Cannabis-related psychosis: Presentation and effect of abstinence.
Vani Kulhalli, Mohan Isaac, Pratima Murthy
Indian Journal of Psychiatry October 2007 DOI: 10.4103/0019-5545.37665 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational study Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 20 |
| Population | Male subjects with psychosis following cannabis use, without prior or concurrent psychiatric disorder, attending the outpatient department of a large tertiary care hospital in India |
| Duration | 7 days of abstinence |
| Measures | Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Keywords | Drug-induced psychoses |
| Key findings | Cannabis-related psychosis in this sample presented predominantly as affective psychosis with prominent thought disorder, excitement, and violence, and all subjects improved after seven days of abstinence, with significant reductions in BPRS scores including cognitive dysfunction, conceptual disorganization, grandiosity, tension, hostility, hallucinatory behavior, and excitement. |
Abstract
The correlation between cannabis and negative mental health outcomes has been unequivocally established. Nevertheless, there is still a great need to research different dimensions of cannabis-related disorders, among which the study of cannabis-related psychosis is very important. There is a dearth of research regarding phenomenology and effect of abstinence, particularly from India. This study attempts to research the clinical presentation of cannabis-related psychosis and effect of abstinence. The aim of the present study was to document the clinical presentation of cannabis-related psychosis at presentation and after 7 days' abstinence from cannabis. Subjects with psychosis following cannabis use without any other prior or concurrent psychiatric disorder presenting to the outpatient department of a large tertiary care hospital were consecutively recruited for study. They were observed in a drug-free, protected environment for 7 days, during which clinical features were recorded using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS). Twenty male subjects were recruited and phenomenology was evaluated on the BPRS. Items with highest frequencies were unusual thought content (100%), excitement (75%), grandiosity (75%), hallucinatory behavior (70%) and uncooperativeness (65%). The least common symptoms were anxiety (5%), guilt feeling (5%), depressive mood (10%), motor retardation (10%) and blunted affect (30%). Nine subjects (45%) presented with cognitive dysfunction. Affective psychosis was the predominant diagnosis. At the end of 1 week of abstinence from cannabis, there was a significant decrease in scores. Significant improvement was observed in cognitive dysfunction, conceptual disorganization, grandiosity, tension, hostility, hallucinatory behavior and excitement. Cannabis-related psychosis presented with a predominantly affective psychosis and prominent thought disorder, excitement and violence. All subjects showed improvement in symptoms with abstinence from cannabis. A small heterogeneous sample and short duration of observation were the important limitations of this study.
Comparable studies
Other observational and cohort studies on cannabis, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| High-potency cannabis and the risk of psychosis People with first episode of psychosis and healthy controls from the local population | 2009 | Case-control study | n = 454 |
| Ayahuasca-Assisted Therapy for Addiction: Results from a Preliminary Observational Study in Canada Rural aboriginal population | 2013 | Observational study | |
| Impaired cognitive performance in drug free users of recreational ecstasy (MDMA) Otherwise healthy young people | 2000 | Observational | |
| Continued cannabis use and risk of incidence and persistence of psychotic symptoms: 10 year follow-up cohort study Individuals from the general population in Germany aged 14-24 at baseline | 2011 | Observational cohort | n = 1,923 |
| Cannabis-induced psychosis and subsequent schizophrenia-spectrum disorders: follow-up study of 535 incident cases Patients treated for cannabis-induced psychotic symptoms in Denmark between 1994 and... | 2005 | Observational cohort | n = 535 |
Citations in the library
Cited by 7
- Cannabis use and cognitive dysfunction Indian Journal of Psychiatry 2011
- Cannabis and Psychosis Through the Lens of DSM-5 International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health October 28, 2019
- Medical Cannabis sativa (Marijuana or drug type): Psychoactive molecule, Δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (Δ9-THC) International Journal of Research and Innovation in Applied Science 2023
- Presentation and Short-term Course of New Onset Cannabis Induced Psychotic Disorder in Males medRxiv January 31, 2022
- The Impact of Cannabis Abuse on Psychotic Symptoms and Their Severity among Cannabis Associated Psychosis Subjects: An Indian Experience Psychocentrum Review March 25, 2021
and 2 more in the library
Cites 8
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- Cannabis use and psychosis: a review of clinical and epidemiological evidence. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry February 1, 2000
- Cannabis psychosis and acute schizophrenia. a case-control study from India. European Addiction Research June 1, 1999
- Psychiatric symptoms in cannabis users. The British Journal of Psychiatry August 1, 1993
- Cannabis-associated psychosis with hypomanic features. The Lancet December 18, 1982
and 3 more in the library