Research Note: Adolescents’ Perception of Psychosis Risk Following Cannabis Consumption

Abstract

Cannabis consumption during adolescence has been associated with the onset of psychosis. In 2010, we examined adolescents’ perception of this association. Adolescents (N = 583) from four Romanian urban high schools filled in psychosis proneness scales according to the risk they assigned to hypothetical adolescents described in vignettes. Target adolescent's frequency and age of first consumption were manipulated. Analysis of variance indicated a main effect of target's consumption frequency, but no effect of age of first consumption on psychosis risk perception. Participants’ own consumption status acted as moderator. Results highlight the discrepancy between clinical research results and adolescents’ perception of psychosis risk. The study's limitations are noted.

RÉSUMÉ

La perception des adolescents du risque des psychoses après la consommation de cannabis

La consommation de cannabis pendant l'adolescence a été associe avec le début des psychoses. Dans l'année 2010, nous avons fait une étude sur les adolescents en ce qui regarde la perception de cette association. Des adolescents (No. = 583) de quatre lycées urbaines roumaines ont complété des échelles de prédisposition aux psychoses selon le risque attribué aux adolescents hypothétiques décrits dans les vignettes. La fréquence de consommation et l’âge de la première consommation de l'adolescent cible ont été manipulés. L'analyse de la variance a indiqué un effet principal de la fréquence de consommation de la personne cible, mais aucun effet de l’âge de la première consommation sur la perception du risque de développer des psychoses. Le statut de la consommation des participants a agi comme un médiateur. Les résultats mettent en évidence l’écart entre les résultats des recherches cliniques et la perception des adolescents en ce qui regarde le risque des psychoses. Les limites de l’étude sont notées.

RESUMEN

La percepción de los adolescentes sobre el riesgo de psicosis después el consumo de cannabis

El consumo de cannabis en la adolescencia se ha asociado con el desarrollo de las psicosis. En 2010, examinamos la percepción de los adolescentes sobre esta asociación. Los adolescentes (N = 583) de cuatro colegios urbanos de Rumanía completaron escalas de predisposición hacia psicosis conforme con el riesgo atribuido a los adolescentes hipotéticos descritos en las viñetas. La frecuencia del consumo y la edad del primer consumo del adolescente blanco fueron manipuladas. El análisis de varianza indicó un efecto principal de la frecuencia de consumo del adolescente blanco, pero ningún efecto de la edad del primer consumo sobre la percepción del riesgo de desarrollar psicosis. El estatus del propio consumo de los participantes actuó como moderador. Los resultados destacan la discrepancia entre los resultados de las investigaciones clínicas y la percepción de los adolescentes sobre el riesgo de psicosis. Los límites del estudio están apuntados.

Keywords :

• risk perception
• cannabis
• psychosis
• adolescent

THE AUTHORS

Andreea Mihaela Mihalca is a Ph.D. candidate at the Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Cracow, Poland. Her research interests encompass issues related to the psychological impact of chronic diseases with emphasis on children's social and emotional adjustment, coping, and personality.

Loredana Ruxandra Gherasim, Ph.D., is a lecturer at the Department of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, Romania. Her research focuses on attributions, academic motivation, social support, and stereotype threats. She has authored over 20 scholarly publications.

Laura Alexandra Chendran, M.A., is a psychologist at the Police Constables School “Septimiu Muresan,” Cluj Napoca, Romania. Her research interests include stress management and adolescents risk perception related to substance use.

GLOSSARY

• Affective flattening/Constricted affect: Decreased intensity of emotions.

• Body-image aberration: Distorted perception of size, shape, border, or ownership of one's own body.

• Delusion: False belief, resistant to logical arguments, of whose incoherence the individual is unaware. There are various types of delusions, depending on the belief's theme (e.g., suspiciousness, ideas of references).

• Disorganized/Odd behavior: Behavior not corresponding to social norms or without aim; it impairs a person's normal functioning.

• Disorganized/ Odd thought: Formal thought disorder characterized by incoherent language.

• Hallucination: Perception of an object that does not exist. There are various types of hallucinations, depending on the sensorial organ with which they are perceived (e.g., visual, auditory, olfactory).

• Hyperesthesia: Heightened perception of the characteristics of an object.

• Ideas of references: Belief that the environment contains messages with specific reference to oneself.

• Magical ideation: Belief in a causal relationship between events where there is no such relationship and which, according to conventional cultural standards, is considered invalid and magical.

• Psychosis: Generic psychiatric term describing mental disorders characterized by loss of contact with reality. The most common psychotic symptoms are delusions, hallucinations, affective flattening, social withdrawal, disorganized behavior, and disorganized thought.

• Risk perception: (In the field of substance use) The subjective perception of the negative effects produced by drug consumption.

• Social anhedonia: Decreased level of pleasure obtained from social interactions.

• Social withdrawal: Retreat and refusal of or lack of interest in social interactions.

• Suspiciousness: Belief that one is followed, persecuted, or conspired against.