Screening Methods : Observation/General Indicators

History, Pharmacology, and Prevalence
- Methamphetamine Overview Methamphetamine Overview
- Cocaine Overview Cocaine Overview
- Differences between Stimulants Differences between Stimulants
  - Methamphetamine and Amphetamines
  - Methamphetamine and Cocaine
- Heroin Overview Heroin Overview
- Overview of Various Other Illicit Drugs Overview of Various Other Illicit Drugs
Clandestine Labs and Forms of Methamphetamine
- Clandestine Drug Labs Clandestine Drug Labs
- Forms of Methamphetamine Forms of Methamphetamine
  - Introduction
  - Ice
  - Powder
  - Liquid
  - Base
  - Tablets
Levels of Illicit Drug Use and Factors Contributing to Use
- Levels of Use Levels of Use
- Levels of Dependency Levels of Dependency
- Factors Underlying Use and Abuse Factors Underlying Use and Abuse
Health Consequences of Illicit Drug Use
- Health Effects of Methamphetamine Health Effects of Methamphetamine
  - General Health Effects
  - Medical Complications
- Health Effects of Cocaine Health Effects of Cocaine
  - General Health Effects
  - Medical Complications
- Health Effects of Heroin Health Effects of Heroin
  - General Health Effects
  - Medical Complications
- Overdose Overdose
Treatment Modalities and Treatment Settings for Illicit Drug Abuse
- Psychosocial Treatment Psychosocial Treatment
- Pharmacological Treatments Pharmacological Treatments
- Treatment Settings Treatment Settings
Illicit Drug Screening, Brief Intervention, and Treatment Placement
- Screening in Primary Care Settings Screening in Primary Care Settings
  - The Debate
- Screening Methods Screening Methods
- Brief Interventions Brief Interventions
- Referring Users to Treatment Referring Users to Treatment
  - Linking Clients to Services in Arizona

Illicit Drug Screening, Brief Intervention, and Treatment Placement
Screening Methods: Observation/General Indicators

One approach to screening is to observe whether there are physical, psychological, behavioral, or social indicators that suggest the misuse of drugs. For example, in the case of methamphetamine, one could look for characteristics such as:[1-4]

Physical Indicators

Damaged and discolored teeth
Skin lesions due to users picking at “meth bugs”
Needle marks from injections
Chemical burns acquired while cooking MA
Tachycardia (rapid heartbeat)
Tachypnea (rapid respiration)
Tremor
Hypertension
Dry mouth
Mydriasis (excessive pupil dilation)
Blurry vision

Psychological and Behavioral Indicators

Disheveled appearance
Impairments in working memory, attention, and executive function
Impaired judgment
Sense of euphoria
Increase in energy, wakefulness, attention, self-confidence, and sexuality
Irritability
Impulsivity
Insomnia
Nausea
Dizziness
Anorexia
Suspiciousness
Violent behavior
Psychosis

Social Indicators

Absenteeism from or other trouble at work or school
Arrest
Estrangement from friends
Familial problems
Communicable diseases

The reliability of simple observation is dependent in part on the experience and expertise of the observer as well as on the extent to which a client actually manifests various characteristics. Also, reliability can be limited by the possibility that indicators that may seem to be associated with drug misuse could be due to other factors. As such, while observation can be helpful, it is often best used in conjunction with additional screening procedures.

References

(1) Wolkoff DA. Methamphetamine abuse: an overview for health care professionals. Hawaii Medical Journal 1997 Feb;56(2):34-6.
(2) Lineberry TW. Methamphetamine Abuse: A Perfect Storm of Complications. Mayo Clinic Proceedings 2006 Jan 1;81(1):77-84.
(3) Barr AM, Panenka WJ, MacEwan GW, Thornton AE, Lang DJ, Honer WG, et al. The need for speed: an update on methamphetamine addiction. Journal of Psychiatry and Neuroscience 2006 Mar 6;31(5):301-13.
(4) NIDA. Methamphetamine: Abuse and Addiction. Rockville, MD; 2006 Sep.

Illicit Drug Screening, Brief Intervention, and Treatment Placement Screening Methods: Observation/General Indicators

References

Illicit Drug Screening, Brief Intervention, and Treatment Placement
Screening Methods: Observation/General Indicators