The Impact of Amphetamine-Related Disorders on Community Psychiatric Emergency Services: 1993-1997

Trends in number, relative prevalence, and demographics of adult psychiatric admissions to the county psychiatric emergency service in Sacramento, California, for treatment of Amphetamine-Related Disorders (ARDs) (N = 2,428) between July 1993 and July 1997 were examined. ARDs accounted for 11.2% of all emergency admissions (N = 21,615) and were the most frequent substance-related disorder requiring admission during the study period. Patients with ARDs tended to be Caucasian or Hispanic males in their mid 30s. 38% of the ARD patients required further inpatient psychiatric care. The trends in numbers of ARDs tended to parallel other local and national non-psychiatric indicators of amphetamine-induced morbidity.