Identification of the level of depressive state and evaluation of risk for suicidal behavior in patients with schizophrenia with comorbid cannabinoid dependence, having formed before the manifestation of schizophrenia

Objective: to evaluate the severity of depressive disorder and the possible risk for suicide among patients with a diagnosis of “paranoid schizophrenia” who started using cannabinoids before the manifestation of schizophrenia, with a 3-year history of the disease. Material and methods. 96 patients were enrolled in that study. Of these, two groups were formed (48 persons in each group). The main (first) group included patients with a diagnosis of “paranoid schizophrenia” who had comorbid cannabinoid dependence, with the start of cannabinoid use before the manifestation of schizophrenia, the length of the disease was at least 3 years. The control (second) group consisted of patients with a diagnosis of “paranoid schizophrenia”, without dependence on cannabinoids, whose disease length was at least 3 years. The average age of the respondents was 23.19±1.74 years. The study used a structured psychiatric interview to evaluate mental status, socio-demographic information, and a clinical follow-up method. To evaluate suicide risk, Tool for Assessment of Suicide Risk - TASR and Beck Depression Questionnaire were used. Results. The study showed that people with schizophrenia, complicated by comorbid cannabinoid dependence, are more prone to severe depressive symptoms and suicide risk.