Purpose: Patients with schizophrenia have a higher risk of cannabis use disorder and may be uniquely affected by the legalization of recreational cannabis. This study examined whether cannabis legalization led to changes in acute care utilization among patients with schizophrenia.
Method: Using linked health administrative data, we included adult patients with schizophrenia in Ontario from October 2015 to May 2021 (n = 121,061). We examined the differences in cannabis, psychosis, and mental health-related emergency department (ED) visits over three periods: pre-legalization, legalization of flowers and herbs (phase 1), and legalization of edibles, extracts, and topicals (phase 2) using interrupted time-series methods.
Results: Our study found that phase 1 was associated with decreases in cannabis-related, mental health-related, and cannabis + psychosis-related ED visits among the patients with schizophrenia. Notably, an immediate 25.8% (95% CI 13.8-37.6%) decrease in cannabis-related ED visits was observed in men, and an immediate 18.5% decrease in mental health-related ED visits (95% CI 6.0-31.2%) in women. These decreases were also shown in the comparative ITS models, demonstrating that the changes observed were distinct from trends in the general population. However, phase 2 was not associated with any significant changes.
Conclusions: Despite higher baseline rates of acute care utilization among patients with schizophrenia, cannabis legalization was associated with significant reductions, particularly during phase 1. Our findings suggest that regulatory measures accompanying legalization could enhance the quality and safety of cannabis products, potentially leading to fewer adverse health outcomes in vulnerable patient populations. Further research is needed to optimize healthcare responses for this vulnerable population.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00127-024-02773-4 | DOI Listing |
Netw Neurosci
December 2024
Tri-institute Translational Research in Neuroimaging and Data Science (TReNDS Center), Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of Technology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA.
There are a growing number of neuroimaging studies motivating joint structural and functional brain connectivity. The brain connectivity of different modalities provides an insight into brain functional organization by leveraging complementary information, especially for brain disorders such as schizophrenia. In this paper, we propose a multimodal independent component analysis (ICA) model that utilizes information from both structural and functional brain connectivity guided by spatial maps to estimate intrinsic connectivity networks (ICNs).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCureus
November 2024
Psychiatry, Al Amal Psychiatric Hospital, Emirates Health Services, Dubai, ARE.
Olanzapine, a second-generation antipsychotic widely used for schizophrenia, is primarily known for its efficacy in managing both positive and negative symptoms. While its metabolic side effects are well-documented, hematologic complications such as thrombocytopenia are rare and often underrecognized. A 30-year-old Middle Eastern male with a longstanding history of schizophrenia developed persistent thrombocytopenia after several years of olanzapine use, with platelet counts consistently below the normal range.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCureus
November 2024
Psychiatry, Maudsley Health, Al Amal Psychiatric Hospital, Dubai, ARE.
Schizophrenia is a chronic psychiatric disorder marked by severe disturbances in thought, perception, and behavior. Long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics, such as paliperidone, are widely used to promote sustained remission and ensure medication adherence, especially in patients prone to relapse. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has introduced unique challenges, with studies indicating that infections like COVID-19 may exacerbate psychiatric symptoms through neuroinflammatory pathways.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFront Psychol
December 2024
Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid, Spain.
Background: Consistent findings indicate that Theory of Mind (ToM) is impaired in schizophrenia (SZ). To investigate whether such deficits are trait- or state-dependent, we investigated if ToM is modified by clinical liability markers (such as basic symptoms and psychotic-like experiences), focusing on the analysis of unaffected siblings of individuals diagnosed with SZ.
Methods: The study included a total of 65 participants: 38 patients diagnosed with a schizophrenia-spectrum disorder and 27 healthy siblings.
Front Nutr
December 2024
Department of Gastroenterology, "Grigore T. Popa" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Iași, Romania.
Background/objectives: Schizophrenia is a complex mental disorder influenced by genetic and environmental factors, including dietary habits. Oxidative stress and inflammation play a crucial role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Emerging research suggests that diet may affect schizophrenia through different biological mechanisms beyond oxidative stress and inflammation.
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