Beginning Early and Assertive Treatment for Methamphetamine Use Disorder

To date, a public health systems approach to enhance linkage and engagement in care for stimulant use disorders is lacking. This shortcoming arises in part from the lack of effective treatments for stimulant use disorders (StUD), the specific pathology of methamphetamine use, and gaps in epidemiologic knowledge related to methamphetamine use disorder. Unlike opioid use disorders, for which medications relieve dysphoric symptoms of acute withdrawal and prevent relapse, patients with StUD present to care with methamphetamine-induced psychosis and may be combative, agitated, and poorly insightful to their need for treatment. In response to community demands, our team at Denver Health recently established a pilot program, Beginning Early and Assertive Treatment for Methamphetamine Use Disorder (BEAT Meth), to protocolize the assessment and treatment of patients with methamphetamine-induced psychosis.The current research project aims to develop and conduct process and outcomes evaluations of a linkage intervention aimed at increasing continuation and engagement in treatment for stimulant use disorder.