Association of methamphetamine use with depressive symptoms and gender differences in this association: a meta-analysis

Background: Methamphetamine (MA) use has been empirically associated with depressive symptoms, but there is also evidence suggesting that MA dependence is not significantly higher in depressed groups and that the association may not be significant after controlling for social factors. To explore potential differences, we performed a meta-analysis of MA use with depression. Methods: A literature search using PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar yielded 13 studies with 3,683 subjects to assess differences in depressive symptoms between MA users and nonusers and 5 studies with 2,191 subjects to assess gender differences in depression in MA users. In a systematic meta-analysis, we also tested the moderating effects of age, gender, ethnicity, measurement tools, and the duration of MA use. Results: MA users exhibited significantly higher levels of depressive symptoms than control individuals, and the female gender was associated with higher levels of depression. Moderating effects indicated that higher male percentage, higher mean age, and higher Caucasian percentage of the sample were associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms; however, no significant differences were found for measurement tools and the duration of MA use. Conclusion: We found that MA users reported significantly more depressive symptoms than non-MA-using healthy controls.