According to research published online Feb. 14, 2022 in the British journal Evidence-Based Mental Health (EBMH)—which included a 10-year follow-up study—amphetamine abusers were six times more likely to have psychosis than non-users.[1]
However, in addition, the study indicated of those amphetamine abusers who entered addiction treatment (during deferred prosecution), more than one fourth (26%) were less likely to develop psychosis than those who didn’t.
Cynthia Wei-Sheng Lee, of the Centre for Drug Abuse and Addiction at China Medical University Hospital in Taiwan, and one of the study’s authors, said, “This suggests that rehab may help lower the risk of psychosis.”[2]
The number of amphetamine abusers in the U.S. has been on the rise, per a number of research statistics. One study, published in the U.S. National Library of Medicine, found that between 2006 and 2016 the number of Americans abusing amphetamines rose 2.5-fold.[3]
Further, data from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) indicates “1 in 9 people between the ages of 12 and 25 used prescription amphetamines for nonmedical reasons or misused them without a prescription at all.”[4]
Other NIDA data point out that nearly one million people in the U.S., aged 12 or older, had a methamphetamine use disorder (MUD) in 2017.[5] The report explains an MUD refers to “clinically significant impairment, including health problems, disability, and failure to meet responsibilities at work, school, or home as a result of their (methamphetamine) use.”[6] And the report’s authors add that this figure “is significantly higher than the 684,000 people who reported having methamphetamine use disorder in 2016,” demonstrating the rise in amphetamine abuse.[7]
Bringing these statistics into clearer view, reports from the JAMA Network from 2003 to 2015 indicate there were 1,292,300 amphetamine-related hospital stays in the United States.[8]
The particular issue focused on by Huang, C., et al. in their recent study showed that people who abuse amphetamines are disruptively affecting the neurotransmitter signaling in their brains, resulting in psychosis symptoms such as paranoia, voices and hallucinations. And while these symptoms typically resolve after a few days, they may persist for years in up to 15% of users.
Huang, et al. noted that while the link between amphetamine abuse and psychosis is known, “the degree of psychosis risk or the effectiveness of drug rehabilitation therapy has been unclear.”
Regarding the potential benefits of addiction treatment, Lee concluded, “The relation of an induced paranoid psychosis with amphetamine abuse has been known for many decades. Nonetheless, our findings are from a detailed and comparative analysis using a comprehensive and large population dataset. Furthermore, it would be worthwhile to investigate the health benefits and cost effectiveness of deferred prosecution for drug crime offenders by providing appropriate therapy for drug addiction.”[9]
It is worth noting that, according to data collected for their study, Huang, et al. reported the estimated worldwide rate of amphetamine use is less than 1%, but approximately one in 10 users become addicted.[10]
[1] Huang, C., et al. “Risk of psychosis in illicit amphetamine users: a 10-year retrospective cohort study.” EBMH/British Medical Journal. Feb. 2022.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Piper, B.J., et al. “Trends in use of prescription stimulants in the United States and Territories, 2006 to 2016.” U.S. National Library of Medicine. Nov. 28, 2018.
[4] NIDA. “Drug and Alcohol Use in College-Age Adults in 2018.” Sept. 13, 2019.
[5] NIDA. “Methamphetamine Research Report.” October 2019.
[6] Ibid.
[7] Ibid.
[8] Winkelman, T., et al. “Evaluation of Amphetamine-Related Hospitalizations and Associated Clinical Outcomes and Costs in the United States.” JAMA Network Open. Oct. 19, 2018.
[9] Huang, C., et al. “Risk of psychosis in illicit amphetamine users: a 10-year retrospective cohort study.” EBMH/British Medical Journal. Feb. 2022.
[10] Ibid.
