RESUMEN
Several studies have found that symptom patterns of cannabis-using schizophrenia patients differ from those of nonusers. However, these investigations have mostly included patients treated with typical neuroleptics (TN). Since differing symptoms could also result from a TN-cannabis combination and might not be due to cannabis use per se, this study examined schizophrenia symptoms in a group of cannabis-using outpatients treated with atypical antipsychotics. Forty-two schizophrenia outpatients participated and were divided into three groups: cannabis abstainers, moderate users, and daily users. Patients with any substance use disorder other than cannabis abuse/dependence, or patients meeting criteria for schizotypal, schizoaffective, affective, anxiety, delusional, or personality disorders were excluded from the study. All patients completed a self-constructed questionnaire assessing demographic and drug use characteristics and were interviewed using the semistandardized Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Cannabis use was assessed by self-declaration. No differences were found between the abstainers, the moderate, and the daily users on the PANSS scores. Thus, schizophrenia patients treated with atypical neuroleptics do not differ in symptom patterns whether using or not using cannabis. The study's limitations are noted.
Asunto(s)
Antipsicóticos/uso terapéutico , Fumar Marihuana/epidemiología , Esquizofrenia/fisiopatología , Adulto , Femenino , Humanos , Entrevistas como Asunto , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Esquizofrenia/tratamiento farmacológico , Suiza/epidemiología , Adulto JovenRESUMEN
OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to compare self-reported reasons for cannabis use in patients with schizophrenia with those of matched healthy controls. METHODS: Thirty-six stable outpatients with schizophrenia treated with atypical antipsychotics and 36 matched controls were included. They completed a questionnaire exploring 15 common reasons for use, established in other studies. results: Overall, patients more frequently agreed with the proposed reasons for use than controls. More specifically, patients with schizophrenia more often stated that they consumed cannabis to fight boredom and to ease social contacts. CONCLUSIONS: Stable schizophrenia outpatients treated with atypicals do not use cannabis in order to reduce side-effects of medication or symptoms of their disorder. Rather, they used cannabis to overcome a feeling of social exclusion. Therefore, enhancing social participation of cannabis-using patients might be an effective strategy for reducing consumption.