Daily use, especially of high-potency cannabis, drives the earlier onset of psychosis in cannabis users

Di Forti, Marta, Sallis, Hannah, Allegri, Fabio, Trotta, Antonella, Ferraro, Laura, Stilo, Simona A., Marconi, Arianna, La Cascia, Caterina, Marques, Tiago Reis, Pariante, Carmine, Dazzan, Paola, Mondelli, Valeria, Paparelli, Alessandra, Kolliakou, Anna, Prata, Diana, Gaughran, Fiona, David, Anthony S., Morgan, Craig, Stahl, Daniel, Khondoker, Mizanur ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1801-1635, MacCabe, James H. and Murray, Robin M. (2014) Daily use, especially of high-potency cannabis, drives the earlier onset of psychosis in cannabis users. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 40 (6). pp. 1509-1517. ISSN 0586-7614

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Abstract

Cannabis use is associated with an earlier age of onset of psychosis (AOP). However, the reasons for this remain debated. Methods: We applied a Cox proportional hazards model to 410 first-episode psychosis patients to investigate the association between gender, patterns of cannabis use, and AOP. Results: Patients with a history of cannabis use presented with their first episode of psychosis at a younger age (mean years = 28.2, SD = 8.0; median years = 27.1) than those who never used cannabis (mean years = 31.4, SD = 9.9; median years = 30.0; hazard ratio [HR] = 1.42; 95% CI: 1.16-1.74; P <.001). This association remained significant after controlling for gender (HR = 1.39; 95% CI: 1.11-1.68; P <.001). Those who had started cannabis at age 15 or younger had an earlier onset of psychosis (mean years = 27.0, SD = 6.2; median years = 26.9) than those who had started after 15 years (mean years = 29.1, SD = 8.5; median years = 27.8; HR = 1.40; 95% CI: 1.06-1.84; P = .050). Importantly, subjects who had been using high-potency cannabis (skunk-type) every day had the earliest onset (mean years = 25.2, SD = 6.3; median years = 24.6) compared to never users among all the groups tested (HR = 1.99; 95% CI: 1.50-2.65; P <.0001); these daily users of high-potency cannabis had an onset an average of 6 years earlier than that of non-cannabis users. Conclusions: Daily use, especially of high-potency cannabis, drives the earlier onset of psychosis in cannabis users.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: psychotic disorders,age of onset,gender,cannabis,survival plots,drug use,high-potency cannabis
Faculty \ School: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Norwich Medical School
UEA Research Groups: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Epidemiology and Public Health
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Public Health and Health Services Research (former - to 2023)
Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Norwich Epidemiology Centre
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Norwich Epidemiology Centre
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Centres > Population Health
Depositing User: Pure Connector
Date Deposited: 24 Sep 2016 00:39
Last Modified: 19 Oct 2023 01:46
URI: https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/60162
DOI: 10.1093/schbul/sbt181

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