NCT03601026 Genetic Counselling in the Prevention of Mental Health Consequences of Cannabis Use
| NCT ID | NCT03601026 |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Phase | — |
| Sponsor | Nova Scotia Health Authority |
| Condition | Mental Illness |
| Study Type | INTERVENTIONAL |
| Enrollment | 120 participants |
| Start Date | 2019-11-01 |
| Primary Completion | 2026-09-01 |
Eligibility & Interventions
Eligibility Fast-Check
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What to Expect as a Participant
You will actively receive the study intervention — which may be a drug, biologic, device, or procedure.
This trial targets 120 participants in total. It began in 2019-11-01 with a primary completion date of 2026-09-01.
⚠ This information is for research awareness only. Always consult your physician before joining any clinical trial. Participation is voluntary and you may withdraw at any time.
Brief Summary
Severe mental illness (SMI) refers to the most burdensome psychiatric conditions. The need to pre-empt the onset of SMI is pressing because once SMI develops, quality of life is poor and available treatments have limited efficacy. Most risk factors for SMI are either unchangeable (e.g., genetics) or difficult to alter (e.g., low socio-economic status). In contrast, cannabis use is one specific risk factor that could be avoided. Certain individuals are more vulnerable to the harmful effects of cannabis. Genetic factors can help us identify these high-risk individuals. One in three individuals are carriers of a higher-risk genetic variant, and cannabis users with this genotype are at up to 7-fold increased risk of developing schizophrenia. In our study, genetic counselling will be provided to participants by a board-certified genetic counsellor. During the genetic counselling session, participants will have the option to receive their genotype. Participants will be counselled regarding their individualized risk of developing and of not developing SMI based on family history, whether or not they choose to use cannabis, and genotype (if the participants accept the genetic test results). The investigators hypothesize that this intervention will reduce exposure to cannabis compared to the youth who are not offered the intervention.
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Enrolment in the Families Overcoming Risks and Building Opportunities for Well-being (FORBOW) study. * Age between 12 and 21 years. * Knowledge of English sufficient to benefit from the intervention. * Capacity to provide informed consent at most recent FORBOW assessment. * Provision of consent to be contacted about future studies at most recent FORBOW assessment. Exclusion Criteria: * A diagnosis of severe mental illness (psychotic disorder, bipolar disorder, severe/recurrent depression) at baseline * Autism or intellectual disability of a degree that interferes with assessment (IQ \< 70)
Contact & Investigator
Rudolf Uher, MD, PhD
PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Nova Scotia Health Authority, Dalhousie University
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can join the NCT03601026 clinical trial?
This trial is open to participants of all sexes, aged 12 Years or older, up to 21 Years, studying Mental Illness. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria are listed in the Eligibility Criteria section. Always confirm your eligibility with the research team before applying.
Is NCT03601026 currently recruiting?
Yes, NCT03601026 is actively recruiting participants. Contact the research team at uher@dal.ca for enrollment information.
Where is the NCT03601026 trial being conducted?
This trial is being conducted at Halifax, Canada.
Who is sponsoring the NCT03601026 clinical trial?
NCT03601026 is sponsored by Nova Scotia Health Authority. The principal investigator is Rudolf Uher, MD, PhD at Nova Scotia Health Authority, Dalhousie University. The trial plans to enroll 120 participants.