Use of illicit substances and violent behaviour in psychotic disorders: two nationwide case-control studies and meta-analyses
Psychological Medicine August 29, 2019 Jelle Lamsma, Wiepke Cahn, Seena Fazel et al. 48 citations
In people with psychotic disorders, daily use of cannabis, stimulants, and depressants significantly increases the odds of violent behavior, as does nondaily use of stimulants and hallucinogens. Daily cannabis use was associated with 1.6 times higher odds of violence, daily stimulant use with 2.8 times higher odds, and daily depressant use with 2.2 times higher odds. Nondaily stimulant use raised odds by 1.6 times, and nondaily hallucinogen use by 1.5 times. Daily hallucinogen use, analyzed only in the UK sample, increased odds 3.3-fold. The findings suggest that any substance use, not just daily use, should be targeted to prevent violence in this population.