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Polysubstance Abuse (polysubstance + abuse)

Distribution by Scientific Domains

Psychology	75%

Selected Abstracts

Feasibility and validity of low-budget telephonic follow-up interviews in routine outcome monitoring of substance abuse treatment

ADDICTION, Issue 7 2009
Suzan C.C. Oudejans
ABSTRACT Aims Routine outcome monitoring (ROM) is receiving growing attention. However, follow-up interviews are time-consuming and costly. This study examines the feasibility and validity of low-budget telephonic follow-up interviews for ROM in a substance abuse treatment centre (SATC). Design Observational study using data collected for routine outcome monitoring. Setting The study was performed in a SATC in an urban area in the Netherlands. Participants Feasibility and validity were assessed on data of 2325 patients. Measurements Data on pre-treatment socio-demographic and clinical characteristics were collected using electronic patient records (EPRs) and the European version of the Addiction Severity Index (EuropASI). Data on intensity of treatment were also collected through the EPRs. Telephonic follow-up interviews were conducted between 9 and 10 months after intake. Findings A 53% follow-up rate was achieved; 35% of the patients could not be contacted, 3% explicitly refused and in 8% other reasons accounted for non-participation. About 50% of the interviews took place in the intended time-frame. Costs were ,40 ($57) per completed interview. There were indications of selection bias, because patients with cocaine as their primary problem and patients with polysubstance abuse were under-represented in the follow-up sample; the presence of these disorders is associated with negative treatment outcome. Conclusions Implementing telephonic low-budget follow-up interviews for ROM is feasible, but selection bias threatens internal validity of data, limiting generalization to the total treatment population. Increased efforts to track patients for follow-up may improve generalization. [source]

"Ice" use and eating disorders: A report of three cases

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EATING DISORDERS, Issue 2 2009
Alice Neale MD
Abstract Objective: To describe the use of crystal methamphetamine hydrochloride "ice," a powerful, synthetic stimulant drug associated with rapid weight loss. Method: We report the first three cases of young women "ice" users requiring admission to a specialized eating disorders unit. Results: Case one had no prior history of an eating disorder and became emaciated following regular use of "ice"; she regarded weight gain positively. Case 2 had polysubstance abuse since early adolescence and commenced binge eating and vomiting in response to weight gain when not using "ice"; she learned to maintain her weight without weight losing behaviors. Case 3 developed anorexia nervosa in early adolescence, required numerous inpatient admissions and commenced using stimulant drugs for weight loss in her late teens; she discharged prematurely. All patients had features of personality disorder on interview and drug abuse had impaired their work and social adjustment. Discussion: "Ice" use may be associated with the onset of disordered eating or used as an efficient weight losing behavior in an established eating disorder. © 2008 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Eat Disord 2009. [source]

Predictors of treatment outcome in dually-diagnosed antisocial youth: an initial study of forensic inpatients

BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES & THE LAW, Issue 2 2004
Richard Rogers Ph.D.
The safe and effective management of adolescent offenders is a top priority for inpatient forensic programs. Treatment successes were examined for adolescent offenders on four parameters, specifically hospital course, level of improvement, time to discharge, and rapidity of improvement. Hospital course was predicted primarily by the breadth of polysubstance abuse with modest but independent contributions by psychopathic characteristics, and aggressive conduct-disorder symptoms. An important finding for treatment was that level of improvement at discharge was only marginally affected by psychopathic traits. In addition, rapidity of improvement was predicted only by decreased polysubstance abuse. Approximately one-fourth of the adolescent offenders experienced a substantial decrease in psychopathic characteristics. This finding was unexpected because the generic treatment program did not target the core elements of psychopathy. Even in the absence of nontreatment controls, this diminution of psychopathic traits in 25% of adolescent offenders raises important questions about the temporal stability of these traits and their potential amenability to generic interventions. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source]