Psychotic symptom and cannabis relapse in recent-onset psychosis
L. Hides, S. Dawe, D. J. Kavanagh, R. M. Young
British Journal of Psychiatry August 1, 2006 DOI: 10.1192/bjp.bp.105.014308 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 84 |
| Population | Participants with recent-onset psychosis assessed at hospital admission |
| Duration | 6-month follow-up |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Key findings | Higher cannabis use frequency predicted psychotic relapse after controlling for confounders, and increased psychotic symptoms predicted cannabis relapse, with medication adherence reducing cannabis relapse risk. The authors propose a bidirectional relationship between cannabis use and psychosis. |
Abstract
BackgroundCannabis use appears to exacerbate psychotic symptoms and increase risk of psychotic relapse. However, the relative contribution of cannabis use compared with other risk factors is unclear. The influence of psychotic symptoms on cannabis use has received little attention.AimsTo examine the influence of cannabis use on psychotic symptom relapse and the influence of psychotic symptom severity on relapse in cannabis use in the 6 months following hospital admission.MethodAt baseline, 84 participants with recent-onset psychosis were assessed and 81 were followed up weekly for 6 months, using telephone and face-to-face interviews.ResultsA higher frequency of cannabis use was predictive of psychotic relapse, after controlling for medication adherence, other substance use and duration of untreated psychosis. An increase in psychotic symptoms was predictive of relapse to cannabis use, and medication adherence reduced cannabis relapse risk.ConclusionsThe relationship between cannabis use and psychosis may be bidirectional, highlighting the need for early intervention programmes to target cannabis use and psychotic symptom severity in this population.