Substance Use & Psychosis (Specialized Series)

This training provides an overview of psychosis symptoms, examines the interaction between psychosis and substance use, and clarifies the distinctions among primary psychotic disorders, substance-induced psychosis, and psychotic disorders with comorbid substance use. The session highlights the relationship between cannabis use and psychosis risk and offers a brief review of intervention strategies.

Learning Objectives:

• Define positive and negative symptoms of psychosis and describe how they present clinically.
• Describe the ways psychosis and substance use interact, including how substances may exacerbate, mimic, or obscure psychotic symptoms.
• Implement methods to differentiate between a primary psychotic disorder and an adverse mental state secondary to substance use.
• Understand the importance of assessing cannabis use in youth and young adults and its relevance to early psychosis evaluation.