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SANDAG report: Meth-use and mental illness show strong connection in inmate data

San Diego Union-Tribune - 11/28/2019

Adults arrested in San Diego County who have tried methamphetamine are more likely to also have received a diagnosis of mental health issues, according to a report released earlier this month by the San Diego Association of Governments.

SANDAG surveyed 465 adults booked into local jails last year and found 317 reported they had used meth at some point. The remaining 148 said they had not.

Of those who reported they had used meth, 41 percent reported also having a mental health diagnosis, compared to 22 percent of those who said they had never done the drug.

Similarly, 36 percent of those who had used meth reported having had suicidal thoughts, compared to 20 percent of those who had never used the drug.

As San Diego faces a 19-year-high for methamphetamine use among inmate populations, this issue is worth understanding, according to Cynthia Burke, director of SANDAG's criminal justice program.

"We want to bring attention to it," Burke said.

The report is part of a series highlighting data collected as a part of the ongoing San Diego County Substance Abuse Monitoring Program. The study does not claim that meth-use causes mental illness, but attempts to explain — at least in part — the complicated relationship between the two.

"Because meth use can result in psychotic-like symptoms and individuals may self-medicate with illicit substances to alleviate mental health symptoms, the relationship between drug use and mental health is a complex one," the report reads.

The study also draws attention to links between methamphetamine-use and homelessness.

Of those inmates with a dual diagnosis — meth abuse and mental health issues — over half were homeless at the time of their arrest versus a third of those who reported they had not used meth and had no diagnosed mental illness. Eighty-six percent of those who had used meth and reported having a mental health diagnosis said they had been homeless at one time, compared to 55 percent of those who had not used meth and no diagnosed mental illness, according to the report.

Burke said it's important for local authorities to work together to help this at-risk population.

"As our community struggles to address the needs of individuals with these types of dual diagnosis issues, many of whom are also homeless, it is important that we work collaboratively to get people the help they need but may be unable to get for themselves due to their substance use or mental health issues," Burke said in a statement.

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