title: Psychosocial Interventions in Reducing Cannabis Use in Early Phase Psychosis: A Canadian Survey of Treatments Offered.
abstract: Cannabis use in people with early phase psychosis (EPP) can have a significant impact on long-term outcomes. The purpose of this investigation was to describe current cannabis use treatment practices in English-speaking early intervention services (EISs) in Canada and determine if their services are informed by available evidence.
  
  
  
  Thirty-five Canadian English-speaking EISs for psychosis were approached to complete a survey through email, facsimile, or online in order to collect information regarding their current cannabis use treatment practices.
  
  
  
  Data were acquired from 27 of the 35 (78%) programs approached. Only 12% of EISs offered formal services that targeted cannabis use, whereas the majority (63%) of EISs offered informal services for all substance use, not specifically cannabis. In programs with informal services, individual patient psychoeducation (86%) was slightly more common than individual motivational interviewing (MI) (76%) followed by group patient psychoeducation (52%) and information handouts (52%). Thirty-seven percent of EISs offered formal services for substance use, and compared to programs with informal services, more MI, cognitive-behavioural therapy, and family services were offered, with individual treatment modalities more common than groups. No EISs used contingency management, even though it has some preliminary evidence in chronic populations. Evidence-based service implementation barriers included appropriate training and administrative support.
  
  
  
  While most English-speaking Canadian EIS programs offer individual MI and psychoeducation, which is in line with the available literature, there is room for improvement in cannabis treatment services based on current evidence for both people with EPP and their families.
authors.affiliation: St. Paul's Hospital, BC Women's Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Aydin
authors.affiliation: Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia Nova Scotia Early Psychosis Program, Nova Scotia Health Authority, Halifax, Nova Scotia.
authors.forename: Philip G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Tibbo
authors.affiliation: Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia Nova Scotia Early Psychosis Program, Nova Scotia Health Authority, Halifax, Nova Scotia zenovia.ursuliak@nshealth.ca.
authors.forename: Zenovia
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ursuliak
mesh_terms: D002170:Canada; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D061345:Early Medical Intervention / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006801:Humans; D000074609:Marijuana Use / Q000628:therapy*; D062405:Motivational Interviewing / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011618:Psychotic Disorders / Q000628:therapy*
keywords: Canadian; cannabis use; comorbidity; early intervention service; early phase psychosis; motivational Interviewing; psychosocial intervention; survey