Depression, craving and amphetamine use: Findings from a study on the efficacy of extended release naltrexone for treating amphetamine dependence in Iceland

Abstract

Amphetamine dependence is a serious, growing problem around the world and Iceland is no exception. Neuropsychological theory, animal studies and a few clinical studies suggest that naltrexone might be beneficial in the treatment of amphetamine dependence. However, depression might affect outcomes in treatment of substance dependence. In the current study, 32 participants were followed six months after completing a 24 week randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial testing the efficacy of naltrexone as an adjunct to treatment as usual for 100 amphetamine dependent treatment seeking patients. Individuals with moderate to severe depression symptoms were shown to experience more intense amphetamine craving and use amphetamine more frequently than individuals with minimal to mild depression symptoms six months after treatment ended. The severity of depression symptoms was shown to be strongly positively correlated to the intensity of amphetamine craving. There are good reasons for future research to investigate the role of depression in treatment of amphetamine dependence, since the results could be utilized to individualize and enhance treatment and relapse prevention.