New research on the relationship between cannabis use, risk of paranoia and poor mental health | Our blog

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New research on the relationship between cannabis use, risk of paranoia and poor mental health

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Colleagues from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN) at King’s College London, in partnership with the University of Bath and our Cannabis Clinic Clinical Lead Professor Marta Di Forti, have worked on the largest ever study on cannabis use.

The study published in the BMJ Mental Health earlier this week explores the relationship between why people first start using cannabis and how this affects their subsequent use. The study found that paranoia is more likely with those using cannabis for self-soothing reasons, rather than recreationally.

Cannabis use and the drug’s potency is increasing worldwide with dependence and cannabis-induced psychosis greatly increasing as a result.

Professor Marta Di Forti, Clinical Lead at our Trust’s Cannabis Clinic said: “There is extensive national and internation debate about the legality and safety of cannabis use. My experience in clinic tells me that there are groups of people who start to use cannabis as a means of coping with physical and emotional pain. My research has confirmed that this is not without significant further risk to their health and wellbeing, and policy makers across the world should be mindful of the impact that legalization, without adequate public education and health support, could have on both the individual, as well as on healthcare systems more broadly.” 

Our cannabis clinic was established in 2019 with the support of Maudsley Charity and now runs as the first clinic in the UK to provide specialist community dual diagnosis support for adults with psychosis who are seeking help, support and guidance around their cannabis use.

Of the 3389 involved in the study, respondents who first started using cannabis to self-medicate an illness, including physical pain, anxiety, depression, or because they were experiencing minor psychotic symptoms, all demonstrated higher paranoia scores.  

By contrast, those respondents who tried cannabis for fun, curiosity or with their friends, reported the lowest average paranoia and anxiety scores.

Dr Edoardo Spinazzola, a Research Assistant at King’s IoPPN said: “Our study provides vital evidence on how the reason someone first starts using cannabis can dramatically impact their long-term health. This research suggests that using cannabis as a mean to self-medicate physical or mental discomfort can have a negative impact on the levels of paranoia, anxiety, and depression. Most of these subgroups had average scores of depression and anxiety which were above the threshold for referral to counselling." 

In a separate study, published in Psychological Medicine, researchers explored the relationship between childhood trauma, paranoia and cannabis use.  

Researchers used the same data set from the Cannabis & Me survey, with just over half of respondents (52 per cent) reporting experience of some form of trauma.  

Analysis established that respondents who had been exposed to trauma as children reported higher average levels of paranoia compared to those who hadn’t, with physical and emotional abuse emerging as the strongest predictors.  

Dr Giulia Trotta, a Consultant Psychiatrist and Researcher at King’s IoPPN said: “This comprehensive study is the first to explore the interplay between childhood trauma, paranoia, and cannabis use among cannabis users from the general population. We have not only established a clear association between trauma and future paranoia, but also that cannabis use can further exacerbate the effects of this, depending on what form the trauma takes.”

Researchers confirmed that the strong association between childhood trauma and paranoia is further exacerbated by cannabis use but different types of trauma resulted in different findings.


 Read the full study: Are reasons for first using cannabis associated with subsequent cannabis consumption (standard THC units) and psychopathology? | BMJ Mental Health

Find out more about out Cannabis Clinic: Service Detail - South London and Maudsley

  

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