A Clinical Study of Comorbidity Between Cannabis use Disorder with Some Psychiatric Disorders

Authors

1 Neuropsychiatry Department; Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt.

2 Neuropsychiatry Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt.

3 Public Health Department, Faculty of Medicine, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt.

Abstract

Background
There is a wide range of unpleasant symptoms linked with cannabis use among those with a mental diagnosis or who are at risk of getting one.
Aims
Determine patterns of cannabis use such as age of onset, dose, duration, frequency and motive for initiation of cannabis use, psychiatric comorbidity presents in subjects with cannabis use disorders and common risk factors for mental co-morbidity in subjects with cannabis use disorder.
Material and Methods
This cross-sectional research enrolled 120 participants aged from 18 to 50 years old, meet the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM-5) criteria of Cannabis use disorder. Subjects were classified into two groups: subjects having comorbid axis I psychiatric disorder (G1; n= 76) and subjects without comorbid axis I psychiatric disorder (G2; n= 44).
Results
There were statistically significant relationships between both groups regarding younger age, single marital status, the family history of alcohol abuse and the higher affection in psychological and social dimensions of Addiction Severity Index Scale, pattern of the use of cannabis (p <0.05).
Conclusions
Individuals with cannabis use disorders are at greater risk for possessing a comorbid psychiatric use disorder, and conversely. Young age, being single, having low social class, illiteracy and affection of family, social, legal and psychiatric dimensions in addiction severity index scale were risk factors for comorbid psychiatric disorders.

Keywords