Advances in Psychiatric Treatment (2008) 14: 423-431. doi: 10.1192/apt.bp.105.002006
© 2008 The Royal College of Psychiatrists
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Submit an eLetter
Right arrow View responses
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Right arrow Citing Articles via Scopus
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Atakan, Z.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow Articles by Atakan, Z.

Cannabis use by people with severe mental illness – is it important?

Zerrin Atakan

Zerrin Atakan worked as the lead consultant in the National Psychosis Unit at the Maudsley & Bethlem Royal Hospitals in London until August 2007, when she retired from NHS duties. She currently holds an honorary contract at the Institute of Psychiatry (De Crespigny Park, London SE5 8AF, UK; email: Zerrin.Atakan{at}iop.kcl.ac.uk), where she is doing research on the effects of cannabis compounds on brain functioning and development of an intervention model for cannabis-using patients with psychosis. As a consultant psychiatrist she gained extensive expertise treating severe mental illness. She has advised the Home Office, voluntary mental health organisations and local councils on cannabis use, and written for cannabis websites to inform young people about the effects of the drug on mental health.

Cannabis use is more common among people with severe mental illness than in the general population. It has detrimental effects on the course of the illness, physical health and social life of users, as well as being a financial burden on health services. It is important to understand why some people with severe mental illness continue to use cannabis, despite experiencing its effects on their condition. This article reviews research on the scale of cannabis use by such patients, the effects on the course of their illness, possible reasons to explain why they use it, and how they can be assessed in clinical settings, as well as providing some assessment tools to measure various characteristics related to cannabis use.




eLetters:

Read all eLetters

Cannabis may interfere with DHEA.
James M. Howard
Advances Online, 5 Jan 2009 [Full text]