Citation

Smit F, Bolier L, Cuijpers P. Addiction 2004; 99(4): 425-430.

Affiliation

Trimbos Institute, Netherlands Institute of Mental Health and Addiction, Utrecht, the Netherlands. fsmit@trimbos.nl

Comment In:

Addiction 2004;.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2004, John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

10.1111/j.1360-0443.2004.00683.x

PMID

15049742

Abstract

AIM: To study the role of cannabis use in the onset of symptoms and disorders in the schizophrenia spectrum. DESIGN: Review of five population-based, longitudinal studies on the relationship between cannabis use and problems ranging from the experience of psychotic symptoms to hospitalization with a confirmed diagnosis of schizophrenia. Several hypotheses are examined that may explain this relationship: (1) self-medication; (2) effects of other drugs; (3) confounding; (4) stronger effect in predisposed people, and (5) etiological hypothesis. FINDINGS: Hypotheses 1 and 2 can be dismissed; hypothesis 3 is still open to debate, and converging evidence is found for hypotheses 4 and 5-antecedent cannabis use appears to act as a risk factor in the onset of schizophrenia, especially in vulnerable people, but also in people without prior history. CONCLUSION: There is an intrinsic message here for public health, but how that message is to be translated into action is not immediately clear.

Language: en