Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-tf8b9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-22T20:26:38.787Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Differences in cannabis-related experiences between patients with a first episode of psychosis and controls

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 December 2015

F. Bianconi ,
M. Bonomo ,
A. Marconi ,
A. Kolliakou ,
S. A. Stilo ,
C. Iyegbe ,
P. Gurillo Muñoz ,
S. Homayoun ,
V. Mondelli  and
S. Luzi
...Show all authors
F. Bianconi
Affiliation:
Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
M. Bonomo*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
A. Marconi
Affiliation:
Department of Paediatrics and Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, ‘Sapienza’ University of Rome, Rome, Italy
A. Kolliakou
Affiliation:
Biomedical Research Centre Nucleus, King's College London, London, UK
S. A. Stilo
Affiliation:
Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
C. Iyegbe
Affiliation:
Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
P. Gurillo Muñoz
Affiliation:
Hospital Marina Baixa, Alicante, Spain
S. Homayoun
Affiliation:
Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
V. Mondelli
Affiliation:
Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
S. Luzi
Affiliation:
Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
P. Dazzan
Affiliation:
Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
D. Prata
Affiliation:
Department of Neuroimaging, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK Instituto de Medicina Molecular, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
C. La Cascia
Affiliation:
Department of Experimental Biomedicine and Clinical Neuroscience, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
J. O'Connor
Affiliation:
Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
A. David
Affiliation:
Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
C. Morgan
Affiliation:
Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
R. M. Murray
Affiliation:
Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
M. Lynskey
Affiliation:
Addiction Department, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
M. Di Forti
Affiliation:
Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
*
* Address for correspondence: M. Bonomo, Department of Psychosis Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK. (Email: [email protected])
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Background

Many studies have reported that cannabis use increases the risk of a first episode of psychosis (FEP). However, only a few studies have investigated the nature of cannabis-related experiences in FEP patients, and none has examined whether these experiences are similar in FEP and general populations. The aim of this study was to explore differences in self-reported cannabis experiences between FEP and non-psychotic populations.

Method

A total of 252 subjects, who met International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10 criteria for FEP, and 217 controls who reported cannabis use were selected from the Genetics and Psychosis (GAP) study. The Medical Research Council Social Schedule and the Cannabis Experience Questionnaire were used to collect sociodemographic data and cannabis use information, respectively.

Results

Both ‘bad’ and ‘enjoyable’ experiences were more commonly reported by FEP subjects than controls. Principal components factor analysis identified four components which explained 62.3% of the variance. Linear regression analysis on the whole sample showed that the type of cannabis used and beliefs about the effect of cannabis on health all contributed to determining the intensity and frequency of experiences. Linear regression analysis on FEP subjects showed that the duration of cannabis use and amount of money spent on cannabis were strongly related to the intensity and frequency of enjoyable experiences in this population.

Conclusions

These results suggest a higher sensitivity to cannabis effects among people who have suffered their first psychotic episode; this hypersensitivity results in them reporting both more ‘bad’ and ‘enjoyable’ experiences. The greater enjoyment experienced may provide an explanation of why FEP patients are more likely to use cannabis and to continue to use it despite experiencing an exacerbation of their psychotic symptoms.

Keywords

CannabisCannabis Experience Questionnaireexperiencesfirst episode of psychosispsychosis
Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 46 , Issue 5 , April 2016 , pp. 995 - 1003
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2015 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Barkus, EJ, Stirling, J, Hopkins, RS, Lewis, S (2006). Cannabis-induced psychosis-like experiences are associated with high schizotypy. Psychopathology 39, 175–178.Google Scholar
Casadio, P, Fernandes, C, Murray, RM, Di Forti, M (2011). Cannabis use in young people: the risk for schizophrenia. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews 35, 1779–1787.Google Scholar
Di Forti, M, Iyegbe, C, Sallis, H, Kolliakou, A, Falcone, MA, Paparelli, A, Sirianni, M, La Cascia, C, Stilo, SA, Marques, TR, Handley, R, Mondelli, V, Dazzan, P, Pariante, C, David, AS, Morgan, C, Powell, J, Murray, RM (2012). Confirmation that the AKT1 (rs2494732) genotype influences the risk of psychosis in cannabis users. Biological Psychiatry 72, 811–816.Google Scholar
Di Forti, M, Marconi, A, Carra, E, Fraietta, S, Trotta, A, Bonomo, M, Bianconi, F, Gardner-Sood, P, O'Connor, J, Russo, M, Stilo, SA, Marques, TR, Mondelli, V, Dazzan, P, Pariante, C, David, AS, Gaughran, F, Atakan, Z, Iyegbe, C, Powell, J, Morgan, C, Lynskey, M, Murray, RM (2015). Proportion of patients in south London with first-episode psychosis attributable to use of high potency cannabis: a case–control study. Lancet Psychiatry 2, 233–238.Google Scholar
Di Forti, M, Morgan, C, Dazzan, P, Pariante, C, Mondelli, V, Marques, TR, Handley, R, Luzi, S, Russo, M, Paparelli, A, Butt, A, Stilo, SA, Wiffen, B, Powell, J, Murray, RM (2009). High-potency cannabis and the risk of psychosis. British Journal of Psychiatry 195, 488–491.Google Scholar
Di Forti, M, Sallis, H, Allegri, F, Trotta, A, Ferraro, L, Stilo, SA, Marconi, A, La Cascia, C, Reis Marques, T, Pariante, C, Dazzan, P, Mondelli, V, Paparelli, A, Kolliakou, A, Prata, D, Gaughran, F, David, AS, Morgan, C, Stahl, D, Khondoker, M, MacCabe, JH, Murray, RM (2014). Daily use, especially of high-potency cannabis, drives the earlier onset of psychosis in cannabis users. Schizophrenia Bulletin 40, 1509–1517.Google Scholar
D'Souza, DC (2007). Cannabinoids and psychosis. International Review of Neurobiology 78, 289–326.Google Scholar
D'Souza, DC, Sewell, RA, Ranganathan, M (2009). Cannabis and psychosis/schizophrenia: human studies. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience 259, 413–431.Google Scholar
Fergusson, DM, Horwood, LJ, Swain-Campbell, NR (2003). Cannabis dependence and psychotic symptoms in young people. Psychological Medicine 33, 15–21.Google Scholar
Giordano, GN, Ohlsson, H, Sundquist, K, Sundquist, J, Kendler, KS (2015). The association between cannabis abuse and subsequent schizophrenia: a Swedish national co-relative control study. Psychological Medicine 45, 407–414.Google Scholar
Hardwick, S, King, L (2008). Home Office Cannabis Potency Study 2008. Home Office Scientific Development Branch: London.Google Scholar
Henquet, C, Di Forti, M, Morrison, P, Kuepper, R, Murray, RM (2008) Gene-environment interplay between cannabis and psychosis. Schizophrenia Bulletin 34, 1111–1121.Google Scholar
Henquet, C, Murray, RM, Linszen, D, van Os, J (2005). The environment and schizophrenia: the role of cannabis use. Schizophrenia Bulletin 31, 608–612.Google Scholar
Kendler, KS, Karkowski, LM, Neale, MC, Prescott, CA (2000). Illicit psychoactive substance use, heavy use, abuse, and dependence in a US population-based sample of male twins. Archives of General Psychiatry 57, 261–269.Google Scholar
Kendler, KS, Ohlsson, H, Maes, HH, Sundquist, K, Lichtenstein, P, Sundquist, J (2015). A population-based Swedish Twin and Sibling Study of cannabis, stimulant and sedative abuse in men. Drug and Alcohol Dependence 149, 49–54.Google Scholar
Kendler, KS, Prescott, CA (1998). Cannabis use, abuse, and dependence in a population-based sample of female twins. American Journal of Psychiatry 155, 1016–1022.Google Scholar
Khantzian, EJ (1985). The self-medication hypothesis of addictive disorders: focus on heroin and cocaine dependence. American Journal of Psychiatry 142, 1259–1264.Google Scholar
Kolliakou, A, Castle, D, Sallis, H, Joseph, C, O'Connor, J, Wiffen, B, Ismail, K (2015). Reasons for cannabis use in first-episode psychosis: does strength of endorsement change over 12 months? European Psychiatry 30, 152–159.Google Scholar
Kolliakou, A, Joseph, C, Ismail, K, Atakan, Z, Murray, RM (2011). Why do patients with psychosis use cannabis and are they ready to change their use? International Journal of Developmental Neuroscience 29, 335–346.Google Scholar
Lyons, MJ, Toomey, R, Meyer, JM, Green, AI, Eisen, SA, Goldberg, J, True, WR, Tsuang, MT (1997). How do genes influence marijuana use? The role of subjective effects. Addiction 92, 409–417.Google Scholar
Murray, RM, Mehta, M, Di Forti, M (2014). Different dopaminergic abnormalities underlie cannabis dependence and cannabis-induced psychosis. Biological Psychiatry 75, 430–431.Google Scholar
Mwenda, L, Ahmad, M, Kumari, K (2005). Seizures on Drugs in England and Wales, 2003. Findings 265. Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate. Office for National Statistics: London.Google Scholar
Potter, DJ, Clark, P, Brown, MB (2009). Potency of Δ9-THC and other cannabinoids in cannabis in England in 2005: implications for psychoactivity and pharmacology. Journal of Forensic Science 53, 90–94.Google Scholar
Radhakrishnan, R, Wilkinson, ST, D'Souza, DC (2014). Gone to pot – a review of the association between cannabis and psychosis. Frontiers in Psychiatry 5, 54.Google Scholar
Thornton, LK, Baker, AL, Johnson, MP, Kay-Lambkin, F, Lewin, TJ (2012). Reasons for substance use among people with psychotic disorders: method triangulation approach. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors 26, 279–288.Google Scholar
United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (2014). World Drug Report 2014. United Nations publication, sales no. E.14.XI.7. United Nations: New York.Google Scholar
van der Meer, FJ, Velthorst, E; Genetic Risk and Outcome of Psychosis (GROUP) Investigators (2015). Course of cannabis use and clinical outcome in patients with non-affective psychosis: a 3-year follow-up study. Psychological Medicine 45, 1977–1988.Google Scholar
van Winkel, R, van Beveren, NJM, Simons, C; Genetic Risk and Outcome of Psychosis (GROUP) Investigators (2011). AKT1 moderation of cannabis-induced cognitive alterations in psychotic disorder. Neuropsychopharmacology 36, 2529–2537.Google Scholar
Wetherill, RR, Childress, AR, Jagannathan, K, Bender, J, Young, KA, Suh, JJ, O'Brien, CP, Franklin, TR (2014). Neural responses to subliminally presented cannabis and other emotionally evocative cues in cannabis-dependent individuals. Psychopharmacology (Berlin) 231, 1397–1407.Google Scholar
Wing, JK, Babor, T, Brugha, T, Burke, J, Cooper, JE, Giel, R, Jablenski, A, Regier, D, Sartorius, N (1990). SCAN. Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry. Archives of General Psychiatry 47, 589–593.Google Scholar
World Health Organization (1992) ICD-10 Classifications of Mental and Behavioural Disorders: Clinical Descriptions and Diagnostic Guidelines. World Health Organization: Geneva.Google Scholar
Zammit, S, Moore, TH, Lingford-Hughes, A, Barnes, TR, Jones, PB, Burke, M, Lewis, G (2008). Effects of cannabis use on outcomes of psychotic disorders: systematic review. British Journal of Psychiatry 193, 357–363.Google Scholar
Zeiger, JS, Haberstick, BC, Corley, RP, Ehringer, MA, Crowley, TJ, Hewitt, JK, Hopfer, CJ, Stallings, MC, Young, SE, Rhee, SH (2012). Subjective effects for alcohol, tobacco, and marijuana association with cross-drug outcomes. Drug and Alcohol Dependence 123 (Suppl. 1), S52–S58.Google Scholar