Substance-induced psychoses: a critical review of the literature.

Substance-induced psychoses: a critical review of the literature. Curr Drug Abuse Rev. 2011 Dec;4(4):228-40 Authors: Fiorentini A, Volonteri LS, Dragogna F, Rovera C, Maffini M, Mauri MC, Altamura CA Abstract Substances with psychotomimetic properties such as cocaine, amphetamines, hallucinogens and cannabis are widespread, and their use or abuse can provoke psychotic reactions resembling a primary psychotic disease. The recent escalating use of methamphetamine throughout the world and its association with psychotic symptoms in regular users has fuelled concerns. The use of cannabis and cocaine by young people has considerably increased over recent years, and age at first use has dramatically decreased. There is some evidence that cannabis is now on the market in a more potent form than in previous decades. Furthermore, a large number of studies have reported a link between adolescent cannabis use and the development of stable psychosis in early adulthood. The situation is further complicated by the high rates of concomitant substance use by subjects with a psychotic illness which, especially in young users with an early-phase psychotic disorder, can make diagnosis difficult. This paper reviews the literature concerning the properties of psychotogenic substances and the psychotic symptoms they can give rise to, and discusses the association between substance abuse and psychosis with particular emphasis on the differential diagnosis o...
Source: Current Drug Abuse Reviews - Category: Addiction Tags: Curr Drug Abuse Rev Source Type: research