Frequency of Methamphetamine Use in Patients Admitted to an Addiction Center and Clinical Factors Associated With Methamphetamine Use

Abstract

We aimed to determine the frequency of methamphetamine (METH) use and the clinical factors associated with METH use. Face-to-face interviews were conducted with 788 patients who applied to an addiction treatment center in Turkey. Patients diagnosed with primary psychotic disorder and/or bipolar disorder were excluded from the study. It was found that 48.9% of patients ( n = 385) used METH, and 24.4% of them ( n = 94) used it every day. Visual hallucinations were present in 34.3% of METH users, auditory hallucinations in 38.2%, paranoid delusions in 55.6%, and agitation in 39.7%. Additionally, 40.8% of patients had spontaneous skin wounds unrelated to scratching after METH use. Oral mucosa and dental lesions (METH mouth) were detected in 37.1% of patients. The incidence of these conditions increased with the frequency of METH use ( p < .001 for all). Regression analysis revealed that the use of pregabalin and poly-substance use independently predicted METH use.