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; Massimo Di Giannantonio

doi:10.3390/ijerph182312632

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, Massimo Di Giannantonio

^*Corresponding author for this work

Social Genetic & Developmental Psychiatry

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

20 Citations (Scopus)

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.

Original language	English
Article number	12632
Journal	International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Volume	18
Issue number	23
Early online date	30 Nov 2021
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182312632
Publication status	Published - 1 Dec 2021

Keywords

Cannabis
Dissociation
DUP
First-episode psychosis
Schizophrenia

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.3390/ijerph182312632

Cite this

Ricci, V., Martinotti, G., Ceci, F., Chiappini, S., Di Carlo, F., Burkauskas, J., Susini, O., Luciani, D., Quattrone, D., De Berardis, D., Pettorruso, M., Maina, G., & Di Giannantonio, M. (2021). Duration of untreated disorder and cannabis use: An observational study on a cohort of young italian patients experiencing psychotic experiences and dissociative symptoms. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(23), Article 12632. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182312632

@article{2359257a74f24c42bead6a16ab3d0ab4,

title = "Duration of untreated disorder and cannabis use: An observational study on a cohort of young italian patients experiencing psychotic experiences and dissociative symptoms",

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 = "Cannabis, Dissociation, DUP, First-episode psychosis, Schizophrenia",

author = "Valerio Ricci and Giovanni Martinotti and Franca Ceci and Stefania Chiappini and {Di Carlo}, Francesco and Julius Burkauskas and Ottavia Susini and Debora Luciani and Diego Quattrone and {De Berardis}, Domenico and Mauro Pettorruso and Giuseppe Maina and {Di Giannantonio}, Massimo",

note = "Funding Information: Conflicts of Interest: G.M. (Giovanni Martinotti): has been a consultant and/or a speaker and/or has received research grants from Angelini, Doc Generici, Janssen-Cilag, Lundbeck, Otsuka, Pfizer, Servier, Recordati. V.R., F.C., S.C., F.D.C., O.S., D.Q., D.D.B., G.M. (Giuseppe Maina), M.P.: nothing to be declared. M.D.G.: has been a consultant and/or a speaker and/or has received research grants from Angelini, Janssen-Cilag, Lundbeck, Otsuka, Pfizer, Servier, Recordati. In the past several years J.B. has been working as a consultant at Cogstate, Ltd. These did not influence the present study and its results in any way. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.",

year = "2021",

month = dec,

day = "1",

doi = "10.3390/ijerph182312632",

language = "English",

volume = "18",

journal = "International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health",

issn = "1661-7827",

publisher = "Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)",

number = "23",

}

Ricci, V, Martinotti, G, Ceci, F, Chiappini, S, Di Carlo, F, Burkauskas, J, Susini, O, Luciani, D, Quattrone, D, De Berardis, D, Pettorruso, M, Maina, G & Di Giannantonio, M 2021, 'Duration of untreated disorder and cannabis use: An observational study on a cohort of young italian patients experiencing psychotic experiences and dissociative symptoms', International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, vol. 18, no. 23, 12632. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182312632

Duration of untreated disorder and cannabis use: An observational study on a cohort of young italian patients experiencing psychotic experiences and dissociative symptoms. / Ricci, Valerio; Martinotti, Giovanni; Ceci, Franca et al.
In: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Vol. 18, No. 23, 12632, 01.12.2021.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - Duration of untreated disorder and cannabis use

T2 - An observational study on a cohort of young italian patients experiencing psychotic experiences and dissociative symptoms

AU - Ricci, Valerio

AU - Martinotti, Giovanni

AU - Ceci, Franca

AU - Chiappini, Stefania

AU - Di Carlo, Francesco

AU - Burkauskas, Julius

AU - Susini, Ottavia

AU - Luciani, Debora

AU - Quattrone, Diego

AU - De Berardis, Domenico

AU - Pettorruso, Mauro

AU - Maina, Giuseppe

AU - Di Giannantonio, Massimo

N1 - Funding Information: Conflicts of Interest: G.M. (Giovanni Martinotti): has been a consultant and/or a speaker and/or has received research grants from Angelini, Doc Generici, Janssen-Cilag, Lundbeck, Otsuka, Pfizer, Servier, Recordati. V.R., F.C., S.C., F.D.C., O.S., D.Q., D.D.B., G.M. (Giuseppe Maina), M.P.: nothing to be declared. M.D.G.: has been a consultant and/or a speaker and/or has received research grants from Angelini, Janssen-Cilag, Lundbeck, Otsuka, Pfizer, Servier, Recordati. In the past several years J.B. has been working as a consultant at Cogstate, Ltd. These did not influence the present study and its results in any way. Publisher Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.

PY - 2021/12/1

Y1 - 2021/12/1

N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

KW - Cannabis

KW - Dissociation

KW - DUP

KW - First-episode psychosis

KW - Schizophrenia

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85120160459&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.3390/ijerph182312632

DO - 10.3390/ijerph182312632

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85120160459

SN - 1661-7827

VL - 18

JO - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

JF - International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

IS - 23

M1 - 12632

ER -

Ricci V, Martinotti G, Ceci F, Chiappini S, Di Carlo F, Burkauskas J et al. Duration of untreated disorder and cannabis use: An observational study on a cohort of young italian patients experiencing psychotic experiences and dissociative symptoms. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2021 Dec 1;18(23):12632. Epub 2021 Nov 30. doi: 10.3390/ijerph182312632

Duration of untreated disorder and cannabis use: An observational study on a cohort of young italian patients experiencing psychotic experiences and dissociative symptoms

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this