In a groundbreaking advancement merging digital technology and clinical psychiatry, researchers at the Université de Montréal’s affiliated hospital research center, CRCHUM, have unveiled an innovative mobile application designed to assist young adults experiencing their first episode of psychosis in managing cannabis consumption more safely. This development marks Canada’s first-ever nationwide clinical trial focusing on digital harm reduction tools tailored to this vulnerable population, spotlighting the promising intersection of mental health care and personalized digital interventions.
The project, led by Dr. Didier Jutras-Aswad, a prominent psychiatry and addictology professor at Université de Montréal and a researcher at CRCHUM, centers on CHAMPS (Cannabis Harm-reducing App to Manage Practices Safely). CHAMPS is conceived as an interactive platform that provides customized guidance to users, aiming to mitigate the adverse effects of cannabis use, especially among young adults whose psychotic symptoms often complicate standard intervention efforts. The clinical study’s results, soon to be published in the August 2025 issue of Psychiatry Research, underscore the app’s potential to redefine patient engagement in mental health management through digital empowerment.
Cannabis consumption is notoriously pervasive among young adults with early psychosis, yet abstinence-focused care approaches often encounter resistance or limited adherence within this demographic. CHAMPS addresses this gap by offering a harm reduction framework that acknowledges ongoing cannabis use rather than imposing immediate cessation. This paradigm shift reflects a nuanced understanding of patient needs, emphasizing risk mitigation over strict abstinence. The app’s development involved close collaboration with youth, clinicians, and addiction experts, ensuring its modules resonate with users’ lived experiences and clinical realities.
The pilot study, funded with $800,000 from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), recruited 101 participants aged 18 to 35 from six specialized early-intervention clinics in Quebec and Nova Scotia. These longitudinal observations have provided critical feedback on the app’s acceptability, user engagement, and preliminary indications of efficacy. While definitive conclusions about CHAMPS’s clinical effectiveness remain forthcoming, early data reveals encouraging trends in reducing cannabis-related adverse events, pointing towards the app’s promise as an adjunctive therapy tool.
A multidisciplinary research team underpinned this effort, incorporating expertise from psychiatry, digital health, and addiction science. Stephanie Coronado-Montoya, the study’s first author and a former doctoral student under Dr. Jutras-Aswad, alongside psychiatrist Dr. Amal Abdel-Baki, contributed to framing the study’s rigorous design. Their approach integrated real-world clinical environments to ensure that the app’s utility extends beyond controlled research settings into everyday therapeutic practice.
Central to CHAMPS’s innovation is its person-centered design philosophy. Contrary to conventional clinical interventions that prioritize total cessation of cannabis use, this application acknowledges the complexities of substance use behaviors in the context of psychosis. It leverages interactive modules to educate and motivate users about safer consumption practices, supporting gradual behavioral adjustments aligned with each individual’s readiness to change. This flexibility differentiates CHAMPS as a digital tool sensitive to the stigma and barriers that often hinder young adults’ engagement with traditional care pathways.
Moreover, CHAMPS embodies a scalable model for integrating digital health solutions within existing psychiatric services without exacerbating healthcare providers’ workloads. By offering personalized support directly via smartphones, it enables continuous patient engagement outside clinical appointments and fosters a collaborative dynamic between clinicians and their patients. This integrated approach exemplifies a future-forward vision for psychiatric care delivery, enhanced by technology that complements rather than replaces human clinical judgment.
The app’s relevance extends beyond Canadian borders, as its developers emphasize potential adaptability in jurisdictions where cannabis remains illegal. By focusing on harm reduction rather than prohibition, CHAMPS aligns with global public health trends advocating for destigmatized, pragmatic responses to substance use. The initiative represents a growing movement within mental health care to humanize and tailor treatment to individual patient contexts, reflecting evolving attitudes towards cannabis within clinical and societal landscapes.
Notably, the research team’s commitment to advancing evidence-based guidelines is further reflected in their recent publication of comprehensive recommendations targeting the reduction of psychosis outcomes related to cannabis use. These guidelines, developed in collaboration with an international cohort of experts, articulate best practices for integrating harm reduction principles into mental health care, reaffirming the scientific and ethical imperative to shift beyond abstinence-only models.
Looking ahead, Dr. Jutras-Aswad and his colleagues plan to expand their study to enroll 250 young adults across an extended network of clinics in Quebec, Nova Scotia, and Alberta over a three-year recruitment period. This larger cohort will enable more robust statistical analyses to conclusively assess CHAMPS’s effectiveness and inform potential wider implementation strategies. The research underscores an urgent need for innovative, scalable interventions tailored to the unique needs of youths navigating the dual challenges of psychosis and cannabis use.
The broader implications of this research highlight how mobile health innovations can catalyze transformations in psychiatric practice, emphasizing patient empowerment, continuous care, and harm reduction. CHAMPS exemplifies how precision digital tools, co-designed with end-users and embedded in clinical workflows, can bridge gaps between patient needs and conventional treatment paradigms. As mental health systems worldwide grapple with rising demands and resource constraints, such technological adjuncts offer hopeful avenues to enhance care accessibility and quality.
Dr. Jutras-Aswad’s reflections encapsulate this vision: “Many young people may not be ready to cease cannabis use immediately, but they often show willingness to modify their practices to reduce health risks. CHAMPS is crafted to meet these realities, providing personalized support that respects their autonomy while promoting safer behaviors.” This humanistic perspective challenges entrenched clinical doctrines, advocating for compassionate approaches that meet patients where they are rather than imposing idealized but often impractical expectations.
In sum, the development and preliminary validation of CHAMPS signifies a pivotal moment in mental health care innovation. By converging advances in digital technology, clinical psychiatry, and harm reduction philosophy, this intervention offers a pragmatic, patient-centered response to a complex public health challenge. As the clinical trial progresses, CHUM researchers anticipate that CHAMPS will serve as a model for integrating digital tools into psychiatric care, ultimately enhancing treatment outcomes and quality of life for young adults affected by psychosis and cannabis use.
Subject of Research: People
Article Title: A pilot randomized controlled trial of a digital cannabis harm reduction intervention for young adults with first-episode psychosis who use cannabis
News Publication Date: 17-May-2025
Web References:
- Psychiatry Research Article
- Recommendations for Reducing the Risk of Cannabis Use-Related Adverse Psychosis Outcomes
- CRCHUM Official Website
- Université de Montréal Official Website
References:
Coronado-Montoya, S., et al. (2025). A pilot randomized controlled trial of a digital cannabis harm reduction intervention for young adults with first-episode psychosis who use cannabis. Psychiatry Research. DOI: 10.1016/j.psychres.2025.116553
Image Credits: Credit: CHUM
Keywords: Psychosis, Cannabis, Mental health
