A Systematic Review of the Symptom Profile and Course of Methamphetamine-Associated Psychosis: Substance Use and Misuse

AbstractObjectives: The psychiatric symptom profile of methamphetamine-associated psychosis (MAP) has varied considerably across studies of different research designs. We performed a systematic review to examine the available evidence for specific psychotic symptoms associated with MAP, including the clinical course and longitudinal changes in this symptom profile. Methods: Five key electronic databases were searched to identify studies that examined the symptom profile or clinical course of MAP in individuals identified as having MAP. The reporting of specific psychiatric symptoms, and duration of symptoms where available, was recorded for each study. Results: Ninety-four articles were identified (n = 7387), including case-control (k = 29), cross-sectional (k = 20), experimental (k = 6), case report (k = 29), and longitudinal (k = 20) studies. Persecutory delusions, auditory and visual auditory hallucinations were by far the most commonly reported symptoms (reported in 65–84% of studies). Hostility, conc...