Università degli studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia

Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia
Corso di laurea in infermieristica - Sede di Modena

Abstract

The use of cannabis, the most widespread substance of abuse in the world, is significantly higher in people with psychiatric disorders than in general population. Recently, most studies showed that cannabis use can worse pre-existing psychotic symptoms and/or accelerate the onset of psychotic disorders. Hypothesises on the possible beneficial or harmful effects of cannabis are still very controversial. Legislation regarding the recreational use of cannabis also varies from country to country. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical and assistance issues in a group of patients with cannabis use associated with mental disorders, admitted to the Modena Center SPDC from the 1-10-2010 to 31-12-2015 and sent to the community outpatient services of Mental Health Department and Pathological Addictions of Az.USL in Modena. The following characteristics were analysed in the follow-up period from psychiatric hospitalization to date: treatment and drop-out period, psychiatric hospitalizations, therapeutic treatments and rehabilitation programs, nursing care needs, bio-psycho-social complications. Our study confirmed the recent increased use of cannabis, especially among male patients, and highlighted the frequent association between cannabis use and schizophrenia, showing significant gender differences related to greater severity and chronicity in male gender. Our patients required complex therapeutic and rehabilitative treatments, showing poor therapeutic adherence and frequent bio-psycho-social complications. This co-morbidity, not very responsive to the therapeutic and rehabilitative programs, represents a significant clinical and assistance burden for hospital and territorial services and for nurses, who have to meet many different and changing care needs a complex pathology.