Muthanna Medical Journal
Volume 10, Issue 1, 2023 Page 53-66
http://dx.doi.org/10.52113/1/1/2023-53-66
Noor Emad Chachan ¹*, Nesif J. Al-Hemiary ²
Correspondence author: Noorjajan89@gmail.com
¹ Psy Holy Karbala Health Department Imam Hassan Al-Mujtaba Teaching Hospital
² Chairman of the Scientific Council of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, university of Baghdad
Received 26 December 2022, Accepted 15 February 2023, Available online 26 February 2023.
Copyright © 2023 Chachan NE, et al. This is article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited
Copyright © 2023 Chachan NE, et al. This is article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited
Abstract
Major amphetamines include dextroamphetamine, methamphetamine, a combined dextroamphetamine amphetamine salt, and methylphenidate. The narcotics are called crystal or crystal meth. Amphetamines are used to boost performance and produce euphoria by students preparing for exams, long-distance truck drivers on travels, businesspeople with significant deadlines, athletes in competition, and troops in combat. Little is known regarding Iraqi crystal usage. The aim of study is to find out the sociodemographic and clinical characteristic of patient crystal meth use in Iraq and the risk factors of this use. Method: A cross sectional study conducted among 100 patients who were attending Ibn Rushid Psychiatric Training Hospital and addiction clinic in Baghdad Teaching Hospital. The Arabic version of ASSIST questionnaire that screens for all levels of problem or risky substance use in adult was used. 95% of the research participants were male, 51% were under 25 years old, 80% lived in metropolitan areas, and 50% were unmarried. 81% of participants had a primary or intermediate education, and 43% were jobless. 90% of participants started as children or teenagers. 99% smoke and 77% drink 99% experienced sleep problems, 87% were violent. 72% exhibited persecutory hallucination, 81% had jaw spasms. Half the sample had irregular heartbeats and auditory hallucinations. Low education, a history of violence, negative friends, and peer usage all increased amphetamine risk. Inconclusion, most Iraqi meth users were male, unmarried, jobless, and low-educated. Most of them smoked and drank as kids and adolescents. Crystal meth usage in Iraq related to inadequate education, aggression, terrible buddies, and good peer relationships.
Keywords: Socio-demographic, Clinical Characteristics, Risk factors, Crystal Meth, Baghdad, Iraq