TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2017//
TI  - Key differences in treatment-seeking stimulant users attending a specialised treatment service: a means of early intervention?
JO  - Australasian psychiatry
A1  - Arunogiri, Shalini
A1  - Petrie, Margret
A1  - Sharkey, Michelle
A1  - Lubman, Dan I.
SP  - 246
EP  - 249
VL  - 25
IS  - 3
N2  - 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>
LA  - en
SN  - 1039-8562
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1039856216684737
ID  - ref1
ER  -