Cannabis use and risk of psychosis: an etiological link?
Helene Verdoux, Marie Tournier
Epidemiologia e Psichiatria Sociale June 1, 2004 DOI: 10.1017/s1121189x0000333x (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Review Cross-sectional Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Key findings | Reviews evidence suggesting cannabis is a risk factor for psychosis onset, with prospective studies showing increased risk, a dose-response relationship, and independence from confounders, though diagnostic specificity is weak across psychiatric disorders. |
Abstract
SummaryObjective – The nature of the link between cannabis use and psychosis remains to be clarified. Method – The paper reviews the evidence suggesting that cannabis may be a risk factor for psychosis onset. Results – Cross-sectional and retro- spective epidemiological studies show that individuals with psychosis use cannabis more often than other individuals in the gener- al population. It has long been considered that this association is explained by the self-medication hypothesis, postulating that cannabis is used to self-medicate psychotic symptoms. This hypothesis has been recently challenged by several prospective stud- ies carried out in population-based samples, showing that cannabis exposure is associated with an increased risk of psychosis, pos- sibly by interacting with a pre-existing vulnerability for these disorders. A dose-response relationship was found between cannabis exposure and risk of psychosis, and this association was independent from potential confounding factors such as exposure to other drugs and pre-existence of psychotic symptoms. However, the diagnostic specificity is weak, as cannabis exposure may be a risk factor for the occurrence of a large spectrum of psychiatric disorders, ranging from schizophrenia to mood and anxiety disorders. Conclusion – Considering the growing number of adolescents exposed to cannabis, the impact of this substance on the population mental health should be further explored.
Comparable studies
Other narrative reviews on cannabis, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Causal association between cannabis and psychosis: examination of the evidence | 2004 | Review | |
| Cannabis sativa: A comprehensive ethnopharmacological review of a medicinal plant with a long history. General (historical and pharmacological review) | 2018 | Review | |
| Psychiatric effects of cannabis | 2001 | Review | |
| Beyond THC: The New Generation of Cannabinoid Designer Drugs | 2011 | Review | |
| Cannabidiol, a Cannabis sativa constituent, as an antipsychotic drug | 2006 | Review |
Citations in the library
Cited by 5
- The effect of cannabis on the brain: can it cause brain anomalies that lead to increased risk for schizophrenia? Current Opinion in Psychiatry March 1, 2008
- Epidemiological and biological mechanisms of cannabis as cause of psychosis 2012
- Cannabis consumption and psychosis or schizophrenia development International Journal of Social Psychiatry November 1, 2018
- Blunted psychotomimetic and amnestic effects of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol in frequent users of cannabis. Neuropsychopharmacology September 2008
- Pattern of cannabis use in ecstasy polydrug users: moderate cannabis use may compensate for self-rated aggression and somatic symptoms. Human psychopharmacology June 2005
Cites 5
- Psychiatric effects of cannabis The British Journal of Psychiatry February 1, 2001
- Effects of cannabis and psychosis vulnerability in daily life: an experience sampling test study Psychological Medicine 2003
- Elevated endogenous cannabinoids in schizophrenia. Neuroreport June 3, 1999
- Cannabis and acute psychosis. Schizophrenia Research September 1, 1994
- Cannabis and psychosis. Is there epidemiological evidence for an association? The British Journal of Psychiatry July 1, 1990