First episode psychosis with and without the use of cannabis and synthetic cannabinoids: Psychopathology, global functioning and suicidal ideation and antipsychotic effectiveness.

BACKGROUND

Natural Cannabis (NC) and Synthetic Cannabinoids (SCs) use can increase the risk of developing psychotic disorders and exacerbate their course.

AIMS

To examine the differences between psychoses not associated with cannabis use and those associated with NC and SCs use, evaluating psychotic symptoms, global functioning, dissociative symptoms and suicidal ideation.

METHODS

The sample of 61 patients with First Episode Psychosis (FEP) was divided into 3 groups: non-Cannabis users (non-users, N = 20); NC users (THC-users, N = 21); SCs users (SPICE-users, N = 20). Each group was assessed at FEP and after 3 and 9 months through specific psychopathological scales.

RESULTS

THC-users, and even more SPICE-users, displayed much more severe positive symptoms than non-users. Negative symptoms were higher among non-users. After 9 months the non-users had recovered significantly better than SPICE-users in their global functioning. Dissociative symptoms were significantly greater in substance users. Finally, suicidal ideation was higher in SPICE-users than in both THC-users and non-users.

DISCUSSION

The psychoses induced by NC and SCs showed different symptomatic pictures and outcomes from each other and when compared to the psychoses not associated with the use of substances; such knowledge could be relevant in identifying a specific drug treatment.