Cannabinoid-Induced Psychosis: A Cross-Sectional Gender Study

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Neuroscience
• Addiction Medicine

Background:

• Gender significantly impacts mental illness development and presentation.
• Cannabinoid-related disorders show gender disparities, yet specific symptom differences in cannabinoid-induced psychosis are understudied.
• This research addresses gender-based variations in psychopathological domains within cannabinoid-induced psychosis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate qualitative and quantitative gender differences in psychopathological domains.
• To analyze symptom expression in cannabinoid-induced psychotic disorder stratified by gender.
• To explore gender-specific clinical profiles in the absence of psychiatric comorbidities.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 28 inpatients (14 males, 14 females) diagnosed with cannabinoid-induced psychotic disorder.
• Utilized a psychometric battery including PANSS, NDS-I, YMRS, HAM-D, HAM-A, AQ, and SSI to assess 7 psychopathological domains.
• Employed Mann-Whitney U test for statistical comparison of scores between male and female groups (p<0.05).

Main Results:

• Males displayed higher severity of psychotic symptoms (PANSS positive and general psychopathology) and aggressive behavior (p<0.001).
• Females exhibited greater dysphoria and depressive symptoms (p<0.001) and lower, though significant, anxiety symptoms (p=0.01).
• Male participants showed prominent thought disorders, while female participants displayed prominent affective disorders.

Conclusions:

• Gender significantly influences the phenomenic expression of psychiatric disorders, including cannabinoid-induced psychosis.
• Distinct clinical profiles based on gender are evident, impacting symptom presentation.
• Personalized treatment strategies informed by gender-specific profiles may enhance efficacy and accuracy in precision medicine for these disorders.