The profile of psychiatric symptoms exacerbated by methamphetamine use

Background: Methamphetamine use can produce symptoms almost indistinguishable from schizophrenia. Distinguishing between the two conditions has been hampered by the lack of a validated symptom profile for methamphetamine-induced psychiatric symptoms. We use data from a longitudinal cohort study to e...

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Main Authors: McKetin, Rebecca, Dawe, S., Burns, R., Hides, L., Kavanagh, D., Teesson, M., McD Young, R.
Format: Journal Article
Published: Elsevier Ireland Ltd 2016
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/45917
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author McKetin, Rebecca
Dawe, S.
Burns, R.
Hides, L.
Kavanagh, D.
Teesson, M.
McD Young, R.
author_facet McKetin, Rebecca
Dawe, S.
Burns, R.
Hides, L.
Kavanagh, D.
Teesson, M.
McD Young, R.
author_sort McKetin, Rebecca
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Background: Methamphetamine use can produce symptoms almost indistinguishable from schizophrenia. Distinguishing between the two conditions has been hampered by the lack of a validated symptom profile for methamphetamine-induced psychiatric symptoms. We use data from a longitudinal cohort study to examine the profile of psychiatric symptoms that are acutely exacerbated by methamphetamine use. Methods: 164 methamphetamine users, who did not meet DSM-IV criteria for a lifetime primary psychotic disorder, were followed monthly for one year to assess the relationship between days of methamphetamine use and symptom severity on the 24-item Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale. Exacerbation of psychiatric symptoms with methamphetamine use was quantified using random coefficient models. The dimensions of symptom exacerbation were examined using principal axis factoring and a latent profile analysis. Results: Symptoms exacerbated by methamphetamine loaded on three factors: positive psychotic symptoms (suspiciousness, unusual thought content, hallucinations, bizarre behavior); affective symptoms (depression, suicidality, guilt, hostility, somatic concern, self-neglect); and psychomotor symptoms (tension, excitement, distractibility, motor hyperactivity). Methamphetamine use did not significantly increase negative symptoms. Vulnerability to positive psychotic and affective symptom exacerbation was shared by 28% of participants, and this vulnerability aligned with a past year DSM-IV diagnosis of substance-induced psychosis (38% vs. 22%, χ2(df1) = 3.66, p = 0.056). Conclusion: Methamphetamine use produced a symptom profile comprised of positive psychotic and affective symptoms, which aligned with a diagnosis of substance-induced psychosis, with no evidence of a negative syndrome.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-459172017-09-13T14:24:11Z The profile of psychiatric symptoms exacerbated by methamphetamine use McKetin, Rebecca Dawe, S. Burns, R. Hides, L. Kavanagh, D. Teesson, M. McD Young, R. Background: Methamphetamine use can produce symptoms almost indistinguishable from schizophrenia. Distinguishing between the two conditions has been hampered by the lack of a validated symptom profile for methamphetamine-induced psychiatric symptoms. We use data from a longitudinal cohort study to examine the profile of psychiatric symptoms that are acutely exacerbated by methamphetamine use. Methods: 164 methamphetamine users, who did not meet DSM-IV criteria for a lifetime primary psychotic disorder, were followed monthly for one year to assess the relationship between days of methamphetamine use and symptom severity on the 24-item Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale. Exacerbation of psychiatric symptoms with methamphetamine use was quantified using random coefficient models. The dimensions of symptom exacerbation were examined using principal axis factoring and a latent profile analysis. Results: Symptoms exacerbated by methamphetamine loaded on three factors: positive psychotic symptoms (suspiciousness, unusual thought content, hallucinations, bizarre behavior); affective symptoms (depression, suicidality, guilt, hostility, somatic concern, self-neglect); and psychomotor symptoms (tension, excitement, distractibility, motor hyperactivity). Methamphetamine use did not significantly increase negative symptoms. Vulnerability to positive psychotic and affective symptom exacerbation was shared by 28% of participants, and this vulnerability aligned with a past year DSM-IV diagnosis of substance-induced psychosis (38% vs. 22%, χ2(df1) = 3.66, p = 0.056). Conclusion: Methamphetamine use produced a symptom profile comprised of positive psychotic and affective symptoms, which aligned with a diagnosis of substance-induced psychosis, with no evidence of a negative syndrome. 2016 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/45917 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2016.01.018 Elsevier Ireland Ltd fulltext
spellingShingle McKetin, Rebecca
Dawe, S.
Burns, R.
Hides, L.
Kavanagh, D.
Teesson, M.
McD Young, R.
The profile of psychiatric symptoms exacerbated by methamphetamine use
title The profile of psychiatric symptoms exacerbated by methamphetamine use
title_full The profile of psychiatric symptoms exacerbated by methamphetamine use
title_fullStr The profile of psychiatric symptoms exacerbated by methamphetamine use
title_full_unstemmed The profile of psychiatric symptoms exacerbated by methamphetamine use
title_short The profile of psychiatric symptoms exacerbated by methamphetamine use
title_sort profile of psychiatric symptoms exacerbated by methamphetamine use
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/45917