Impulsivity and depression in Chinese male methamphetamine abusers during chronic withdrawal: the mediating role of fatigue

Abstract Background: Impulsivity and depression are considered to have a crucial role in the process of Methamphetamine dependence withdrawal. However, little is known about the underlying factors that influence the relationship in Methamphetamine users. Previous studies indicated that fatigue was present in a variety of neurological diseases and tended to increase during late Methamphetamine withdrawal. Thus, this study aimed to explore whether fatigue takes part in mediating the association between impulsivity and depression. Methods: 112 Methamphetamine users in late withdrawal period were recruited from Wenzhou Huanglong Detoxification Institute of Zhejiang province. The conditions of impulsivity, fatigue and depression were respectively measured by Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS-11), the 14-item Fatigue Scale (FS-14) and the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9). Results: Our finding suggested that impulsivity positively correlated with fatigue and depression. Mediating effect analysis showed that fatigue has a mediating role in the relationship between impulsivity and depression. Conclusion: Results confirm and extend the research on the mechanisms of impulsivity and depression as well as fatigue of METH users during late methamphetamine withdrawal. These findings suggest that interventions designed to reduce depression may also be effective if they focus on cut down on feelings of fatigue in METH users, particularly for METH users with higher levels of impulsivity.