Cannabis, Migration, and Psychosis Onset

The term "Psychosis," from Greek ψ (psyche), "mind/soul," and -ζ (-osis), "abnormal condition or derangement," indicates a mental state characterized by a set of positive and negative "psychotic" symptoms. Psychotic disorders have a multifactorial etiology. Many epidemiological studies have reported how rates of substance misuse, especially cannabis, are consistently higher in first episode psychosis patients. Another very important predictor of psychosis is migration history. It has been widely replicated that rates of schizophrenia are higher among migrant and ethnic minority groups. Little is known on the association between these two risk factors in the development of new-onset psychosis. One of the studies conducted so far have associated the use of cannabis to a greater risk of developing psychotic disorders for the second generation of migrants, but not with the first generation. Further studies are needed to emit light on the correlation of these two risk factors on the development of psychotic disorders.