Abstract
Methamphetamine has become a drug of concern in many countries. This qualitative study reports on the historical and current psychological and physical health of a group of methamphetamine users in Auckland, New Zealand in 2004, most of whom were in drug treatment. Participants reported they had experienced a range of physical health problems including those relating to lack of eating, skin problems, and cardiovascular and respiratory issues. Psychological problems included hallucinatory experiences, lack of sleep, feelings and acts of aggression and poor self-esteem. SF-36 results indicated that current health status was perceived as generally ‘good’, possibly due to many having stopped using the drug. Many participants were poly drug users so attribution to methamphetamine use remains problematic. Despite this, and the limitations of a small, urban, New Zealand population, this study adds to the body of quantitative research in this area.
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Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank all the participants who volunteered to be interviewed. Thanks also to Kirsten Norris, who conducted the interviews and assisted with transcribing, and Karen Day for the data analysis support provided. We are also grateful to Justin Pulford who provided feedback on an earlier version of the paper. The research was funded by the New Zealand Drug Foundation and The University of Auckland. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the funders.
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Butler, R., Wheeler, A. & Sheridan, J. Physical and Psychological Harms and Health Consequences of Methamphetamine Use Amongst a Group of New Zealand Users. Int J Ment Health Addiction 8, 432–443 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-009-9213-5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11469-009-9213-5