Effect of Extended Cannabis Abstinence on PTSD Symptoms

Launched by CENTRE FOR ADDICTION AND MENTAL HEALTH · Dec 6, 2021

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying how stopping cannabis use for an extended period affects symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adults. The study will last 12 weeks and involves participants who have both PTSD and cannabis use disorder. Eligible participants, aged between 18 and 55, will be divided into two groups. One group will receive motivational therapy along with additional support called contingency management, while the other group will only receive the motivational therapy.

Participants can expect to attend regular therapy sessions, where they will work on understanding their feelings and behaviors related to PTSD and cannabis use. To be eligible for this study, individuals must have been diagnosed with moderate to severe cannabis use disorder and have experienced PTSD symptoms in the past month. They should also have been on antidepressant medication for at least a month and be able to communicate in English. It's important to note that this study is not suitable for those with certain severe medical conditions or mental health disorders like schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. If you're interested and meet these criteria, this could be an important opportunity to help improve your understanding of how cannabis abstinence might affect PTSD symptoms.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • 1. Subjects aged between 18 and 55 years (from both sexes \[or genders\]);
• • 2. Diagnosed with CUD (moderate or severe) according to the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID) (mode of cannabis consumption can be inhalation or ingestion);
• • 3. Diagnosis of current (past 30 days) PTSD, using the CAPS-5 on screening;
• • 4. On antidepressant medication(s) for at least 1 month (to ensure safety and homogeneity as PTSD treatment of our population);
• • 5. Be able to provide written informed consent; and
• • 6. Be able to communicate in English.
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • 1. diagnosed with a severe or unstable medical illness that precludes safe participation in the study as per the study physician;
• • 2. diagnosed with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, or bipolar disorder or current acute psychosis or mania based on DSM-5 criteria;
• • 3. current suicidality risk as indicated by the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS) with concurrence after the study physician's evaluation if the response to C-SSRS questions 1 or 2 is "yes" 34; and
• • 4. have pain interfering with normal function as reported by the 12-Item Short Form Survey (SF-12) (moderate or higher interference).