Clinical characteristics and treatment resource utilization among patients with substance use disorders: A comparative study of individuals who misuse pharmaceuticals and use illegal drugs
Takashi Usami, Toshihiko Matsumoto, Kyoji Okita, Tomohiro Nakao, Takuya Shimane · 2025
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Description
Takashi Usami and four co-authors compare two kinds of drug patients in Japan in a 2025 study. Misuse of prescription and over-the-counter medicines is rising alongside the familiar illegal drugs. Whether the two groups need different care was unclear.
From a 2024 nationwide hospital survey, the team analyzed 891 patients: 368 who used methamphetamine or cannabis, and 523 who misused sedatives, anti-anxiety drugs, or pharmacy medicines. The medication group had more young women, more self-harm, and more co-occurring mental illness. The illegal drug group skewed male and older, with deeper dependence, and used group therapy, self-help, and rehabilitation more. Statistical modeling confirmed the contrasts were independent of other factors. The authors argue treatment systems built for street drugs may underserve the pharmacy-drug group, whose profile calls for closer psychiatric and self-harm care.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Takashi Usami, Toshihiko Matsumoto, Kyoji Okita, Tomohiro Nakao, Takuya Shimane |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2025 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 38 KB |
| VERSION | 1.0 |
| LICENSE | CC BY 4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |