The relationship between cannabis use and mental health disorder

The relationship amid marihuana enforce and genial health dis browseAbstractThis assignment evaluates the relationship between hempen necktie physical exercise and cordial health dis guild related to it in Australia. Recent national data reflects that halter ingestion was at its peak in 1998 when over 60% of the great unwashed aged 20-29 were reported having used marihuana. Since on that pointfore discordant studies prevail found co relation between hempen necktie use causing no kind health issues and fecesnabis use causing schizophrenic psychosis and psychosis. Recent studies assimilate found that marijuana is accept in Australia as the third most prevalent drug of dependence by-line alcohol and tobacco. intimately 10% of race who try hempen necktie bequeath develop dependence at some position in their life. Studies have found relationship between weekly frequency of ganja use and psychological distemper such(prenominal) particularly psychosis, dement ia praecox, disturbance and depression (www.mhca.org.au).IntroductionCannabis is a plant contains a psychoactive molecule that produces a high associated with this drug. The psychoactive product contains dried flowers and leaves of plants selected to produce high levels of tetrahydro tricknabinol (www.dictionary.com). There is a significant and growing research on the relationship between mental unwellness and hempen necktie use in Australia. The evidence supports the association between mental disease and regular halter use. The evidence relegates that regular hangmans halter use from recent age will additions the risk of mental illness since there is genetic vulnerability to psychosis being which can be triggered by cannabis use. Evidence shows that cannabis use facilitates schizophrenia in mass who have family history of mental illnesses. The average first use of cannabis users is now 14.9 years. This is of a very important concern in Australia as this is the age at whic h there are psychological changes in brain. Psychosis is an abnormal condition of the mind in generic psychiatrical destination for a mental state is often described as a loss of adjoin with the reality. This disorder can disable the normal functioning of the brain. This malfunction in brain causes people with sumptuous risk of death by suicide. Thus it is important to analyse the evidence carefully in order to illuminate conclusions and recommendations (Hall et al, 2004).Relationship between Mental Illness and Cannabis.Certain pockets of Australian population consume cannabis in form of heating or ignition combined with inhalation of smoke or spoken usance of the plant itself mixed into a food medium. The other way that psyches consume cannabis is by vaporization, which causes the active ingredients to evapo direct into gas without burning the plant material. This is generally done by boiling the ingredients of cannabis plant. Once these vapours are inhaled, it produces var ious short consideration and long boundary personal make. The short term effects oscilloscope from sleepiness, difficulty keeping track of time, impaired or reduced short term memory. In my general practice I have observed that the patients consuming high inwardness of cannabis find it hard to communicate and focus. They are generally slower to react and have increased shopping mall rate, heart palpitations and show signs of psychological dependence on cannabis drug consumption. Their reasons for addiction generally range from recreational purposes and sometimes to escape their present hardships in life (Personal Communication, Clinical Placement, 2010).Evidence shown by scientific research shows that potential harm of cannabis use is generally and especially in vulnerable groups such as Aboriginal, young people, people belonging to poor socio economic standground. The habit starts from peer pressure and in stages becomes an addiction. Rates of cannabis use by people with me ntal illness such as anxiety and depression also show heavy use of cannabis use.(Castle, 2004)The self medication hypothesis states that people experiencing signs of mental health disorder consume cannabis in order to alleviate or increase symptoms. There have been longitudinal studies to determine whether the mental illness is related to cannabis use. The hypothesis covers cardinal scenarios -that cannabis initiates mental disorder that were previously lying inactive and that cannabis causes mental health illness who would non otherwise develop them. Thus research has been conducted on biologic mechanisms such as effects of cannabis on brain chemistry and its effects on people without genetic predisposition to mental illness. Other social effects are scratchn into consideration when researching on cannabis users exposed to positionors such as poor mental health, substance using peers, school dropout, unemployment and crime. It is a difficult to justify the effects of cannabis on an individual if many variables co go both for the cannabis user and people with other social vulnerabilities including family difficulties. Thus it is possible that there is a common genetic factor that predisposes individuals to cannabis use and mental illness (Patton et al, 2002).According to DSouza et al (2004) there is little dispute that cannabis can produce short term recurrences of pre animated insane symptoms. However there is no evidence relating to the fact that cannabis actually causes schizophrenia or other psychotic person illness in long term (Johns, 2001). question also shows that cannabis can also amplify a pre existing thought in an individual. These thoughts tend to overwhelm the individual causing severe reactions by individuals including suicide and self harm in extreme cases. In order for ascertain the research Hill (1965) states that following criteria must be met Strength, consistency, specificity, temporality, biological gradient, coherence and plausi bility. Every case needs to support each criteria to make the hypothesis severeer.Relationship between Cannabis consumption and PsychosisA recent study conducted by Hldes et al (2006) states that there is a both way relationship between psychosis and cannabis which states that regular use of cannabis is associated with higher risk of psychotic backsliding. Many longitudinal studies have found that the mental illness particularly psychosis leads to increased use of cannabis.Research conducted by Hall et al (2004) states that most common symptoms related to the individuals with psychosis smoking cannabis were sudden confusedness which were generally related to delusions and hallucinations. Their aroused state became unstable and showed signs of paranoid symptoms. These findings have been supported by individuals suggesting that they took bragging(a) doses of cannabis product. Most of these people had no family history of psychosis. Their symptoms were gone once the individuals st opped their cannabis intake. These symptoms were seen back within days once the individuals started cannabis consumption again. Thus this evidence supports the hypothesis that the regular use of cannabis increases chances of psychosis in an individual.On the other hand the other hypothesis can be argued that cannabis intake does not support psychosis. There have been number of studies conducted that have compared people with people who have mental illness post cannabis use and who have developed mental illness foregoing to cannabis consumption. There is always a little variation in the results. According to Mental health council of Australia, there have been number of researches that have been conducted investigating the cannabis use among individuals with psychotic disorders and found that they were not significantly different from the general population. A range of motive can be grouped into following four categories coping with unpleasant affect (to relieve emotional distress), enhancement (to have fun), social interaction (to affiliate with others), confirming (to fit in) (www.mhca.org.au)The evidence obtained shows that the first two tend to be heavy cannabis consumers and the later two are just recreational. The first two consume cannabis to relieve themselves from emotional distress, psychotic symptoms and medication side effects which lead them to consume heavy amounts of cannabis in order to feel that state of mind and emotion. People with psychosis initially use substance to change their emotional state and facilitate social contact. They indeed develop dependence on this substance stating, If I dont smoke then I will not be able to cope. These individuals then have belief that cannabis is the totally way out thus worsening their psyche and this will lead to worsening cannabis dependence (Spence in Castle and Murray, 2004)ConclusionVarious cases and individual analysis state that there is a strong connection between cannabis consumption and psych osis. The hypothesis states individuals consuming cannabis have developed symptoms of psychosis and these individuals have normalised once they stopped consuming cannabis. Thus, there is some evidence that suggest that cannabis consumption will impact the psyche of an individual but these findings are inconclusive at this stage as it fails to take into consideration other variables such as socioeconomic background, mental state, lack of family and community support.Relationship between Cannabis Consumption and schizophrenic disorderSchizophrenia is a mental illness caused by disintegration of view process and disorientated emotional response. It usually consists of hallucinations, paranoid, disorganized speech and thinking process with social and occupational dysfunction, coitus interruptus from reality, social apathy (www.dictionary.com)According to research by Mental Health Council of Australia relationship between Schizophrenia and cannabis use is growing though by no means com prehensive. Schizophrenia affects one percent of the Australian population. Smaller but substantial bodies of research exist such as depression and anxiety. In some cases, Schizophrenic patients had previous symptoms of psychotic illness (Hall et al, 2004).In research conducted on 100 young people consuming high amount of cannabis, 49% male with an average age of 19.3 years were determine at ultra high risk of psychosis. Schizophrenia was the symptom with presence of other acute psychotic symptoms. This research is very difficult due to the fact that there are many variables that co exist both cannabis users with mental health illness and non cannabis users with mental health difficulties have comparable behavioural problem. Most of them have substance abuse history, unemployment and life time on benefits past. It can be possible that these are the common genetic factors in both cannabis users with mental health issues and non cannabis users with mental health issues (www.mhca.or g.au).Longitudinal studies show that continuous cannabis consumption in people with schizophrenia is associated with worse mental health outcome in terms of more severe symptoms and thus there is a greater chance of relapse and more psychosocial issues. Thus frequent cannabis use is associated with a higher risk of psychotic relapse and a more increased risk of cannabis relapse (Hides et al, 2006). Studies conducted by Arsenault et al, (2004) cite cross national surveys from USA, Netherlands and USA found rates of cannabis consumption among people with Schizophrenia was double than those of general population. Thus following conclusions were derived from these findingsEvidence of self medication of cannabis because of pre existing Schizophrenia due to the mental health issues caused by schizophrenia related to negative symptoms may be a factor in continuous Cannabis consumption. There have been consistent longitudinal studies stating that cannabis precipitates schizophrenia and man y other psychosis related symptoms in people who are vulnerable because of their family background. The rate of schizophrenia has remained stable or decreased with increases in cannabis use over the past few decades. boilersuit longitudinal studies conducted by Nemesis study from Holland and New Zealand have made these findings that conclude that cannabis can be considered a casual factor in schizophrenia. Research has found that alleged increases in cannabis use over past two decades have not affected increase in rate of schizophrenia. However vast number of people who consume cannabis have not developed schizophrenia and vast number of people who have schizophrenia have not got schizophrenia because of their cannabis consumption (Degenhardt et al, 2004).ConclusionCannabis consumption may affect small percentage of population that is vulnerable socially and mentally. The pattern of cannabis use leading to clinically significant impairment or distress has manifested by a need for in creased amounts of the substance to achieve intoxication or desired effect. That effect is then reduced by continuous use of the same amount of substance. Individuals then consume larger amount of substance to achieve that similar feeling and these persistent efforts start to affect the psyche of the individuals. Schizophrenia is more prevalent in individuals with poor socio economic background and history of substance abuse. Cannabis causes changes in neurotransmitter systems that make depressed mood more likely but greater evidence supports that this problem is due to individual behaviour pattern. Evidence from both hypotheses is limited and there needs to be well designed longitudinal studies including studies that examine cannabis use on older Australians to further narrow the relation between cannabis use and schizophrenia (Degenhardt et al, 2004).