title: Are ecstasy users biased toward endorsing somatic mental health symptoms? Results from a general community sample.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Whether the reported poorer mental health of ecstasy users is due to a bias in endorsement of somatic symptoms has been postulated, but rarely examined.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study is to investigate whether levels of ecstasy use were associated with differential probabilities of endorsing somatic mental health symptoms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Current ecstasy users aged 24-30 years (n = 316) were identified from a population-based Australian study. Measures included frequency of ecstasy, meth/amphetamine, and cannabis use and the Goldberg anxiety/depression symptom scales.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Multiple indicator, multiple cause models demonstrated no bias towards endorsing somatic symptoms with higher ecstasy use, both with and without adjustment for gender, cannabis, and meth/amphetamine use.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Other studies using alternate measures of mental health should adopt this approach to determine if there is a bias in the endorsement of somatic symptoms among ecstasy users.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Applied Psychology, University of Canberra, Canberra ACT, Australia. amanda.george@canberra.edu.au
authors.forename: Amanda M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: George
authors.forename: Tim D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Windsor
authors.forename: Bryan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Rodgers
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019969:Amphetamine-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D008603:Mental Health; D008875:Middle Aged; D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D018817:N-Methyl-3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine