- Title
- The influence of depression on treatment for methamphetamine use
- Creator
- Kay-Lambkin, Frances J.; Baker, Amanda L.; Lee, Nicole M.; Jenner, Linda; Lewin, Terry J.
- Relation
- Medical Journal of Australia Vol. 195, Issue 3, p. S38-S43
- Relation
- https://www.mja.com.au/journal/2011/195/3/influence-depression-treatment-methamphetamine-use
- Publisher
- Australasian Medical Publishing Company
- Resource Type
- journal article
- Date
- 2011
- Description
- Objective: To determine whether the presence of comorbid depression influences response to psychological treatment for methamphetamine use. Design: Randomised controlled clinical trial. Setting and participants: Our study was conducted between 2001 and 2005 at two sites in Australia: the Hunter Region of New South Wales and the city of Brisbane, Queensland. The 214 participants, who were all using methamphetamine at least once a week in the month prior to the study, were self-referred or referred from health services or drug and alcohol clinical services. Participants were divided into two groups based on whether or not they had depressive symptoms at baseline. Interventions: The control group received only a self-help booklet; the two treatment groups received either two or four counselling sessions involving cognitive behaviour therapy and motivational interviewing techniques to manage methamphetamine use. Main outcome measures: Changes in methamphetamine use and depression at 5 weeks and 6 months after baseline. Results: Over 70% of participants met criteria for depression at baseline, and depression was associated with significantly greater severity of methamphetamine use and related issues. Benzodiazepine use was significantly higher among depressed than non-depressed participants. Reductions in methamphetamine use between baseline and 5 weeks were independently predicted by comorbid depression, in favour of increased change among those with baseline depression. Depressed participants who received three or four counselling sessions showed a significant reduction in depression at 5 weeks. However, reductions in methamphetamine use and depression compared with baseline were no longer evident at 6 months. Conclusions: Over the short term, comorbid depression did not negatively affect response to treatment, with some evidence of a dose–response treatment effect for reduction in depression. This was not maintained at 6 months, indicating that methamphetamine-focused treatment may not enable people with comorbid depression to make sustained improvement at the level of their counterparts without depression.
- Subject
- depression; treatment; methamphetamine use; cognitive behaviour therapy
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1056346
- Identifier
- uon:16031
- Identifier
- ISSN:0025-729X
- Language
- eng
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