The United States has seen a rise in the prescribing of amphetamines. A serious adverse outcome of amphetamine use is psychosis or mania. An American Journal of Psychiatry article reports a study of over 1300 case subjects and over 2500 controls between the ages of 16 and 35. The patients were located via electronic health records from McLean Hospital between 2005 and 2019.
Case subjects = hospitalized for incident psychosis or mania
Control subjects = hospitalized for an initial psychiatric reason, such as anxiety and/or depression
Results showed that those patients who had taken prescription amphetamine within the past month had higher odds of mania and psychosis. Higher doses were linked to an over 5-fold likelihood of mania or psychosis. Use of methylphenidate did not show the same increase.
The authors of the study caution the prescribing of amphetamines in high doses, and recommend regular screening for signs and symptoms of mania or psychosis.
See also:
Marijuana May Exacerbate Symptoms of Psychosis in Those That Are Susceptible
Research Study on N-Acetyl Cysteine for Methamphetamine Addiction
ADD/ADHD Medications Account for Many Calls to Poison Control
Source:
Moran LV, Skinner JP, Shinn AK, et al. Risk of incident psychosis and mania with prescription amphetamines. Am J Psychiatry. 12 September 2024.
