Aripiprazole, which is frequently prescribed to young people after a first episode of psychotic disorder, increases the risk of problem gambling by almost 9 times
By: Jean Hamann
Aripiprazole is the drug of choice for young people experiencing a first episode of psychotic disorder. However, a study published in the journal CNS Drugs confirms some suspicions about this drug: it increases the risk of problem gambling by 8.6 times.
This is the conclusion reached by researchers from Université Laval’s Faculty of Pharmacy, School of Psychology and Faculty of Medicine who studied the link between this drug and problem gambling in young people aged 18 to 30 enrolled in a follow-up program after a first episode of psychotic disorder.
“Aripiprazole is very frequently prescribed to these patients, both because it is well tolerated and because it is administered by monthly injection. Its effects are long-lasting and adherence to treatment is better,” said the study’s first author, Olivier Corbeil, a doctoral student at the Faculty of Pharmacy.
LRead the rest of the article (in French) on the ULaval Nouvelles website
Read the original research article in CNS drugs:
Corbeil O, Corbeil S, Dorval M, Carmichael PH, Giroux I, Jacques C, Demers MF, Roy MA. Problem Gambling Associated with Aripiprazole: A Nested Case-Control Study in a First-Episode Psychosis Program. CNS Drugs. 2021 Apr;35(4):461-468. doi: 10.1007/s40263-021-00801-4. Epub 2021 Mar 13. PMID: 33713298. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40263-021-00801-4
