Abstract
Psychiatric Comorbidity of Methamphetamine Dependence in a Forensic Sample
Kalechstein A D~~Newton T F~~et al
The objective of this study was to examine the association between psychiatric symptoms & methamphetamine dependence. A 4-hour survey was administered to 1,580 arrestees sampled from the 14 most populous counties in California. In the 12 months prior to the assessment, menthamphetamine-dependent subjects were more likely to report depressive symptoms & suicidal ideation than individuals denying methamphetamine dependence, even after controlling for demographic profile & dependence on other drugs. Findings suggest methamphetamine-dependent individuals are at greater risk to experience particular psychiatric symptoms. Further study to determine the etiology of these symptoms is warranted. (16 refs.)