The data from this study combined with the other studies reviewed in this article suggest that psychiatric comorbidity is a major health concern when treating addiction to stimulant drugs such as MA. It may well be that standard drug treatment interventions need to take into consideration integrated treatment of both MA-induced and other Axis I disorders with symptoms such as psychosis, depression and anxiety when developing a treatment regimen. Many comorbid symptoms are exacerbated by ongoing MA use and, conversely, remaining abstinent reduces the severity of psychiatric symptoms (Zweben et al., 2004; Glasner-Edwards et al., 2009). The international studies reviewed within this paper suggest that comorbid psychiatric disorders are a global public concern.
