Methamphetamine use and technology-mediated psychosocial interventions: A mini-review

Area of Science:

• Addiction Medicine
• Digital Health
• Psychosocial Interventions

Background:

• Methamphetamine (MA) users face barriers to in-person treatment, including polysubstance use, mental health issues, cognitive impairment, and isolation.
• Technology-mediated interventions offer accessible and flexible alternatives for engaging MA users in treatment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the evidence on the effectiveness of telephone, mHealth (text-messaging, apps), and computer-based interventions for methamphetamine use.
• To identify potential benefits and limitations of different technology modalities for MA treatment.

Main Methods:

• A mini-review of eight studies evaluating technology-mediated interventions for MA use.
• Studies included telephone counselling, mHealth (text-messaging and apps), and computer-based interventions.

Main Results:

• Telephone counselling showed small improvements in MA-related outcomes, particularly for active users.
• Text-messaging interventions demonstrated small but significant reductions in MA use among non-treatment seekers.
• Smartphone apps and computer-based interventions did not yield statistically significant reductions in MA use in the reviewed studies.

Conclusions:

• Telephone counselling may be effective in aftercare for MA users.
• Text-messaging shows potential for engaging individuals not actively seeking treatment.
• Further research is needed to adapt interventions to MA user characteristics and explore specific technology modalities.