Exploring the relationship between recency and frequency of cannabis use and diminished expression and apathy as two dimensions of negative symptoms in first episode psychosis. A one-year follow-up study

The association between cannabis use and negative symptoms remains unclear because of inconsistent results in existing studies. In this study we aimed to investigate the association between different aspects of cannabis use and 1) diminished expression and 2) apathy as a two-dimensional model of negative symptoms in a sample of 460 participants with first-episode psychosis. Data were collected on relevant clinical and demographic factors including diagnostics and habits of drug use at baseline, with a follow-up assessment after 12-months. We found an association between the frequency of cannabis use two years prior to baseline and the severity of diminished expression and apathy at baseline, while only the association to diminished expression held after controlling for potential clinical and demographic confounders. Frequency of cannabis use at baseline also had a significant effect on the development of diminished expression over the 12-month follow-up period. In conclusion, this study suggests that the frequency of cannabis use contributes to the severity of diminished expression at baseline, and to the progression of diminished expression after 12-months follow-up. Our findings also imply a dose-response relationship between frequency of use and severity of symptoms and add evidence to an association between cannabis use and negative symptoms.