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Description
In the United States, methamphetamine (MA) use is a growing public health concern, with particularly high rates of MA use in California. MA use has been associated with poor mental health outcomes, including depression, and an increased risk for intimate partner violence (IPV), especially among women. Evidence suggests that a woman's social support is a protective factor that reduces the risk of adverse mental health outcomes. This crosssectional analysis examined the relationship between lifetime physical and sexual IPV, social support and depression. Baseline data of female (n=207) and male (n=219) MA users enrolled in the FASTLANE II Study, an HIV behavioral prevention intervention in San Diego, CA, were used for the analysis. All participants were 18 years or older, tested negative for HIV, selfidentified as heterosexual, had at least one opposite sex partner in the past 2 months, and recently used meth (i.e., snorted, smoked or injected meth) at least once in the past two months. A multivariable logistic regression was performed in order to examine the relationship between IPV and depression, and the interaction between IPV and social support. This sample was ethnically diverse with a majority of women self-identifying as White (38%) and a majority of men self-identifying as African American (40%). About 60% of men and 88% of women reported ever experiencing physical and/or sexual IPV. With regards to the outcome, 66% of men and 80% of women experienced depressive symptoms in the past two weeks. The median social support score among men and women was 26 (interquartile range=:7, 28) and 24 (interquartile range=:7, 28), respectively. Among male MA users, lifetime IPV was found to be associated with depression after adjusting for social support. Social support was associated with depression among men ([aOR]: 0.91; 95% CI: 0.84-0.98) and women ([aOR]: 0.84; 95% CI: 0.76-0.93). Social support was found to be a protective factor for depression among men and women. Programs and services that target MA-using individuals with depressive symptoms may benefit from incorporating a social support component to optimize health outcomes.
