U.S. trends in methamphetamine-involved psychiatric hospitalizations in the United States, 2015–2019

Abstract

BackgroundIn the U.S., overdose deaths and substance treatment admissions related to methamphetamine are rising. This study aims to measure and compare U.S. temporal trends in methamphetamine-involved psychiatric hospitalizations. MethodsWe conducted a population-based, trend analysis of U.S. psychiatric hospitalizations and calculated quarterly (Q) rates per 100,000 population of substance-involved psychiatric hospitalizations. We assessed U.S. regional quarterly percentage hospitalization rate changes using Joinpoint regression. ResultsFrom Q4 2015-Q4 2019, there were 963,202 psychiatric hospitalizations, 50,223 (5.2 %) involved methamphetamine and 102,877 (10.7 %) involved opioids and/or cocaine without methamphetamine. Methamphetamine-involved psychiatric hospitalization rates increased by 68.0 %, psychiatric hospitalizations rates involving opioid and/or cocaine without methamphetamine decreased by 22 %, while nonsubstance-involved psychiatric hospitalizations rates remained unchanged. The largest significant increases in methamphetamine-involved psychiatric hospitalization rates were among people >61 years old, males, and Midwesterners. Methamphetamine-involved psychiatric hospitalization rates doubled among Black patients. The largest average percent increase among methamphetamine-involved psychiatric hospitalizations was 10.2 % from Q4 2015-Q2 2017 in the Midwest. Conclusion and relevanceMost psychiatric hospitalizations did not involve substances. Methamphetamine-involved psychiatric hospitalizations greatly increased while opioid-involved psychiatric hospitalizations decreased, but involved more total encounters. Greater access to harm reduction services, contingency management programs, and mental health services is urgently needed.