Understanding methamphetamine use and related harms in metropolitan and regional Victoria

A series of projects is embedded in our existing prospective cohort study (known as VMAX) of 745 Victorians living in metropolitan and rural areas who smoke methamphetamine. The aim of the current 5-year study is to examine the nature and extent of methamphetamine use and cost-effective approaches of delivering treatment services to people who use methamphetamine. The study is in its second year. Students will work with staff at Monash University and the Burnet Institute and be involved in the timely and significant examination of methamphetamine use and harms that will transform our understanding of the natural history of use of the drug. It is expected that each study will result in a co-authored publication. Some potential project examples include Access to health services for people who use methamphetamine Well-developed accessible health service systems have been associated with a reduction in aggregate alcohol and other drug related-harms at a population level. To prevent and reduce the adverse consequences of methamphetamine use, it is crucial to understand how people who use methamphetamine utilise services. The aim of this quantitative study is to examine longitudinal patterns of health service utilisation by people who smoke methamphetamine. Parents who use methamphetamine The use of methamphetamine has received unprecedented media coverage. Methamphetamine-related acute harms have been the focus of several government enquiries but little is known about the impact of methamphetamine use by parents on their children (under the age of 18 years). The aim of this mixed methods study is to quantitatively examine the characteristics of children whose parents smoke methamphetamine and conduct qualitative interviews with a subset of these parents to explore their experience of parenting. Involuntary mental health treatment and methamphetamine use behaviours There is extensive evidence and literature regarding the comorbidity of methamphetamine use and mental health problems. These problems can lead to involuntary mental health treatment. However, little is known about the impact of involuntary mental health treatment upon an individual's methamphetamine use trajectory or their ongoing social functioning. The aim of this qualitative study is to explore how involuntary mental health treatment influences help seeking and subsequent drug use amongst people who smoke methamphetamine. Self-management strategies to reduce methamphetamine use Evidence suggests that methamphetamine dependence can resolve spontaneously in the absence of treatment. However, little is known about the predictors and perceived effectiveness of self-management strategies to reduce methamphetamine use. The aim of this quantitative study is to identify and assess the perceived effectiveness of self-management strategies that methamphetamine users try to reduce their use.