Abstract
ObjectiveChronic use of synthetic cannabinoids (SCs) has been associated with a wide range of negative consequences for health including psychotic and affective disturbances. Accumulating evidence indicates that cannabinoids use may be a risk factor for schizophrenia, and chronic natural cannabis users score higher than non-users on measures of schizotypal personality traits. However, little is known regarding the personality characteristics of SC users, especially in comparison with recreational cannabis users and healthy individuals. This study aimed to examine the differences in personality characteristics and schizotypy between SC users, regular cannabis users, and non-users and to compare these measures between groups.MethodsForty-two chronic SC users, 39 natural cannabis users, and 47 non-using control participants, without history of mental disorder, or current substance use diagnosis (mean age 26± 4.47 years; 23 females, 105 males), completed the Big-Five Factor Inventory (BFI), the Schizotypal Personality Questionnaire-Brief (SPQ-B), substance use history, rating scales of depression and anxiety, and a demographic questionnaire.ResultsOn the BFI, SC users scored higher than natural cannabis users and non-users on neuroticism, but lower on agreeableness and extraversion, and endorsed greater schizotypal symptoms on the SPQ-B. In addition, SC users had lower scores on conscientiousness than non-users, and natural cannabis users were more extroverted than non-users. Higher openness and lower conscientiousness predicted schizotypy for both SC and natural cannabis users. Finally, greater neuroticism predicted schizotypy for natural cannabis users, and introversion predicted schizotypy for non-users.ConclusionsThese results show that chronic SC users differ from natural cannabis users and non-users on dimensions of specific personality traits and schizotypy that may indicate psychotic proneness.
Highlights
EpidemiologyCannabis is the most popular recreational psychoactive substance following tobacco and alcohol [1]
synthetic cannabinoids (SCs) users have consumed more tobacco cigarettes per day than either non-users and natural cannabis users SC users had used cannabinoid-based drugs at an early age than natural cannabis users In addition, SC users have scored higher on the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) than non-users and natural cannabis users but there were no differences in BDI scores between natural cannabis and non-user groups SC users had higher scores on STAI Trait and State scales compared to natural cannabis users and non-users
There were no differences in STAI State and Trait scores between natural cannabis users and non-users
Summary
EpidemiologyCannabis is the most popular recreational psychoactive substance following tobacco and alcohol [1]. A new type of cannabinoid-based drugs has started to be consumed recreationally among drug users across the globe [5, 6] These new cannabinoid-based drugs classified as novel psychoactive substances (NPS) and are composed a high concentration of SCs [7,8,9,10]. Since the beginning the current decade, the existence of more than a hundred different types of SCs were documented by the European Union Early Warning System These drugs are mainly sold online as a “legal” alternative to controlled and regulated psychoactive substances. They appear to have a life cycle of about few years before being replaced by a generation of products. Regulation controlling these NPS has been introduced in several states in order to limit the spread of existing drugs and control potential new analogs [16]
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