Methamphetamine-Related Psychiatric Symptoms with Special Reference to COVID-19 Issues

Abstract

General psychological and physiobiological issues Methamphetamine is a highly addictive stimulant drug that effects the user's central nervous system. The drug enters the brain very quickly, making the substance faster-acting and more addictive than other stimulants. Methamphetamine use is associated with a plethora of both physical and psychological symptoms. Notably, the psychological symptoms related to methamphetamine use can resemble the symptoms of mental health conditions such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. These symptoms include psychosis, hallucinations, delusions, insomnia, irritability, and mood disturbances [1-3]. Methamphetamine withdrawal is accompanied by its own set of associated symptoms, including hostility, hypersomnia, aggression, fatigue, depression, and anhedonia [1,4]. The intensity of these withdrawal symptoms tends to increase as the severity and chronicity of methamphetamine use increases [4]. Research has found that psychiatric symptoms among methamphetamine users are 11 times higher than the symptoms reported by the general public [5]. The presence of psychotic symptoms in methamphetamine users is related to a number of factors including frequency of use, chronicity of use, dosage amount, and the route of administration (i.e. whether it is smoked, snorted, taken intravenously, or ingested) [8,10,11]. Research by Su, et al. (2018) [8] identifi ed personal characteristics such as high impulsivity, previous heroin and tobacco use, and comorbid symptoms of depression and anxiety as risk factors for methamphetamine psychosis, in addition to the risk factors