Mental Illness, Multimorbidity, SUD Up for Methamphetamine Users

Those with past-year methamphetamine use also more likely to have each combination of paired outcomes or all three outcomes

THURSDAY, June 17, 2021 (HealthDay News) — Adults with past-year methamphetamine use have increased prevalence of mental illness, medical multimorbidity, and substance use disorder (SUD), according to a report published online June 2 in the Journal of General Internal Medicine.

Benjamin H. Han, M.D., from the University of California in San Diego, and Joseph J. Palamar, Ph.D., from New York University in New York City, analyzed data from the 2015 to 2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health to estimate the prevalence of chronic conditions, medical multimorbidity, mental illness, and SUD among adults with past-year methamphetamine use.

The researchers found that those reporting methamphetamine use were more likely to have mental illness, medical multimorbidity, and any SUD (adjusted prevalence ratios, 3.15, 1.86, and 4.17, respectively) compared to those not reporting methamphetamine use. Each combination of outcomes examined, including SUD and mental illness, medical multimorbidity and mental illness, SUD and medical multimorbidity, and all three simultaneously, was also more likely for methamphetamine users (adjusted prevalence ratios, 7.30, 4.83, 9.07, and 13.52, respectively).

“Methamphetamine use adds complexity to the already-challenging care of adults who have multiple chronic conditions,” Han said in a statement. “Integrated interventions that can address the multiple conditions people are living with, along with associated social risks, are needed for this population.”