015
- Cannabis and psychosis: what do we know and what should we do? The British Journal of Psychiatry April 1, 2018
and 8 more in the library