Duration of Untreated Disorder and Cannabis Use: An Observational Study on a Cohort of Young Italian Patients Experiencing Psychotic Experiences and Dissociative Symptoms

Valerio Ricci, Giovanni Martinotti, Franca Ceci, Stefania Chiappini, Francesco Di Carlo, Julius Burkauskas, Ottavia Susini, Debora Luciani, Diego Quattrone, Domenico De Berardis, Mauro Pettorruso, Giuseppe Maina and Massimo Di Giannantonio
Additional contact information
Valerio Ricci: Department of Neuroscience, San Luigi Gonzaga University Hospital, 10043 Orbassano, Italy
Giovanni Martinotti: Department of Neurosciences, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, Università degli Studi G. D’Annunzio Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
Franca Ceci: Department of Neurosciences, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, Università degli Studi G. D’Annunzio Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
Stefania Chiappini: Department of Neurosciences, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, Università degli Studi G. D’Annunzio Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
Francesco Di Carlo: Department of Neurosciences, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, Università degli Studi G. D’Annunzio Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
Julius Burkauskas: Laboratory of Behavioral Medicine, Neuroscience Institute, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, 00135 Palanga, Lithuania
Ottavia Susini: Department of Neurosciences, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, Università degli Studi G. D’Annunzio Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
Debora Luciani: Department of Neurosciences, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, Università degli Studi G. D’Annunzio Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
Diego Quattrone: Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London SE5 8AF, UK
Domenico De Berardis: NHS, Department of Mental Health, Psychiatric Service for Diagnosis and Treatment, Hospital “G. Mazzini”, ASL 4, 64100 Teramo, Italy
Mauro Pettorruso: Department of Neurosciences, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, Università degli Studi G. D’Annunzio Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy
Giuseppe Maina: Department of Neuroscience, San Luigi Gonzaga University Hospital, 10043 Orbassano, Italy
Massimo Di Giannantonio: Department of Neurosciences, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, Università degli Studi G. D’Annunzio Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 23, 1-13

Abstract: Background: The Duration of Untreated Psychosis (DUP) is the time between the first-episode psychosis (FEP) and the initiation of antipsychotic treatment. It is an important predictor of several disease-related outcomes in psychotic disorders. The aim of this manuscript is investigating the influence of cannabis on the DUP and its clinical correlates. Methods: During years 2014–2019, sixty-two FEP patients with and without cannabis use disorder (CUD) were recruited from several Italian psychiatric hospitals. The subjects were then divided into two groups based on the duration of the DUP and assessed at the beginning of the antipsychotic treatment and after 3 and 6 months, using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scale, and the Dissociative Experiences Scale (DES-II). Results: As expected, a longer DUP was associated with worse symptoms and cannabis use did not seem to affect the DUP, but both were related with more dissociative symptoms at onset and over time. Discussion: According to our study, cannabis use can be a predictor of FEP and DUP, and of disease outcome. However, several factors might influence the relationship between cannabis use and DUP. Preventing cannabis use and early diagnosis of psychotic disorders might impact the disease by reducing the persistence of symptoms and limiting dissociative experiences.

Keywords: DUP; cannabis; dissociation; first-episode psychosis; schizophrenia (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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