Characterization of a Cohort of Persons Who Use Methamphetamines in London, Ontario, and In-hospital Substance Use

Original research
by
Kim, Harry H. et al

Release Date

2023

Geography

Canada

Language of Resource

English

Full Text Available

No

Open Access / OK to Reproduce

No

Peer Reviewed

Yes

Objective

To describe the sociodemographic characteristics of a cohort of people who use methamphetamine with a history of hospitalizations in London, Ontario, including their substance use patterns, health and social service use patterns, and self-perceived quality of life.

Findings/Key points

55.0% reported using substances during a hospitalization. The survey participants had high rates of health and social service use, as well as emergency department visits. Scores for quality of life and community integration were lower for the study participants compared with general population scores. We found that in-hospital substance use was higher than reported previously, highlighting the need to address this issue to support people who use methamphetamine in the hospital setting.

Design/methods

Participants were recruited from community and hospital settings in Southwest Ontario (n=109)

Keywords

Stimulants
Hospitals
About PWUD