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Clinical and demographic characteristics of people who smoke versus inject crystalline methamphetamine in Australia: Findings from a pharmacotherapy trial
- Source :
- Drug and Alcohol Review. 40:1249-1255
- Publication Year :
- 2020
- Publisher :
- Wiley, 2020.
-
Abstract
- Introduction and aims There has been a rapid increase in smoking crystalline methamphetamine in Australia. We compare the clinical and demographic characteristics of those who smoke versus inject the drug in a cohort of people who use methamphetamine. Design and methods Participants (N = 151) were dependent on methamphetamine, aged 18-60 years, enrolled in a pharmacotherapy trial for methamphetamine dependence, and reported either injecting (n = 54) or smoking (n = 97) methamphetamine. Measures included the Timeline Followback, Severity of Dependence Scale, Amphetamine Withdrawal Questionnaire, Craving Experience Questionnaire and the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (symptoms of depression, hostility, psychosis and suicidality). Simultaneous regression was used to identify independent demographic correlates of smoking methamphetamine and to compare the clinical characteristics of participants who smoked versus injected. Results Compared to participants who injected methamphetamine, those who smoked methamphetamine were younger and less likely to be unemployed, have a prison history or live alone. Participants who smoked methamphetamine used methamphetamine on more days in the past 4 weeks than participants who injected methamphetamine (26 vs. 19 days, P = 0.001); they did not differ significantly in their severity of methamphetamine dependence, withdrawal, craving or psychiatric symptoms (P > 0.05). After adjustment for demographic differences, participants who smoked had lower craving [b (SE) = -1.1 (0.5), P = 0.021] and were less likely to report psychotic symptoms [b (SE) = -1.8 (0.7), P = 0.013] or antidepressant use [b (SE) = -1.1 (0.5), P = 0.022]. Discussion and conclusions Smoking crystalline methamphetamine is associated with a younger less marginalised demographic profile than injecting methamphetamine, but a similarly severe clinical profile.
- Subjects :
- Adult
medicine.medical_specialty
Health (social science)
Adolescent
Amphetamine-Related Disorders
Medicine (miscellaneous)
Craving
Methamphetamine
Heroin
Young Adult
Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale
medicine
Humans
Psychiatry
Amphetamine
Depression (differential diagnoses)
Demography
business.industry
Smoking
Australia
Middle Aged
medicine.disease
Substance abuse
Cohort
Central Nervous System Stimulants
medicine.symptom
business
medicine.drug
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 14653362 and 09595236
- Volume :
- 40
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Drug and Alcohol Review
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....d19b55b4862bc9ec82cf170cdbd6a4a1