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Swiss Psychiatrists Beliefs and Attitudes about Cannabis Risks in Psychiatric Patients: Ideologically Determined or Evidence-based?

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Abstract

The objective of this survey was to assess the beliefs of Swiss psychiatrists about the risks associated with cannabis, and to assess their prohibitive attitudes toward their patients. Eighty-two doctors agreed to fill-up the questionnaire. Cluster analysis retained a 3-cluster solution. Cluster 1: “Prohibitionists” believed that cannabis could induce and trigger all forms of psychiatric disorder, and showed a highly prohibitive attitude. Cluster 2: “Causalists” believed that schizophrenia, but not other psychiatric disorders, could be induced and triggered. Cluster 3: “Prudent liberals” did not believe that psychiatric disorders could be induced by cannabis, and were generally less prohibitive.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Substance Abuse, University Hospitals of Geneva, Rue verte 2, CH–1205, Geneva, Switzerland

    Daniele Fabio Zullino

  2. Private Practice, Solothurn, Switzerland

    Hans Kurt

  3. Department of Community Medicine, University Hospitals of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland

    Barbara Broers

  4. Private Practice, Thalwil, Switzerland

    Anita Drexler

  5. Psychiatric Hospital Münsingen, Munsingen, Switzerland

    Hans-Peter Graf

  6. Department of Psychiatry, University Hospitals of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland

    Yasser Khazaal, Yves Le Bloc’h, François Borgeat & Martin Preisig

  7. Private practice, Neuchatel, Switzerland

    Baya-Laure Pegard

Authors
  1. Daniele Fabio Zullino
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  2. Hans Kurt
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  3. Barbara Broers
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  4. Anita Drexler
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  5. Hans-Peter Graf
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  6. Yasser Khazaal
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  7. Yves Le Bloc’h
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  8. Baya-Laure Pegard
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  9. François Borgeat
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  10. Martin Preisig
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Daniele Fabio Zullino.

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Zullino, D.F., Kurt, H., Broers, B. et al. Swiss Psychiatrists Beliefs and Attitudes about Cannabis Risks in Psychiatric Patients: Ideologically Determined or Evidence-based?. Community Ment Health J 44, 86–96 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-007-9103-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-007-9103-x

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