Are psychotic-like experiences related to a discontinuation of cannabis consumption in young adults?

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Heidelberg University 
  • University of Amsterdam
  • Trinity College Dublin
  • Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt
  • King's College London (KCL)
  • University College London
  • University of Mannheim
  • French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA)
  • University of Vermont
  • École normale supérieure Paris-Saclay
  • INSERM - Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale
  • Kiel University
  • Bloorview Research Institute
  • University of Göttingen
  • Fudan University
  • Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin
  • Berlin Institute of Health at Charité

Abstract

Objective: To assess changes in cannabis use in young adults as a function of psychotic-like experiences. Method: Participants were initially recruited at age 14 in high schools for the longitudinal IMAGEN study. All measures presented here were assessed at follow-ups at age 19 and at age 22, respectively. Perceived stress was only assessed once at age 22. Ever users of cannabis (N = 552) gave qualitative and quantitative information on cannabis use and psychotic-like experiences using the Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences (CAPE). Of those, nearly all n = 549 reported to have experienced at least one psychotic experience of any form at age 19. Results: Mean cannabis use increased from age 19 to 22 and age of first use of cannabis was positively associated with a change in cannabis use between the two time points. Change in cannabis use was not significantly associated with psychotic-like experiences at age 19 or 22. In exploratory analysis, we observed a positive association between perceived stress and the experience of psychotic experiences at age 22. Conclusion: Age of first use of cannabis influenced trajectories of young cannabis users with later onset leading to higher increase, whereas the frequency of psychotic-like experiences was not associated with a change in cannabis use. The observed association between perceived stress and psychotic-like experiences at age 22 emphasizes the importance of stress experiences in developing psychosis independent of cannabis use.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)271-279
Number of pages9
JournalSchizophrenia research
Volume228
Publication statusPublished - Feb 2021
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMed 33493775
ORCID /0000-0001-5398-5569/work/161890750
ORCID /0000-0002-8493-6396/work/161891662

Keywords

Keywords

  • Age of first use, Cannabis discontinuation hypothesis, Cannabis use, Perceived stress, Psychotic-like experiences