Amphetamine use and mental health difficulties across adolescence and young adulthood: An integrative data analysis of four Australasian cohort studies

Abstract

Background and aims: The use of amphetamines (including amphetamine and methamphetamine) has been consistently associated with mental health difficulties; however, the direction of potential causal relationships has not yet been established. This study aimed to assess the direction relationships between illicit amphetamine use and mental health difficulties across adolescence and young adulthood. Design: Observational study of four population-level cohorts participating in the Monitoring Illicit Substance Use (MISUse) Consortium. Setting: Australia and New Zealand. Participants: A total of 7527 participants (51% female) were used: Christchurch Health and Development Study (n = 1056), Austral..