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Natural History of Khat Psychosis

NCJ Number
158492
Journal
Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry Volume: 28 Dated: (1994) Pages: 331-332
Author(s)
A D Jager; L Sireling
Date Published
1994
Length
2 pages
Annotation
This case shows the natural history of khat psychosis, which comes from chewing the stems and leaves of the plant Catha edulis.
Abstract
A 27-year-old, unemployed electrician from Somalia, who had been in England for 3 months, presented himself to doctors with a 4-day history of paranoid delusions of a persecutory nature. He had not slept for the previous four nights, had no appetite, and had eaten very little. He believed that police had set up cameras in the flat below to keep him under observation through the floorboards, among other paranoid delusions. He admitted to smoking 20 cigarettes a day and chewing and smoking stems of the khat plant in the amount of one kilo a day for 3 months until 3 days before admission. He had previously used khat occasionally without serious consequences. He denied the use of alcohol or other drugs. There was no past or family history of psychiatric illness. He was managed without medication, apart from a single dose of chlorpromazine. A urinary drug screen was negative for all major groups, including amphetamines. After 8 days his paranoid delusions reduced to the level of overvalued ideas, and 14 days after admission, his mental state returned to normal. The authors advise that the psychosis produced by khat may be confused with schizophrenia. With more refugees from East Africa in Great Britain, an increase in the incidence of khat psychosis is likely. 9 references

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