Clinical Variants of Psychopathological Disorders in Users of Synthetic Cannabinoids (Spices)

Abstract

Introduction

The problem of mental health of synthetic (“designer”) drug or “spice” users draws the increasing attention of experts of various areas in psychiatry, addiction psychiatry and psychotherapy.

Research objective To classify and describe the psychotic states arising after the use of “spice”; to define the personality changes and probable consequences of the use observed in patients in the conditions of a hospital.

Material and methods

One hundred and one patients (93 men and 8 women; mean age 27.8 ± 7.6 years) with dependence on “spice” revealed between 2014 and 2015 were examined. History taking, clinical-psychopathological investigation and experimental psychological testing were used.

Results and discussion

As a result of research the patients were divided into 5 groups according to criteria of ICD-10:

– group 1: acute intoxication with delirium (n = 16; 15.84%);

– group 2: residual and late-onset psychotic disorders like flashbacks (n = 9; 8.92%);

– group 3: withdrawal state with delirium (n = 32; 31.68%);

– group 4: psychotic disorder, mainly hallucinatory (n = 30; 29.70%);

– group 5: paranoid schizophrenia (n = 14; 13.86%).

The use of synthetic cannabinoids (“spice”) can initiate transient psychotic episodes, serve as the contributing factor of development of paranoid schizophrenia, continuous type of the course, leads to “accentuation” of schizoid, paranoid and psychopathic traits of the personality. It is proposed to make up a question of the possibility of additional use of the clarifying designation “synthetic cannabinoids/spice” at reference of patients using synthetic cannabinoids to the section of ICD-10 F12 “Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of cannabinoids” the agenda of clinicians.

Disclosure of interest

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.