Cannabis-related psychiatric disorders matched schizophrenia as the top reason for psychiatric hospitalization in South Africa
Cannabis-related psychiatric disorders accounted for 31.6% of psychiatric admissions at a South African mental health unit, equal to schizophrenia, making it the joint leading diagnosis.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Schizophrenia (31.6%) and cannabis-related psychiatric disorders (31.6%) were tied as the most common reasons for psychiatric hospitalization, followed by bipolar type-1 disorder (21.9%) and alcohol-related disorders (15.5%). Most patients were male, single, and admitted involuntarily.
Key Numbers
186 patients with complete data; 58% male; 38% psychotic, 31% violent at admission; cannabis disorders 31.6% = schizophrenia 31.6% > bipolar 21.9% > alcohol 15.5%. Most (72.6%) were single; 45.7% had secondary education.
How They Did This
Retrospective cross-sectional audit of 186 psychiatric in-patient medical records at the East London Mental Health Unit, Eastern Cape, South Africa (January-December 2016).
Why This Research Matters
In a resource-limited setting where psychiatric beds are scarce, cannabis-related disorders consuming nearly a third of inpatient capacity has major implications for mental health service planning.
The Bigger Picture
While cannabis-related psychiatric admissions are documented globally, the equal prevalence with schizophrenia in this South African setting is striking and may reflect both high cannabis potency in the region and limited outpatient mental health resources.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Single-center study in one region of South Africa. Retrospective design relying on medical records. Cannot distinguish cannabis as cause versus co-occurring factor. Small sample (186).
Questions This Raises
- ?What proportion of the cannabis-related admissions had underlying psychotic disorders that were unmasked by cannabis?
- ?Are cannabis-related psychiatric admissions increasing in this region?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 31.6% of psychiatric admissions
- Evidence Grade:
- Moderate: systematic chart review but single-center and retrospective.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2019.
- Original Title:
- Demographic and clinical profiles of admitted psychiatric patients of the East London Mental Health Unit in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.
- Published In:
- Medicine, 98(52), e18399 (2019)
- Database ID:
- RTHC-02152
Evidence Hierarchy
Looks back at existing records to find patterns.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
How common are cannabis-related psychiatric hospitalizations?
In this South African mental health unit, cannabis-related disorders were responsible for 31.6% of all psychiatric admissions, equal to schizophrenia.
Does cannabis cause psychiatric hospitalization?
This study found cannabis-related disorders were a leading reason for admission, but the retrospective design cannot determine whether cannabis caused the disorders or triggered underlying vulnerability.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-02152APA
Madala-Witbooi, Nombulelo J; Adeniyi, Oladele Vincent. (2019). Demographic and clinical profiles of admitted psychiatric patients of the East London Mental Health Unit in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.. Medicine, 98(52), e18399. https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000018399
MLA
Madala-Witbooi, Nombulelo J, et al. "Demographic and clinical profiles of admitted psychiatric patients of the East London Mental Health Unit in the Eastern Cape, South Africa.." Medicine, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1097/MD.0000000000018399
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Demographic and clinical profiles of admitted psychiatric pa..." RTHC-02152. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/madala-witbooi-2019-demographic-and-clinical-profiles
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.