@article{ref1,
title="Key differences in treatment-seeking stimulant users attending a specialised treatment service: a means of early intervention?",
journal="Australasian psychiatry",
year="2017",
author="Arunogiri, Shalini and Petrie, Margret and Sharkey, Michelle and Lubman, Dan I.",
volume="25",
number="3",
pages="246-249",
abstract="OBJECTIVES: Few people who use stimulants seek clinical treatment. This study sought to describe a cohort of stimulant users who attended a stimulant-specific treatment service, Access Point, in Melbourne, Australia between 2008 and 2014. METHODS: A retrospective audit of the records of adults ( n = 175) who sought treatment for stimulant use at a stimulant-specific outpatient treatment service was conducted. RESULTS: Service users had a median age of 32 (range = 19-54). Most stimulant users were in part- or full-time employment (53.6%) and had stable accommodation (85%). There was a high rate of mental health comorbidity, with over half (52%) reporting a previous history of mental health problems, while one-third (33%) reported previous suicide attempts. There was a high rate (48%) of previous methamphetamine-associated psychosis, which was significantly correlated with frequency of use ( x2 = 13.698, p = 0.008). CONCLUSIONS: This study supports the potential of a targeted and specialised treatment service as a means of early intervention for stimulant users. The high prevalence of methamphetamine-associated psychosis history in this group suggests that frequent use of stimulants increases the risk of psychosis, even among high-functioning individuals.<p /><p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1039-8562",
doi="10.1177/1039856216684737",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1039856216684737"
}