Premium
Cannabis use and vulnerability for psychosis in early adolescence—a TRAILS study
Author(s) -
GriffithLendering Merel F. H.,
Wigman Johanna T. W.,
Prince van Leeuwen Andrea,
Huijbregts Stephan C. J.,
Huizink Anja C.,
Ormel Johan,
Verhulst Frank C.,
Os Jim,
Swaab Hanna,
Vollebergh Wilma A. M.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
addiction
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.424
H-Index - 193
eISSN - 1360-0443
pISSN - 0965-2140
DOI - 10.1111/add.12050
Subject(s) - cannabis , psychosis , psychology , vulnerability (computing) , psychopathology , psychiatry , young adult , population , clinical psychology , developmental psychology , medicine , environmental health , computer security , computer science
Aims To examine the direction of the longitudinal association between vulnerability for psychosis and cannabis use throughout adolescence. Design Cross‐lagged path analysis was used to identify the temporal order of vulnerability for psychosis and cannabis use, while controlling for gender, family psychopathology, alcohol use and tobacco use. Setting A large prospective population study of D utch adolescents [the TR acking A dolescents' I ndividual L ives S urvey ( TRAILS ) study]. Participants A total of 2120 adolescents with assessments at (mean) age 13.6, age 16.3 and age 19.1. Measurements Vulnerability for psychosis at the three assessment points was represented by latent factors derived from scores on three scales of the Y outh S elf‐ R eport and the A dult S elf‐ R eport, i.e. thought problems, social problems and attention problems. Participants self‐reported on cannabis use during the past year at all three waves. Findings Significant associations ( r = 0.12–0.23) were observed between psychosis vulnerability and cannabis use at all assessments. Also, cannabis use at age 16 predicted psychosis vulnerability at age 19 ( Z = 2.6, P < 0.05). Furthermore, psychosis vulnerability at ages 13 ( Z = 2.0, P < 0.05) and 16 ( Z = 3.0, P < 0.05) predicted cannabis use at, respectively, ages 16 and 19. Conclusions Cannabis use predicts psychosis vulnerability in adolescents and vice versa, which suggests that there is a bidirectional causal association between the two.