PW01-179 - Effect Of Cannabis Misuse On Duration Of Untreated Psychosis And Pathways To Care Of Patients With Schizophrenia
Andrea Fiorillo, D. Giacco, Mario Luciano, V. Vinci, V. Del Vecchio
European Psychiatry 2010 DOI: 10.1016/s0924-9338(10)71586-8 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Observational cohort Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 22 |
| Population | Patients with recent-onset schizophrenia (less than 3 years) recruited at the Department of Psychiatry of the University of Naples SUN |
| Duration | First three years of the disorder |
| Topics | Cannabis |
| Key findings | About 60% of patients with recent-onset schizophrenia were using cannabis at onset; all were male, unemployed, and less educated. Cannabis users had a longer duration of untreated psychosis due to delays in accessing mental health care, and higher rates of suicide attempts and relapses in the first three years, suggesting a more severe course. |
Abstract
Objectives: This study aimed to assess:a) the socio-demographic characteristics of patients with schizophrenia who were using cannabis at time of first appearing of psychotic symptoms; b) the impact of cannabis on the duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) and on pathways to care; c) the influence of cannabis on the clinical onset and on the first three years of the disorder.
Methods: Twenty-two patients with a recent onset (< 3 years) of schizophrenia were consequently recruited at the Department of Psychiatry of the University of Naples SUN. Socio-demographic characteristics, pathways to care and DUP were investigated by ad-hoc schedules.
Results: About 60% of patients were using cannabis at onset of schizophrenia. All of them were male and did not have a job and with a lower education level. “Cannabis users” had a first contact with general practitioners earlier than “non cannabis users”, but their DUP was longer, as a consequence of significant delays in access to mental health care. Cannabis users showed higher rates of suicide attempts and relapses in the first three years, suggesting a more severe course of the disorder in the “critical period” of schizophrenia in this population.
Conclusions: The results of the study emphasize the need:a) to carry out sensitization campaigns among young people in order to reduce the use of cannabis and other illicit drugs; b) to promote information on schizophrenia for general practitioners.
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 |