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‘Ecstasy’ and the use of sleep medications in a general community sample: a 4‐year follow‐up
Author(s) -
Tait Robert J.,
George Amanda,
Olesen Sarah
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
addiction
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.424
H-Index - 193
eISSN - 1360-0443
pISSN - 0965-2140
DOI - 10.1111/add.12200
Subject(s) - ecstasy , medicine , psychosocial , depression (economics) , confidence interval , mdma , psychiatry , cannabis , odds ratio , psychology , economics , macroeconomics
Aims Animal models show that a single dose of 3,4‐methylenedioxymethamhetamine ( MDMA ; ‘ecstasy’) can result in long‐term disruption of sleep. We evaluated the relationship between ecstasy consumption and the use of sleep medications in humans after controlling for key factors. Design The P ersonality and T otal H ealth T hrough L ife project uses a longitudinal cohort with follow‐up every 4 years. This study reports data from waves 2 and 3. Setting Participants were recruited from the electoral roll in the A ustralian C apital T erritory and Q ueanbeyan, N ew S outh W ales, A ustralia. Participants Participants were aged 20–24 years at wave 1 (1999–2000). Measures The study collected self‐reported data on ecstasy, meth/amphetamine, cannabis, alcohol, tobacco and use of sleeping medications (pharmaceutical or other substances). Depression was categorized using the B rief P atient H ealth Q uestionnaire ( BPHQ ). Other psychosocial measures included life‐time traumas. We used generalized estimating equations to model outcomes. Findings Ecstasy data were available from 2128 people at wave 2 and 1977 at wave 3: sleeping medication use was reported by 227 (10.7%) respondents at wave 2 and 239 (12.1%) at wave 3. Increased odds ratios ( OR ) for sleeping medication use was found for those with depression [ OR = 1.88, 95% confidence interval ( CI ): 1.39, 2.53], women ( OR = 1.44, 95% CI : 1.13, 1.84), and increased by 19% for each life‐time trauma. Ecstasy use was not a significant predictor, but ≥monthly versus never meth/amphetamine use increased the odds ( OR = 3.03, 95% CI 1.30, 7.03). Conclusion The use of ecstasy appears to be associated with the use of sleeping medications but this association can be accounted for by other factors.