Cannabis use during first episode psychosis in Tunisia
E. Bergaoui, R. Lansari, O. Chehaider, M. Moalla, A. Larnaout, W. Melki
European Psychiatry March 1, 2023 DOI: 10.1192/j.eurpsy.2023.1592 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Cross-sectional study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 50 |
| Population | Patients hospitalized for first-episode psychosis at the psychiatric department D of Razi hospital |
| Measures | Cannabis Abuse Screening Test (CAST), Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Key findings | About 60% of first-episode psychosis patients used cannabis, with high addiction risk in 81% of users. Cannabis use was correlated with gender but not with duration of untreated psychosis or with positive or negative symptom severity. The authors conclude that cannabis use does not affect symptom severity despite being known to accelerate transition to psychosis. |
Abstract
IntroductionCannabis use is frequent among patients with psychotic disorders. However, the relationship between cannabis consumption and transition to psychosis has not been fully elucidated.ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of cannabis use in first episode psychosis and its correlation with transistion to psychosis and severity of symptoms.MethodsA cross-sectional study was conducted at the psychiatric department D of Razi hospital including 50 patients hospitalized for first episode psychosis. The evaluation focused on sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of the patients. We used the cannabis abuse screening test (CAST) and positive and negative syndrome scale (PANSS).ResultsThe sex ratio of our patients was 4 men per 1 woman. The mean age was 25.6±6.16 years. Two-thirds of the patients had secondary education (n=24). Half of them had no occupation (n=17). Twenty-five patients (71%) had no psychiatric history. The total PANSS score showed a mean of 58.29±12.90 with extremes between 35 and 91. About 60% of the patients used cannabis with high addiction risk in 81% of cases. The mean duration of cannabis use was 7,04 years, 3 times a week. Cannabis use was correlated to the gender. However, no correlation was found between cannabis use and duration of untreated psychosis niether the negative or positive symptoms.ConclusionsAlthough cannabis use is knownto accelerate transition to psychosis, it does not affect the severity of symptoms. Further work is necessary to identify the factors that underlie individual vulnerability to cannabinoid-related psychosis and to elucidate the biological mechanisms underlying this risk.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared
Comparable studies
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| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
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| 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 |