The psychostimulant check-up: A pilot study of a brief intervention to reduce illicit stimulant use

Abstract

<h4>Introduction and aims</h4>This study is to test the acceptability of a single-session 'check-up' intervention for psychostimulant users and document participants' subsequent progress in reducing psychostimulant use and related harms.<h4>Design and methods</h4>The design was pre-experimental single-group repeated measures. Eighty participants received the Psychostimulant Check-Up, with 62% completing a 3 month follow up.<h4>Results</h4>Participants were predominantly young adult methamphetamine users. The majority indicated that the Check-Up answered their questions, increased their awareness of services, and they would recommend it to their friends. At follow up, there was a significant reduction in self-reported methamphetamine use, the number of self-reported psychostimulant-related negative consequences experienced in the previous month and rates of injecting: 62% self-reported at least a 1 g reduction in methamphetamine use.<h4>Discussion and conclusions</h4>The intervention was well accepted and the majority of those who received it subsequently made meaningful reductions in psychostimulant use and related harm. The intervention offers sufficient promise to warrant a randomised trial to establish whether improvements were specific to the intervention.