Methamphetamine treatment outcomes among gay men attending a LGBTI-specific treatment service in Sydney, Australia

PLoS One. 2017 Feb 16;12(2):e0172560. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0172560. eCollection 2017.

Abstract

Gay and bisexual men (GBM) report higher rates of methamphetamine use compared to heterosexual men, and thus have a heightened risk of developing problems from their use. We examined treatment outcomes among GBM clients receiving outpatient counseling at a lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI)-specific, harm reduction treatment service in Sydney, Australia. GBM receiving treatment for methamphetamine use from ACON's Substance Support Service between 2012-15 (n = 101) were interviewed at treatment commencement, and after 4 sessions (n = 60; follow-up 1) and 8 sessions (n = 32; follow-up 2). At each interview, clients completed measures of methamphetamine use and dependence, other substance use, injecting risk practices, psychological distress and quality of life. The median age of participants was 41 years and 56.4% identified as HIV-positive. Participants attended a median of 5 sessions and attended treatment for a median of 112 days. There was a significant reduction in the median days of methamphetamine use in the previous 4 weeks between baseline (4 days), follow-up 1 (2 days) and follow-up 2 (2 days; p = .001). There was a significant reduction in the proportion of participants reporting methamphetamine dependence between baseline (92.1%), follow-up 1 (78.3%) and follow-up 2 (71.9%, p < .001). There were also significant reductions in psychological distress (p < .001), and significant improvements in quality of life (p < .001). Clients showed reductions in methamphetamine use and improved psychosocial functioning over time, demonstrating the potential effectiveness of a LGBTI-specific treatment service.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Ambulatory Care
  • Amphetamine-Related Disorders / epidemiology*
  • Amphetamine-Related Disorders / psychology
  • Amphetamine-Related Disorders / therapy*
  • Australia / epidemiology
  • Bisexuality
  • Central Nervous System Stimulants / therapeutic use*
  • Female
  • Homosexuality, Male / psychology
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Methamphetamine / therapeutic use*
  • Middle Aged
  • Quality of Life*
  • Sexual Behavior
  • Substance Abuse Treatment Centers / statistics & numerical data*
  • Transgender Persons
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Central Nervous System Stimulants
  • Methamphetamine

Grants and funding

The Centre for Social Research in Health receives funding from the Australian Government Department of Health. ACON receives funding from the NSW Ministry of Health, and the Substance Support Service is funded by the Australian Government Department of Health. The funding bodies had no involvement in the conduct of this study or the preparation of this manuscript. The authors received no specific funding for this work.