Quantifying the Clinical Significance of Cannabis Withdrawal

Allsop, DJ; Copeland, J; Norberg, MM; Fu, S; Molnar, A; Lewis, J; Budney, AJ

Quantifying the Clinical Significance of Cannabis Withdrawal

Allsop, DJ Copeland, J Norberg, MM Fu, S

Molnar, A Lewis, J Budney, AJ

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Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: PLoS ONE, 2012, 7 (9)
Issue Date:: 2012-09-26

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Allsop, DJ	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Copeland, J	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Norberg, MM	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Fu, S https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6238-3612	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Molnar, A	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Lewis, J	en_US
dc.contributor.author	Budney, AJ	en_US
dc.date.available	2012-08-09	en_US
dc.date.issued	2012-09-26	en_US
dc.identifier.citation	PLoS ONE, 2012, 7 (9)	en_US
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/29615
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/36287
dc.description.abstract	Background and Aims: Questions over the clinical significance of cannabis withdrawal have hindered its inclusion as a discrete cannabis induced psychiatric condition in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV). This study aims to quantify functional impairment to normal daily activities from cannabis withdrawal, and looks at the factors predicting functional impairment. In addition the study tests the influence of functional impairment from cannabis withdrawal on cannabis use during and after an abstinence attempt. Methods and Results: A volunteer sample of 49 non-treatment seeking cannabis users who met DSM-IV criteria for dependence provided daily withdrawal-related functional impairment scores during a one-week baseline phase and two weeks of monitored abstinence from cannabis with a one month follow up. Functional impairment from withdrawal symptoms was strongly associated with symptom severity (p = 0.0001). Participants with more severe cannabis dependence before the abstinence attempt reported greater functional impairment from cannabis withdrawal (p = 0.03). Relapse to cannabis use during the abstinence period was associated with greater functional impairment from a subset of withdrawal symptoms in high dependence users. Higher levels of functional impairment during the abstinence attempt predicted higher levels of cannabis use at one month follow up (p = 0.001). Conclusions: Cannabis withdrawal is clinically significant because it is associated with functional impairment to normal daily activities, as well as relapse to cannabis use. Sample size in the relapse group was small and the use of a non-treatment seeking population requires findings to be replicated in clinical samples. Tailoring treatments to target withdrawal symptoms contributing to functional impairment during a quit attempt may improve treatment outcomes. © 2012 Allsop et al.	en_US
dc.relation.ispartof	PLoS ONE	en_US
dc.relation.isbasedon	10.1371/journal.pone.0044864	en_US
dc.subject.classification	General Science & Technology	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Humans	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Cannabis	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Marijuana Abuse	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Substance Withdrawal Syndrome	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Recurrence	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Severity of Illness Index	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Research Design	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Adolescent	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Adult	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Middle Aged	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Female	en_US
dc.subject.mesh	Male	en_US
dc.title	Quantifying the Clinical Significance of Cannabis Withdrawal	en_US
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	9	en_US
utslib.citation.volume	7	en_US
utslib.for	1103 Clinical Sciences	en_US
utslib.for	1115 Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences	en_US
utslib.for	039902 Forensic Chemistry	en_US
pubs.embargo.period	Not known	en_US
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Science/School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - CCET - Centre for Clean Energy Technology
pubs.organisational-group	/University of Technology Sydney/Strength - CFS - Centre for Forensic Science
utslib.copyright.status	open_access
pubs.issue	9	en_US
pubs.publication-status	Published	en_US
pubs.volume	7	en_US

Abstract:

Background and Aims: Questions over the clinical significance of cannabis withdrawal have hindered its inclusion as a discrete cannabis induced psychiatric condition in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM IV). This study aims to quantify functional impairment to normal daily activities from cannabis withdrawal, and looks at the factors predicting functional impairment. In addition the study tests the influence of functional impairment from cannabis withdrawal on cannabis use during and after an abstinence attempt. Methods and Results: A volunteer sample of 49 non-treatment seeking cannabis users who met DSM-IV criteria for dependence provided daily withdrawal-related functional impairment scores during a one-week baseline phase and two weeks of monitored abstinence from cannabis with a one month follow up. Functional impairment from withdrawal symptoms was strongly associated with symptom severity (p = 0.0001). Participants with more severe cannabis dependence before the abstinence attempt reported greater functional impairment from cannabis withdrawal (p = 0.03). Relapse to cannabis use during the abstinence period was associated with greater functional impairment from a subset of withdrawal symptoms in high dependence users. Higher levels of functional impairment during the abstinence attempt predicted higher levels of cannabis use at one month follow up (p = 0.001). Conclusions: Cannabis withdrawal is clinically significant because it is associated with functional impairment to normal daily activities, as well as relapse to cannabis use. Sample size in the relapse group was small and the use of a non-treatment seeking population requires findings to be replicated in clinical samples. Tailoring treatments to target withdrawal symptoms contributing to functional impairment during a quit attempt may improve treatment outcomes. © 2012 Allsop et al.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/29615