68% of Psychiatric Patients with Psychotic Disorders in Greenland Had Harmful Cannabis Use
Among 104 patients with psychotic disorders in Nuuk, Greenland, 68% had harmful cannabis use and over 80% were daily smokers.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
In 104 patients with psychotic disorders in Nuuk, 68% had harmful cannabis use, 80%+ were daily smokers, 50%+ had dyslipidemia, 25%+ obese, 18% hypertension, 6% diabetes.
Key Numbers
104 patients (68 males, 36 females); mean age 40; 68% harmful cannabis use; 80%+ daily smokers
How They Did This
Retrospective analysis of Greenland's nationwide electronic medical records for 104 patients with psychotic disorders.
Why This Research Matters
Strikingly high cannabis use rates among psychotic disorder patients in an Arctic indigenous population with limited healthcare resources.
The Bigger Picture
Rare documentation of cannabis-psychosis associations in an Arctic indigenous population.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Small sample from single city. Cross-sectional. Limited generalizability.
Questions This Raises
- ?Does high cannabis use worsen psychotic symptom management?
- ?What culturally appropriate interventions might help?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 68% of psychotic disorder patients had harmful cannabis use
- Evidence Grade:
- Small descriptive study from a single city.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2024.
- Original Title:
- Substance use and lifestyle risk factors for somatic disorders among psychiatric patients in Greenland.
- Published In:
- International journal of circumpolar health, 83(1), 2421049 (2024)
- Authors:
- Nielsen, Ida Margrethe, Sørensen, Lisbeth Uhrskov, Wichmand, Søren, Heilmann, Parnûna, Pedersen, Michael Lynge
- Database ID:
- RTHC-05594
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Why is this notable?
It documents exceptionally high cannabis use (68%) among psychotic disorder patients in a rarely studied population.
Does cannabis cause psychotic disorders?
The study cannot determine causation. The relationship is complex and likely bidirectional.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-05594APA
Nielsen, Ida Margrethe; Sørensen, Lisbeth Uhrskov; Wichmand, Søren; Heilmann, Parnûna; Pedersen, Michael Lynge. (2024). Substance use and lifestyle risk factors for somatic disorders among psychiatric patients in Greenland.. International journal of circumpolar health, 83(1), 2421049. https://doi.org/10.1080/22423982.2024.2421049
MLA
Nielsen, Ida Margrethe, et al. "Substance use and lifestyle risk factors for somatic disorders among psychiatric patients in Greenland.." International journal of circumpolar health, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1080/22423982.2024.2421049
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Substance use and lifestyle risk factors for somatic disorde..." RTHC-05594. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/nielsen-2024-substance-use-and-lifestyle
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.