Cognitive Model of Cannabis Related Paranoia
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A Cognitive Behavioural Model of Cannabis Related Paranoia: Pilot Evaluation in a Clinical Sample
IRAS ID
213735
Contact name
Thomas Richardson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Solent NHS Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 8 months, 11 days
Research summary
A large body of literature has shown that cannabis increases the risk of psychosis. Specific factors such as starting use at a young age and having a history of childhood sexual abuse increases the risk of experiencing psychosis from cannabis. This study aims to test a psychological model of why cannabis use leads to paranoia and why risk factors such as these increaese the risk. One hundred and twenty NHS patients with psychosis from two NHS trusrs will be recruited and given questionnaires about paranoia, psychotic symptoms, cannabis use. They will also be given measures of psychological variables measuring how kind they are to themselves (self-compassion) how 'stuck' they get with difficult thoughts and whether they blame other people for their paranoid experiences (external attribution). This will see whether risk factors such as starting use at a young age increase paranoia via psychological mechanisms such as external attribution (blaming something other than cannabis use for unusual experiences which occur).
REC name
London - Surrey Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
16/LO/1830
Date of REC Opinion
29 Sep 2016
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion