Open AccessCannabis-induced psychosis or Cannabis-associated psychosis: Diagnostically no clear winner
Author(s) -
Srinivas Rajkumar,
Yatan Pal Singh Balhara,
Siddharth Sarkar
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
journal of mental health and human behaviour/journal of mental health and human behaviour
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2543-1897
pISSN - 0971-8990
DOI - 10.4103/0971-8990.182094
Subject(s) - cannabis , psychosis , psychiatry , schizophrenia (object oriented programming) , antipsychotic , psychology , medicine , clinical psychology
Cannabis is the most commonly used illicit drug worldwide including India. The role of Cannabis in the causation of psychiatric disorders, especially psychosis remains debatable. Cannabis use has been reported to present with symptoms similar to those of schizophrenia and bipolar affective disorder. The distinction between Cannabis-induced psychoses and primary psychotic disorder is important from management perspective as it would determine the need and duration of antipsychotic medications, as well as relative focus on the management of substance use. At times, however, such a distinction may be difficult to make. We present a case where we were faced with difficulty labeling the origin of psychotic symptoms in a patient who was otherwise a heavy user of Cannabis. Management options considered in the presence of insoluble diagnostic problem have also been discussed