Comparison of social and sociodemographic characteristics and treatment goals of persons with alcohol versus drug use disorders: Result from a national census of inpatients in specialized treatment for substance use

Impaired or not impaired: The accuracy of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment in detecting cognitive impairment among patients with alcohol use disorder

BACKGROUND

Cognitive impairments are common in alcohol use disorder (AUD), but only a few studies have investigated the accuracy of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) in this population. We examined the accuracy and precision of the MoCA in detecting cognitive impairment in a sample of patients with AUD. In addition, we investigated whether the MoCA predicts premature discontinuation from treatment.

METHOD

A sample of 126 persons with AUD undergoing treatment in specialist health services were administered the MoCA and a battery of 12 neuropsychological tests. Five cognitive domains were derived from the reference tests. A composite total score from these tests was used as a reference criterion for determining correct and incorrect classifications for the MoCA. We analyzed the optimal cut-off score for the MoCA and the accuracy and agreement of classification between the MoCA and the reference tests.

RESULTS

Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyzes yielded an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.77 (95% CI [0.67, 0.87]). Applying 25 as the cut-off, MoCA sensitivity was 0.77 and specificity 0.62. The PPV was 0.53. The NPV was 0.84. Using a cut-off score of 24 yielded a lower sensitivity 0.60, but specificity was significantly better i.e., 0.79. PPV was 0.68. The NPV was 0.82. Kappa agreement between MoCA and the reference tests was fair to moderate, 0.38 for the cut-off of 25, and 0.44 for the cut-off of 24. MoCA did not predict discontinuation from treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings indicate limitations in the classification accuracy of the MoCA in predicting cognitive impairment in AUD. Achieving the right balance between accurately identifying impaired cases without including too many false positives can be challenging. Further, MoCA does not predict discontinuation from treatment. Overall, the results do not support MoCA as a time-efficient screening instrument.

Mental Health, Environmental, and Socioeconomic Geographic Factors of Severe Drug Addiction: Analysis of Rehabilitation Center Data in Indonesia

Background

A growing number of recent literatures have attempted to document the factors related to drug use in different contexts, but limited studies analyzed the factors related to patient's severity level.

Objective

We aimed to examine the correlates of behavioral, environmental, socioeconomic, geographic factors, and severe drug addiction.

Methods

We used a sample of 6790 people who use drugs (PWUD) from rehabilitation centers during 2019 to 2020 in Indonesia. Data were obtained from Drugs Rehabilitation Information System (SIRENA) by the Indonesian National Narcotics Agency (BNN) during 2019 to 2020. SIRENA used the adapted version of WHO's Addiction Severity Index (ASI), which assesses patient's addiction severity level and relevant factors. A composite of the ASI factors is classified as "poor" or "serious" if its score is 4 or higher. The data was analyzed using logistic regression model to estimate correlations of severe drug addiction.

Results

We found a high prevalence (65.08%) of our sample reported having severe drug addiction, which needed intervention and support. Poor psychiatric condition (OR = 4.02, CI: 2.97-5.44), serious work-related issue (OR = 2.10, 1.75-2.51), poor medical condition (OR = 2.01, 1.32-3.06), and serious family and social problems (OR = 2.56, 2.15-3.05) were significantly associated with severe drug addiction. Male users had higher odds of severe drug addiction (OR = 1.81, 1.55-2.20), compared to female counterparts. Patients in urban areas had higher odds of severe drug addiction (OR = 1.19, 1.1-1.3) than those in rural. Those in less developed regions (eg, Sumatera, Kalimantan, and Sulawesi) had higher odds of severe drug addiction (OR = 2.33, 1.9-2.9), compared to those in the most developed region (eg, Java and Bali).

Conclusion

This evidence can help policymakers in refining the harm reduction policies in Indonesia and other countries with similar settings.

Culturally tailored substance use interventions for Indigenous people of North America: a systematic review

Purpose–

The purpose of the current study is to conduct a systematic review of peer-reviewed work on culturally tailored interventions for alcohol and drug use in Indigenous adults in North America. Substance use has been reported as a health concern for many Indigenous communities. Indigenous groups experienced the highest drug overdose death rates in 2015, the largest percentage increase in the number of deaths over time from 1999 to 2015 compared to any other racial group. However, few Indigenous individuals report participating in treatment for alcohol or drug use, which may reflect the limited engagement that Indigenous groups have with treatment options that are accessible, effective and culturally integrative.

Design/methodology/approach–

Electronic searches were conducted from 2000 to April 21, 2021, using PsycINFO, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, MEDLINE and PubMed. Two reviewers classified abstracts for study inclusion, resulting in 18 studies.

Findings–

Most studies were conducted in the USA (89%). Interventions were largely implemented in Tribal/rural settings (61%), with a minority implemented in both Tribal and urban contexts (11%). Study samples ranged from 4 to 742 clients. Interventions were most often conducted in residential treatment settings (39%). Only one (6%) intervention focused on opioid use among Indigenous people. Most interventions addressed the use of both drugs and alcohol (72%), with only three (17%) interventions specifically intended to reduce alcohol use.

Originality/value–

The results of this research lend insight into the characteristics of culturally integrative treatment options for Indigenous groups and highlight the need for increased investment in research related to culturally tailored treatment across the diverse landscape of Indigenous populations.