1 research outputs found
CANNABIS USE AND SUICIDE IN NON-AFFECTIVE PSYCHOSIS: A MINI-REVIEW OF RECENT LITERATURE
Proof of correlation between psychotic spectrum disorders and suicide are found in literature, as well as between cannabis use
disorder (CUD) and suicide and between CUD and schizophrenia. The study population of the selected papers consists of subjects
diagnosed with schizophrenia spectrum or cannabis or SCs induced psychosis. Our objective is to assess how suicide risk (defined as
suicidal ideation/attempt or death by suicide) in this population may vary with exposure to cannabis or one of its main active compounds.
We searched PubMed, Scopus and Psycinfo database from January 2010 to February 2022. Study designs of the included
articles are distributed as follows: 6 cross-sectional studies, 3 cohort studies, 1 case-control studies, 1 randomized double-blind study,
1 case report. Selected cohort studies seem to agree in identifying an increased suicide risk in patients with schizophrenia spectrum
disorders when exposed to cannabis use.
The case-control study and selected cross-sectionals provide contradictory data. However, qualitative analysis seem to point
toward a positive correlation between cannabis use and increased suicidal risk in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. In
conclusion, emerging data on the correlation between cannabis use and suicide risk in patients with schizophrenia or other schizophrenic
spectrum disorders are insufficient to draw firm conclusions. Nonetheless these studies seem to suggest a positive correlation
of cannabis use with increased suicide risk, particularly regarding first episode psychosis (FEP) and male gender. Clinicians should
be aware of the possibility of a higher risk of suicidal behavior associated specifically with cannabis use for men and patients during
FEP