Cannabis Researchers In Appeal For Volunteers

Main Category: Mental Health
Also Included In: Alcohol / Addiction / Illegal Drugs
Article Date: 26 Feb 2009 - 1:00 PDT

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People are being urged to take part in a new study which aims to investigate the links between cannabis use and mental health. Past and present cannabis users, as well as those who have never touched the drug, are needed to take part in the project, which is being led by researchers at Nottingham Trent University.

The project involves participants responding to an anonymous survey via an online link: http://tinyurl.com/ntusurvey.

The research team, based in the university's School of Social Sciences, is looking to establish whether users are more prone to developing schizotypal personality, and whether that risk is lessened if they stop using the drug. They also want to examine if the effects of cannabis consumption on schizotypal personality are reversible and if there are differences in the levels of schizotypal personality traits between low, medium and high users.

Finally, they will be exploring whether having a family history of schizophrenia could increase levels of schizotypal traits.

Researcher Dr Antonio Castro said: "We need as many people as possible to take part in the online survey so we get a good cross-section of participants before we begin to analyse the results. The study comes at an extremely interesting time, following the government's reclassification of cannabis from a Class C to a Class B drug."

Nottingham Trent University

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