No CrossRef data available.
Article contents
The cannabis profile: A high-risk subtype
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 23 March 2020
Abstract
The first phase following the diagnosis of a first psychotic episode (FEP), is crucial to determine clinical and functional long-term outcome. Cannabis exerts a mediating action on the debut of the disease and determines a poor prognosis.
The description of a specific population profile of increased vulnerability to maintain cannabis use after a FEP could help to identify this high risk subtype of patients and speed up the implementation of specific interventions.
One hundred and seventy-eight patients were recruited from PAFIP (early intervention program on FEP), obtaining detailed socio-demographic assessment. They were followed-up for a year during which cannabis consumption was assessed by Drake scale every three months. We divided the sample into two groups:
– those patients who neither smoked cannabis before the FEP nor during follow-up period (nn);
– consumers group: cannabis users before the FEP who kept on smoking during the follow-up period (ss) and those who smoked before the FEP and gave up consumption during follow-up (sn).
Statistically significant differences between groups were observed. The consumers group (ss + sn) had an earlier age of onset, most were male, unemployed, single, prone to loneliness and they were concomitant users of alcohol and tobacco.
The use of cannabis has a detrimental effect on the outcome of schizophrenia. A specific and early intervention could contribute to prognostic improvements. Identifying cannabis consumption subtypes could be useful for this purpose.
The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.
- Type
- e-Poster Walk: Comorbidity/Dual pathologies and guidelines/Guidance - Part 2
- Information
- European Psychiatry , Volume 41 , Issue S1: Abstract of the 25th European Congress of Psychiatry , April 2017 , pp. S310 - S311
- Copyright
- Copyright © European Psychiatric Association 2017
Comments
No Comments have been published for this article.