Since the patient may have used stimulants during the past 12 months, they may still be at risk for adverse outcomes despite no use in the past 3 months and may meet DSM-5 criteria for Stimulant Use Disorder.
Note: Patients who report no past 12 months stimulant use are currently at an undetermined risk for adverse outcomes associated with stimulant use. Those who report stimulant use in previous years but have not used in the past 12 months may be at risk for relapse or other complications.
- Prevention Resources – NIDA
- A Comprehensive Approach to Drug Prevention – Office of National Drug Control Policy
The suggested action for a “no recent (i.e. no past 3 months) stimulant use” result is to deliver a prevention message to continue abstinence. This is especially relevant for young adults and patients with medical conditions that may be worsened by stimulant use. Ask additional questions to determine use frequency and patterns in the previous time periods in order to better determine risk level.
- Give positive reinforcement for abstinence.
- Personalize the prevention message as much as possible.
- For example: support recent abstinence for patients with depression, discuss the link between substance use and depressive symptoms.