Cannabis use before psychiatric hospitalization was common among psychosis patients
Among 106 psychiatric inpatients, 25.5% used cannabis the week before admission, with psychotic disorder patients showing the highest use prevalence and symptom severity.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Cannabis use the week before psychiatric admission (25.5% prevalence) showed a weak positive correlation with symptom severity (rs=0.28, p=0.03) in bivariate analysis, but was not an independent predictor in multivariate models. Psychotic disorder diagnosis and need for emergency antipsychotics/benzodiazepines were the significant predictors of severity.
Key Numbers
106 inpatients; 25.5% used cannabis before admission; mean BPRS 55.8 overall, 62.9 among cannabis users; weak correlation rs=0.28 between SJU and BPRS.
How They Did This
Cross-sectional study of 106 acute psychiatric inpatients, measuring cannabis use in Standard Joint Units (SJU) the week before admission and symptom severity via Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS).
Why This Research Matters
Understanding the relationship between pre-admission cannabis use and psychiatric symptom severity helps clinicians assess risk and tailor treatment, particularly for psychosis patients.
The Bigger Picture
The study found that having a psychotic disorder, not cannabis use per se, was the main driver of symptom severity. Cannabis use may be a marker for psychosis risk rather than an independent cause of worse acute symptoms.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Small single-center sample; cross-sectional design; self-reported cannabis use; Standard Joint Units may not capture all forms of consumption; 25.5% prevalence may underestimate use.
Questions This Raises
- ?Does reducing cannabis use before hospitalization improve acute outcomes?
- ?Would results differ in a larger, multi-center sample?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 25.5% used cannabis before admission; psychosis diagnosis was the main severity predictor
- Evidence Grade:
- Preliminary: small single-center cross-sectional study with self-reported cannabis use.
- Study Age:
- Published 2020.
- Original Title:
- Cannabis use the week before admission to psychiatric in-patient service as a marker of severity.
- Published In:
- Journal of psychiatric research, 129, 40-46 (2020)
- Authors:
- Madero, S, Oliveras, C, Pons, M T, Sague, M, López-Pelayo, H, Gual, A, Balcells, M
- Database ID:
- RTHC-02704
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Does cannabis use before hospitalization make psychiatric symptoms worse?
There was a weak correlation between cannabis amount and symptom severity, but in the full statistical model, having a psychotic disorder was the main predictor, not cannabis use itself.
How common is cannabis use among psychiatric inpatients?
In this study, 25.5% of acute psychiatric inpatients had used cannabis the week before admission, with higher rates among those with psychotic disorders.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-02704APA
Madero, S; Oliveras, C; Pons, M T; Sague, M; López-Pelayo, H; Gual, A; Balcells, M. (2020). Cannabis use the week before admission to psychiatric in-patient service as a marker of severity.. Journal of psychiatric research, 129, 40-46. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2020.05.028
MLA
Madero, S, et al. "Cannabis use the week before admission to psychiatric in-patient service as a marker of severity.." Journal of psychiatric research, 2020. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2020.05.028
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Cannabis use the week before admission to psychiatric in-pat..." RTHC-02704. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/madero-2020-cannabis-use-the-week
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.