Clinical Characteristics of Adolescents Reporting Methamphetamine as Their Primary Drug of Choice: An Examination of Youth Admitted to Inpatient Substance-Abuse Treatment in Northern British Columbia, Canada, 2001-2005

• NCJ Number: 217777
• Journal: Journal of Adolescent Health Volume: 40 Issue: 3 Dated: March 2007 Pages: 286-289
• Author(s): Russell C. Callaghan Ph.D.; Bruna Brands Ph.D.; Lawren Taylor; Tim Lentz B.Sc.
• Date Published: March 2007
• Length: 4 pages
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Based on an examination of youth admitted to inpatient substance-abuse treatment in Northern British Columbia (Canada) in 2001-2005, this study identified the clinical characteristics of adolescents who reported methamphetamine as their primary drug of choice.

Abstract

The study found that adolescents who reported methamphetamine as their primary drug of choice did not have more severe characteristics as measured by the Addiction Severity Index Self-report (ASI-SR). The factors measured pertained to legal status, psychological health, family/social conflict, alcohol use, and medical disorders. In addition, those who preferred methamphetamine did not show higher levels of treatment dropout in the course of a manual-guided, cognitive-behavioral therapeutic treatment for substance abuse. These findings are consistent with the findings of the only other available study on adolescent methamphetamine treatment (Rawson et al., 2005). The sample consisted of 412 adolescents (235 females) admitted to the treatment center during the study period. The mean age of the patients was 17 years. 1 table and 10 references