Cannabis use and psychosis: re-visiting the role of childhood trauma.
J E Houston, J Murphy, M Shevlin, G Adamson
Psychological Medicine November 1, 2011 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291711000559 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cross-sectional survey Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 7,403 |
| Population | Adults in England from the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey 2007 |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Key findings | Cannabis consumption was not a significant predictor of psychosis diagnosis after adjusting for childhood sexual abuse; non-consensual childhood sex was associated with over six times greater odds of psychosis diagnosis. |
Abstract
Cannabis consumption continues to be identified as a causal agent in the onset and development of psychosis. However, recent findings have shown that the effect of cannabis on psychosis may be moderated by childhood traumatic experiences. Using hierarchical multivariate logistic analyses the current study examined both the independent effect of cannabis consumption on psychosis diagnosis and the combined effect of cannabis consumption and childhood sexual abuse on psychosis diagnosis using data from the Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey 2007 (n=7403). Findings suggested that cannabis consumption was predictive of psychosis diagnosis in a bivariate model; however, when estimated within a multivariate model that included childhood sexual abuse, the effect of cannabis use was attenuated and was not statistically significant. The multivariate analysis revealed that those who had experienced non-consensual sex in childhood were over six times [odds ratio (OR) 6.10] more likely to have had a diagnosis of psychosis compared with those who had not experienced this trauma. There was also a significant interaction. Individuals with a history of non-consensual sexual experience and cannabis consumption were over seven times more likely (OR 7.84) to have been diagnosed with psychosis compared with those without these experiences; however, this finding must be interpreted with caution as it emerged within an overall analytical step which was non-significant. Future studies examining the effect of cannabis consumption on psychosis should adjust analyses for childhood trauma. Childhood trauma may advance existing gene-environment conceptualisations of the cannabis-psychosis link.
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
Cited by 7
- Cognitive mechanisms in cannabis-related paranoia; Initial testing and model proposal Psychosis May 13, 2020
- Early cannabis use and its relation to the development of psychiatric disorders: a review Salud Mental December 12, 2017
- Cannabis and psychosis: the impact of polydrug use Drugs and Alcohol Today July 20, 2017
- Cannabis and Psychosis: A Review of the Risk Factors Involved American Journal of Plant Sciences 2020
- Distinguishing between cannabis-induced psychotic disorder and psychotic disorder with concurrent cannabis use: a diagnostic challenge Romanian Journal of Psychiatry & Psychotherapy June 30, 2020
and 2 more in the library
Cites 8
- Causal association between cannabis and psychosis: examination of the evidence The British Journal of Psychiatry January 30, 2004
- Subjective Effects of Cannabis Before the First Psychotic Episode Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry December 1, 2009
- Gene-environment interplay between cannabis and psychosis. Schizophrenia Bulletin November 1, 2008
- Temporal Association of Cannabis Use with Symptoms in Individuals at Clinical High Risk for Psychosis Schizophrenia Research September 21, 2008
- Does normal developmental expression of psychosis combine with environmental risk to cause persistence of psychosis? A psychosis proneness–persistence model Psychological Medicine April 1, 2007
and 3 more in the library