February 2024 Journal Club – Reduced Use vs. Abstinence: Insights from a NIDA Study on Stimulant Use Disorder

“I’m still using meth, but only once this week”. What does this mean?! This NIDA study bravely took a step towards understanding what a reported reduction in methamphetamine (MA) or cocaine use might mean for people with stimulant use disorder (do). It found that at about three months’ time “Reduced Use” of stimulants- defined as going from high frequency use (5+ days per month) to low frequency use (1-4 days per month) was associated with lower self-reported ratings for problems from other drug and alcohol use, less depression, better clinical global impression ratings and lower cravings. There were not significant changes in ratings of family/social function or psychiatric symptoms, nor had people achieved low HIV risk behaviors or “problem free functioning”. Those who became abstinent, however, experienced improvements in all of the above, and to a greater degree.