NCJ Number
199391
Journal
Substance Use & Misuse Volume: 38 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2003 Pages: 141-150
Date Published
January 2003
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This article reports on a follow-up study designed to uncover the relationship between psychiatric morbidity and amphetamine use in Taiwanese adolescents who were recommitted to a remand center while awaiting trial.
Abstract
Since the early 1990’s, amphetamine use among adolescents in Taiwan has been on the rise. This is especially troubling since amphetamine use has been shown to have serious consequences for both physical and mental health. Behavioral changes in amphetamine users have also been noted. In order to examine the relationship between psychiatric morbidity and amphetamine use in adolescents, a psychiatrist assessed 100 juvenile drug offenders with a history of amphetamine use. The assessments occurred in a remand center between 1998 and 1999. Under examination was the extent of substance abuse and psychiatric morbidity, and the subsequent risk of being recommitted to the remand center as a result of further drug use and psychiatric morbidity. The findings revealed that those suffering from “amphetamine-use disorder” were more likely to be recommitted than those who did not suffer from this disorder. No significant difference was found between licit drug use, psychiatric morbidity, or the number of substances used between the group with “amphetamine-use disorder” and the group with no such disorder. In conclusion, since “amphetamine-use disorder” was found to be a factor for reuse and subsequent recommitment to a remand center, early intervention for amphetamine users is suggested. Tables, references