Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Program for Cannabis Use Cessation in First-Episode Psychosis Patients: A 1-Year Randomized Controlled Trial

Itxaso González-Ortega, Enrique Echeburúa, Susana Alberich, Miguel Bernardo, Eduard Vieta, Gonzalo Salazar de Pablo and Ana González-Pinto
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Itxaso González-Ortega: Centre for Biomedical Research in the Mental Health Network (CIBERSAM), 28029 Madrid, Spain
Enrique Echeburúa: Centre for Biomedical Research in the Mental Health Network (CIBERSAM), 28029 Madrid, Spain
Susana Alberich: Centre for Biomedical Research in the Mental Health Network (CIBERSAM), 28029 Madrid, Spain
Miguel Bernardo: Centre for Biomedical Research in the Mental Health Network (CIBERSAM), 28029 Madrid, Spain
Eduard Vieta: Centre for Biomedical Research in the Mental Health Network (CIBERSAM), 28029 Madrid, Spain
Gonzalo Salazar de Pablo: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, London SE5 8AB, UK
Ana González-Pinto: Centre for Biomedical Research in the Mental Health Network (CIBERSAM), 28029 Madrid, Spain

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 12, 1-19

Abstract: Despite the negative influence of cannabis use on the development and prognosis of first-episode psychosis (FEP), there is little evidence on effective specific interventions for cannabis use cessation in FEP. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of a specific cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for cannabis cessation (CBT-CC) with treatment as usual (TAU) in FEP cannabis users. In this single-blind, 1-year randomized controlled trial, 65 participants were randomly assigned to CBT-CC or TAU. The primary outcome was the reduction in cannabis use severity. The CBT-CC group had a greater decrease in cannabis use severity and positive psychotic symptoms over time, and a greater improvement in functioning at post-treatment than TAU. The treatment response was also faster in the CBT-CC group, reducing cannabis use, anxiety, positive and general psychotic symptoms, and improving functioning earlier than TAU in the follow-up. Moreover, patients who stopped and/or reduced cannabis use during the follow-up, decreased psychotic symptoms and increased awareness of disease compared to those who continued using cannabis. Early intervention based on a specific CBT for cannabis cessation, may be effective in reducing cannabis use severity, in addition to improving clinical and functional outcomes of FEP cannabis users.

Keywords: first-episode psychosis; cannabis use; cognitive behavioral therapy; outcome; randomized controlled trial (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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