Treatment compliance in patients with comorbid psychiatric and substance use disorders

Bovine colostrum supplementation as a new perspective in depression and substance use disorder treatment: a randomized placebo-controlled study

Introduction

This randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, parallel study aimed to evaluate the effect of 3-month supplementation of bovine colostrum (BOV-COL; 8x400 mg per day) on the outcomes of depression treatment in hospitalized patients with substance use disorder (SUD). The hypothesis is that BOV-COL supplementation as an add-on treatment results in favorable alternations in selected blood inflammatory markers or neurotransmitters, leading to better depression treatment outcomes compared with placebo (PLA).

Methods

Patients with a Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 score ≥60 points were enrolled. Twenty-nine participants (n=18 in the BOV-COL group and n=11 in the PLA group) completed the protocol.

Results

The mean Beck Depression Inventory-II score was significantly reduced after supplementation in both groups. However, the mean 17-point Hamilton Depression Rating Scale score was decreased in the BOV-COL group, but not in the PLA group. In the BOV-COL group, there was a reduction in interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, IL-10, the IL-6:IL-10 ratio, IL-17, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), while in the PLA group only IL-6 decreased. Favorable alternations in the total count and differentials of white blood cell subsets were more pronounced in the BOV-COL. There were no changes in neurotransmitter concentrations.

Conclusions

BOV-COL supplementation is a promising add-on therapy in patients with depression and SUD.

Pathways to professional mental care in the Swiss young adult community: a case-control study

Treatment success for mental health (MH) problems depends, among others, on the timeliness of help-seeking. Therefore, we studied the effect of symptoms and reasons for help-seeking on the point-of-contact and the most intensive professional treatment in a community sample. Participants were recruited as part of the 'Bern Epidemiological At-Risk' (BEAR) study on 16-40-year-old community persons of the Swiss canton Bern. Of the 2,683 participants, 615 (22.9%) reported at least one instance of help-seeking for MH problems and were selected for the presented analyses. Help-seeking behavior was assessed by a modified version of the 'WHO pathway-to-care questionnaire', from which the outcome 'most intensive MH professional contact' was generated. The effect of symptoms and reasons for help-seeking were analyzed in separate models using path analyses. Most help-seeking persons sought MH professional help (n = 405; 65.9%) with a high number of medical pre-contacts (n = 233; 37.9%). The 'most intensive MH professional contact' was provided after an average of 1.47 contacts. Both models showed negative associations between non-MH professional pre-contacts and the most intensive, likely most adequate MH treatment. In the symptom model, 'substance misuse' and 'central-vegetative problems' increased the general likelihood of MH professional contact. Our findings highlight the importance of the first point-of-contact in pathways to adequate MH care and, when seeking help from non-MH professional, of quick referrals to MH professionals. Awareness campaigns or training of health professionals, such as general practitioners, may support timely contact with MH professionals to improve diagnosis, prognosis, and outcome.

Maternal cognitive functioning and psychopathology predict quality of parent-child relationship in the context of substance use disorder: A 15-month longitudinal study

This longitudinal study aimed to investigate the role of maternal cognitive functioning and psychopathology in parent-child relationship quality during residential treatment for mothers with Substance Use Disorder (SUD), in order to identify factors that may enhance or limit intervention effects.We assessed cognitive functioning (Esame Neuropsicologico Breve-2 [ENB-2]) and psychopathology (Symptom Checklist-90 Revised [SCL-90-R]) in 60 mothers diagnosed with SUD (Mage = 30.13 yrs; SD = 6.79) at treatment admission. Parent-child relationship quality was measured during free-play interactions using the Emotional Availability Scales every three months from admission (Child Mage = 17.17m; SD = 23.60) to the 15th month of the residential treatment.A main effect of maternal psychopathology and an interaction effect of time and cognitive functioning were found. More maternal psychopathology predicted lower mother-child relationship quality. Mothers with higher cognitive functioning presented a better treatment trajectory, with an increase in mother-child relationship quality, whereas mothers with lower cognitive functioning showed a decrease in relationship quality after initial improvement.These findings suggest that maternal psychopathology and cognitive functioning may influence the treatment of parent-child relationships in the context of SUD, although causality is not yet established. Implications for assessment and intervention are discussed.

The revolving door phenomenon in severe psychiatric disorders: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

The treatment of psychiatric patients has suffered a major change over the last decades, with long-term hospitalizations being replaced by short-term stays and appropriate aftercare in outpatient services. Some chronically ill patients exhibit a pattern of multiple hospitalizations, designated as the Revolving Door (RD) phenomenon.

AIMS

This review aims to analyse the existing literature regarding sociodemographic, clinical and other factors associated with multiple hospitalizations in psychiatric facilities.

METHOD

The search performed in the PubMed database for the terms revolving[Title] AND (psyc*[Title] OR schizo*[Title] OR mental[Title]) presented 30 citations, 8 of which met the eligibility criteria. Four other studies found in references of these articles were also included in the review.

RESULTS

Albeit the use of different criteria to define the RD phenomenon, it is more likely to be associated with patients who are younger, single, with low educational level, unemployed, diagnosed with a psychotic disorder, particularly schizophrenia, and with alcohol and/or substance use. It is also associated with a younger age on disease onset, suicidality, noncompliance and voluntary type of admission.

CONCLUSION

Recognizing patients with a RD pattern of admissions and prediction of rehospitalization can help the development of preventive intervention strategies and identify potential limitations in existing health care delivery systems.

Association between Preoperative Psychiatric Morbidities and Mortality after Oncologic Surgery: A Nationwide Cohort Study from 2002 to 2019 in South Korea

We aimed to examine whether preoperative psychiatric morbidities affect 30-day postoperative mortality. Using a nationwide registration database in South Korea, the study included all patients who underwent curative cancer surgery from 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2019. Patients underwent surgery for breast, laryngeal, lung, thyroid, gastric, colorectal, esophageal, liver, pancreatic, kidney, bladder, testicular, prostate, vulvar, uterine, or brain cancer. Depression, anxiety disorder, substance abuse, and post-traumatic stress disorder were considered preoperative psychiatric morbidities. Among the 944,794 patients in the final analysis, 5490 (0.6%) died within 30 days of the surgery, and 24,370 (2.6%) had preoperative psychiatric morbidities. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that preoperative psychiatric morbidities were associated with a higher (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.23; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.09, 1.39; p = 0.001) 30-day mortality rate than the rate noted for patients without preoperative psychiatric morbidities. This association was significant in the breast (aOR: 3.31, 95% CI: 1.36, 8.07; p = 0.009), lung (aOR: 1.54, 95% CI: 1.19, 2.01; p = 0.001), and kidney (aOR: 1.87, 95% CI: 1.06, 3.31; p = 0.03) cancer groups in the subgroup analyses. In South Korea, preoperative psychiatric morbidities are considered to be associated with increased 30-day postoperative mortality.

Amplification of Positivity Therapy for Co-occurring Alcohol Use Disorder with Depression and Anxiety Symptoms: Pilot Feasibility Study and Case Series

Positive valence system dysregulation is a relatively unexplored transdiagnostic mechanism and potential treatment target underpinning alcohol use and anxiety and depression symptoms. The current study examined the feasibility and potential benefit of a behavioral intervention focused on amplification of positivity (AMP) with eight adults (five female) diagnosed with alcohol use disorder and clinically significant depression or anxiety (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04278365). AMP for alcohol use (AMP-A) was delivered in 11 individual sessions involving positive activity interventions integrated alongside psychoeducation and alcohol use monitoring. Case descriptions are provided to illustrate treatment implementation. Treatment credibility and acceptability, participant endorsement of the therapy, and homework compliance were rated moderate to high. Exploratory, intent-to-treat analyses suggested medium to large effect sizes for post-treatment improvements in alcohol use, depression, anxiety, and positive affect. Results provide initial evidence of feasibility and acceptability of AMP-A and will be useful for informing future randomized clinical trials to examine clinical efficacy.

Lifetime Dual Disorder Screening and Treatment Retention: A Pilot Cohort Study

The coexistence of a substance use disorder and another mental disorder in the same individual has been called dual disorder or dual diagnosis. This study aimed to examine the prevalence of lifetime dual disorder in individuals with alcohol or cocaine use disorder and their retention in treatment. We conducted a pilot cohort study of individuals (n = 1356) with alcohol or cocaine use disorder admitted to treatment in the public outpatient services of Barcelona (Spain) from January 2015 to August 2017 (followed-up until February 2018). Descriptive statistics, Kaplan−Meier survival curves and a multivariable Cox regression model were estimated. The lifetime prevalence of screening positive for dual disorder was 74%. At 1 year of follow-up, >75% of the cohort remained in treatment. On multivariable analysis, the factors associated with treatment dropout were a positive screening for lifetime dual disorder (HR = 1.26; 95% CI = 1.00−1.60), alcohol use (HR = 1.35; 95% CI = 1.04−1.77), polysubstance use (alcohol or cocaine and cannabis use) (HR = 1.60; 95% CI = 1.03−2.49) and living alone (HR = 1.34; 95% CI = 1.04−1.72). Lifetime dual disorder is a prevalent issue among individuals with alcohol or cocaine use disorders and could influence their dropout from treatment in public outpatient drug dependence care centres, along with alcohol use, polysubstance use and social conditions, such as living alone. We need a large-scale study with prolonged follow-up to confirm these preliminary results.

How did the COVID-19 lockdown impact patients with dual diagnoses?

Purpose

Individuals with dual diagnoses might experience significant clinical and social vulnerabilities during the pandemic and lockdown. This study aims to compare medication adherence, substance use, clinical stability and overall functioning before and during lockdown periods.

Design/methodology/approach

This was a cross-sectional survey among patients registered in dual diagnosis clinic of an addiction psychiatry center in Northern India between March 2019 and February 2020. This study approached 250 patients for telephonic interviews. This study assessed adherence to medications with the brief adherence rating scale (BARS). Global functioning was measured by global assessment of functioning. Clinical interviews assessed substance use and the clinical status of psychiatric disorders.

Findings

One hundred fifty patients were recruited. The mean age of the sample was 35.8 years. The sample had a slight preponderance of alcohol dependence. Depressive disorder was the largest category of psychiatric diagnosis. Compared to prelockdown period, during the lockdown, there were an increased number of days of nonadherence (X2 17.61, p <  0.05), proportion of patients underdosing (X2 8.96, p = 0.003) and lower BARS scores (t = 10.52, df = 144, p < 0.0001). More patients were abstinent from substances during the lockdown (X2 49.02, p < 0.0001). Clinical stability of psychiatric disorders did not differ during the two-time points, but overall functioning decreased during the lockdown (t = 2.118, p = 0.036). This study observed a small positive correlation (r = 0.2, p = 0.02) between functioning and adherence levels.

Originality/value

Lockdown was associated with poor medication adherence, change in substance use patterns and functional impairment. In the future, treatment programs and policies must take preemptive steps to minimize the effects of restrictions.

The Choice Point Model of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy With Inpatient Substance Use and Co-occurring Populations: A Pilot Study

Objectives: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an empirically supported treatment which aims to enhance self-acceptance and a commitment to core values. The present study examined the effectiveness of the Choice Point model of ACT in a residential substance use disorder (SUD) setting. Choice Point is a contemporary approach to ACT and targets transdiagnostic processes.

Methods: This uncontrolled quasi-experimental design assessed 47 participants taking part in Choice Point for Substances (CHOPS) in order to investigate its influence on psychological inflexibility, values-based action, and self-compassion over time. The study additionally assessed for sleeper effects and associations between transdiagnostic processes and warning signs of relapse.

Results: Findings demonstrated a decrease in psychological inflexibility and increases in values-based action and self-compassion over time. Gains were maintained at follow-up, and sleeper effects were observed for psychological inflexibility and mindfulness. Correlational analysis suggested that all transdiagnostic processes were related to warning signs of relapse at follow-up.

Conclusion: These results provide preliminary evidence for the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of CHOPS for SUD. Observed sleeper effects in psychological inflexibility and mindfulness indicate that CHOPS may provide longer-term benefits critical to a population where relapse is common. While encouraging, these findings should be interpreted with caution. Future research should utilize comparison groups when investigating CHOPS.

Unplanned hospitalizations in patients with locoregionally advanced head and neck cancer treated with (chemo)radiotherapy with and without prophylactic percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy

BACKGROUND

Current studies about percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG) tube placement report equivalent patient outcomes with prophylactic PEG tubes (pPEGs) versus common nutritional support. Unreported was if omitting a pPEG is associated with an increased risk of complications leading to a treatment-related unplanned hospitalization (TRUH).

METHODS

TRUHs were retrospectively analyzed in patients with advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (n = 310) undergoing (chemo)radiotherapy with (pPEG) or without PEG (nPEG).

RESULTS

In 88 patients (28%), TRUH was reported. One of the leading causes of TRUH in nPEG patients was inadequate oral intake (n = 16, 13%), and in pPEG patients, complications after PEG tube insertion (n = 12, 10%). Risk factors for TRUH were poor performance status, tobacco use, and surgical procedures.

CONCLUSIONS

Omitting pPEG tube placement without increasing the risk of an unplanned hospitalization due to dysphagia, dehydration or malnutrition, is an option in patients being carefully monitored. Patients aged > 60 years with hypopharyngeal carcinoma, tobacco consumption, and poor performance status appear at risk of PEG tube-related complications leading to an unplanned hospitalization.

Association of Timely Outpatient Mental Health Services for Youths After Psychiatric Hospitalization With Risk of Death by Suicide

IMPORTANCE

Timely outpatient follow-up care after psychiatric hospitalization is an established mental health quality indicator and considered an important component of suicide prevention, yet little is known about whether follow-up care is associated with a reduced risk of suicide soon after hospital discharge.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate whether receipt of outpatient care within 7 days of psychiatric hospital discharge is associated with a reduced risk of subsequent suicide among child and adolescent inpatients and examine factors associated with timely follow-up care.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This population-based, retrospective, longitudinal cohort study used Medicaid data from 33 states linked with National Death Index data. The study population included all youths aged 10 to 18 years who were admitted to a psychiatric hospital from January 1, 2009, to December 31, 2013. Data analysis was completed from October 9, 2019, through May 15, 2020.

EXPOSURE

Mental health follow-up visits received within 7 days of hospital discharge.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Suicides occurring in the 8 to 180 days after hospital discharge. Logistic regression modeled the association between demographic, clinical, and mental health service history factors and receipt of an outpatient visit within 7 days after discharge. Poisson regression estimated the association between suicide risk and outpatient visits within 7 days after discharge, adjusting for confounding using inverse probability of treatment weights from the logistic model.

RESULTS

Of the total 139 694 youths admitted to a psychiatric hospital, 51.9% were female, 31.1% were aged 10 to 13 years, and 68.9% were aged 14 to 18 years. A total of 56.5% of the youths received a mental health follow-up visit within 7 days of discharge, and this was associated with a significantly lower odds of suicide (adjusted relative risk, 0.44; 95% CI, 0.23-0.83; P = .01) during the 8 to 180 days postdischarge period. Youths with longer lengths of stay (4-5 days: adjusted odds ratio [AOR], 1.20 [95% CI, 1.17-1.24]; 6-7 days: AOR, 1.47 [95% CI, 1.43-1.52]; 8-12 days AOR, 1.75 [95% CI, 1.69-1.81]; 13-30 days: AOR, 1.71 [95% CI, 1.63-1.78]), prior outpatient mental health care (AOR, 1.58; 95% CI, 1.51-1.65), and foster care placement (AOR, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.28-1.37) were more likely to receive 7-day follow-up, whereas those who were non-Hispanic Black (AOR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.79-0.84), were older (AOR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.80-0.84), were medically ill (AOR, 0.77; 95% CI, 0.74-0.81), and had managed care insurance (AOR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.87-0.91) were less likely to receive follow-up visits.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

In this cohort study, risk of suicide during the 6 months after psychiatric hospitalization was decreased among youth who had an outpatient mental health visit within 7 days after discharge. Addressing disparities in timely continuity of care may help advance health equity agendas.

Identifying and responding to trial implementation challenges during multisite clinical trials

INTRODUCTION

The National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network (CTN) was initiated by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) in 2000 with the aim of improving substance use treatment and reducing the time between the discovery of effective treatments and their implementation into clinical practice. While initial trials were conducted almost exclusively in specialty addiction treatment settings, the CTN began evolving strategically in 2010 to conduct research in general medical settings, including healthcare systems, primary care settings, emergency departments, and pharmacies, to broaden impact. The advantages of a research network like the CTN is not only the collective content expertise that investigators contribute to the network, but the collective experience gained by conducting studies in the network and then applying those lessons to future studies.

OBJECTIVE

To summarize trial implementation challenges encountered, and the process by which solutions were identified and implemented, within one of the last early-phase CTN Stage II behavioral intervention studies conducted in a specialty addiction treatment setting.

METHOD AND RESULTS

We describe the implementation of the CTN-0037 STimulant Reduction Intervention using Dosed Exercise (STRIDE) trial. Issues encountered during study implementation are categorized into four major areas, described in terms useful to future study teams: 1) study team infrastructure challenges, 2) participant- and site- level challenges, 3) intervention-related challenges, and 4) longitudinal study design challenges. Potential consequences of identified problems and the solutions developed to manage these problems are discussed within the context of these four areas. We propose how to extend these implementation lessons and apply them in other healthcare settings to expand the CTN.

CONCLUSIONS

Effective study management allows for flexible, collaborative solutions to expected and unexpected obstacles to study success. Implementation strategies derived from the first 15 to 20 years of CTN studies are a result of working with providers and participants, and the ongoing collaboration among CTN investigators and network staff. Timely identification and response to problems during study implementation are critical to the success of a trial, regardless of its design. We believe a collaborative approach to identifying and responding to study implementation challenges will increase the likelihood of successful adoption of relevant, efficacious interventions. As the CTN continues to expand, the wealth of successful trial implementation strategies developed during the first 20 years of the CTN need to be applied and adapted to studies in broader network settings, and considered in conjunction with more formalized implementation science processes that are currently available.

A longitudinal study assessing differences in causes of death among housed and homeless people diagnosed with HIV in San Francisco

BACKGROUND

San Francisco has implemented several programs addressing the needs of two large vulnerable populations: people living with HIV and those who are homeless. Assessment of these programs on health outcomes is paramount for reducing preventable deaths.

METHODS

Individuals diagnosed with HIV/AIDS and reported to the San Francisco Department of Public Health HIV surveillance registry, ages 13 years or older, who resided in San Francisco at the time of diagnosis, and who died between January 1, 2002, and December 31, 2016 were included in this longitudinal study. The primary independent variable was housing status, dichotomized as ever homeless since diagnosed with HIV, and the dependent variables were disease-specific causes of death, as noted on the death certificate. The Cochran-Armitage test measured changes in the mortality rates over time and unadjusted and adjusted Poisson regression models measured prevalence ratios (PR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for causes of death.

RESULTS

A total of 4158 deceased individuals were included in the analyses: the majority were male (87%), ages 40-59 years old at the time of death (64%), non-Hispanic White (60%), men who have sex with men (54%), had an AIDS diagnosis prior to death (87%), and San Francisco residents at the time of death (63%). Compared to those who were housed, those who were homeless were more likely to be younger at time of death, African American, have a history of injecting drugs, female or transgender, and were living below the poverty level (all p values < 0.0001). Among decedents who were SF residents at the time of death, there were declines in the proportion of deaths due to AIDS-defining conditions (p < 0.05) and increases in accidents, cardiomyopathy, heart disease, ischemic disease, non-AIDS cancers, and drug overdoses (p < 0.05). After adjustment, deaths due to mental disorders (aPR = 1.63, 95% CI 1.24, 2.14) were more likely and deaths due to non-AIDS cancers (aPR = 0.63, 95% CI 0.44, 0.89) were less likely among those experiencing homelessness.

CONCLUSIONS

Additional efforts are needed to improve mental health services to homeless people with HIV and prevent mental-health related mortality.

Specific aspects of cognitive impulsivity are longitudinally associated with lower treatment retention and greater relapse in therapeutic community treatment

INTRODUCTION

Impulsivity has been consistently associated with poorer addiction treatment outcomes. However, impulsivity is a multifaceted construct and current evidence have failed to unravel which specific aspects explain this relationship. There is also limited research examining long-term outcomes. We aimed to examine the longitudinal association between baseline performance on a comprehensive battery of impulsivity measures and retention and relapse at the end of treatment.

METHODS

The sample comprised 68 participants with miscellaneous diagnoses of substance use disorders and polysubstance use patterns, enrolled in public residential therapeutic communities in Andalusia (Spain). At baseline, we applied measures of selective attention (Stroop), response inhibition (Affective Go/No Go), delay discounting (Monetary Choice Questionnaire; MCQ), and decision-making (Iowa Gambling Task; IGT). At the end of treatment (mean = 148.36 days, range = 22-289 days), we collected outcome measures of retention (coded by the clinical team as completion or dropout based on statewide practice guidelines) and relapse (defined as at least two separate alcohol/drug use episodes based on urine analyses).

RESULTS

Cox regression models showed that poorer decision-making in the IGT was associated with premature treatment dropout, whereas elevated commission errors in the Affective Go/No Go were associated with higher relapse rates. Selective attention and delay discounting were unrelated to outcomes.

CONCLUSION

Long-term based decision-making skills are important to commit to the complex and intensive treatment programs of therapeutic communities. The ability to withhold behavioural responses under positive affect is relevant to prevent relapse. Both skills should be assessed and potentially trained during therapeutic community treatment.

Resection Arthroplasty Compared With Total Hip Arthroplasty in Treating Chronic Hip Pain of Patients With a History of Substance Abuse

BACKGROUND

Retrospective comparison of surgical management of severe hip pain in patients with a history of substance abuse treated by modified Girdlestone resection arthroplasty (RA) vs delayed total hip arthroplasty (THA) following yearlong sobriety pathway.

METHODS

Patients were identified using charts, current procedural terminology (CPT) code query, and THA sobriety pathway registry. The primary outcome was adequate pain control following surgery, defined as visual analog scale ≤ 5 or verbal description of "moderate" or lower pain. RA patients with infectious arthritis were analyzed separately. The secondary outcome was the level of mobility after surgery.

RESULTS

In the THA pathway, 15 of 28 (53.6%) proved sobriety, 11 (39.3%) underwent THA, and 9 (32.1%) achieved adequate pain control (median 77 days). After RA, 19 (76%) achieved adequate pain control (median 119.5 days). Preoperative infection did not significantly affect time to pain control after RA (P = .94). Time to adequate pain control was not significantly different between RA and THA patients (P = .19). Three patients (30%) experienced improved level of mobility after THA and 7 (70%) experienced no change. After RA, 7 patients (29.1%) experienced improved level of mobility, 3 (13.6%) lost mobility, and 14 (63.6%) experienced no change. Three RA patients were later converted to THA without complication.

CONCLUSION

Yearlong sobriety pathway leading to THA leads to successful pain control in less than one-third of enrolled patients. Compared to delayed THA, RA enables more patients with substance abuse to be treated sooner and results in successful reduction of pain in a similar proportion of patients. RA may be an effective pain-reducing procedure for these patients.

Classification of attempted suicide by cluster analysis: A study of 888 suicide attempters presenting to the emergency department

BACKGROUND

It is essential to understand the latent structure of the population of suicide attempters for effective suicide prevention. The aim of this study was to identify subgroups among Korean suicide attempters in terms of the details of the suicide attempt.

METHODS

A total of 888 people who attempted suicide and were subsequently treated in the emergency rooms of 17 medical centers between May and November of 2013 were included in the analysis. The variables assessed included demographic characteristics, clinical information, and details of the suicide attempt assessed by the Suicide Intent Scale (SIS) and Columbia-Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS). Cluster analysis was performed using the Ward method.

RESULTS

Of the participants, 85.4% (n = 758) fell into a cluster characterized by less planning, low lethality methods, and ambivalence towards death ("impulsive"). The other cluster (n = 130) involved a more severe and well-planned attempt, used highly lethal methods, and took more precautions to avoid being interrupted ("planned"). The first cluster was dominated by women, while the second cluster was associated more with men, older age, and physical illness.

LIMITATIONS

We only included participants who visited the emergency department after their suicide attempt and had no missing values for SIS or C-SSRS.

CONCLUSIONS

Cluster analysis extracted two distinct subgroups of Korean suicide attempters showing different patterns of suicidal behaviors. Understanding that a significant portion of suicide attempts occur impulsively calls for new prevention strategies tailored to differing subgroup profiles.

Misdemeanor Arrestees With Mental Health Needs: Diversion and Outpatient Services as a Recidivism Reduction Strategy

Individuals with mental illnesses who are arrested for criminal activity cycle between criminal justice and mental health systems at disproportionately high rates. Studying recidivism of this population has been difficult due to separate system data bases. This study compared recidivism outcomes of 102 adults with mental illness who were arrested for a misdemeanor offense. One group had a diagnosed mental illness ( n = 58) and the other group was diagnosed with co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders ( n = 44). As a condition of their personal recognizance bond, both groups voluntarily agreed to stabilize on medication and report to community-based outpatient mental health clinic. Participants in both groups had fewer rearrests and fewer days in jail in the 12 months following discharge from diversion relative to the 12 months prior to diversion participation. Outpatient mental health service utilization following 24 hr in jail seems to be a viable means of reducing recidivism among accused misdemeanant defendants.

Why don't patients take their medicine? Reasons and solutions in psychiatry

Over the course of a year, about three-quarters of patients prescribed psychotropic medication will discontinue, often coming to the decision themselves and without informing a health professional. Costs associated with unplanned discontinuation may be substantial if left uncorrected. Partial non-adherence (much more common than full discontinuation) can also be detrimental, although some patients rationally adjust their medication regimen without ill-effect. This article reviews the literature on non-adherence, whether intentional or not, and discusses patients' reasons for failure to concord with medical advice, and predictors of and solutions to the problem of non-adherence.

Lower rates of consistent urine drug tests for prescribed psychotropic medications among patients on opioid replacement therapy

BACKGROUND

Patients on opioid replacement therapy (ORT) to treat opioid use disorder are frequently monitored for these medications, but it is not known if they are also adhering to their psychotropic medications. This is an analysis of measure of potential adherence to psychotropic medications by patients on ORT.

METHODS

This is a retrospective cohort study of patients (n=1470) on antidepressants and/or antipsychotics and tested by the Millennium Health laboratory. Potential adherence to psychotropic medications was measured by urine drug test (UDT) results. The consistency of UDT for expected psychotropic medication in patients on ORT was compared to patients not on ORT (control group) during 3-months period. The study used propensity score methods to match individuals from both groups on their demographics and their psychotropic medication.

RESULTS

There were 457 participants (31.09%) on ORT and 1013 participants (68.91%) in the control group. Only 55.33% of UDTs (n=1388) were consistent for expected psychotropic medications in the ORT group compared to 73.69% of UDTs (n=4953) consistent for expected psychotropic medications in the control group (χ²=172.99, p<0.001). After matching, patients in the ORT group were less likely than the control group to have consistent UDTs for expected psychotropic medications (OR: 0.81, 95% CI: 0.76-0.85, P<0.001).

CONCLUSION

There is a high rate of inconsistent UDT for prescribed psychotropic medication among patients on ORT. This could reflect potential poor adherence. Monitoring adherence to psychotropic medications should be part of every clinical visit for patients on ORT.

The Relationship Between Generalized Anxiety Symptoms and Treatment Dropout Among Women in Residential Treatment for Substance Use Disorders

BACKGROUND

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) co-occurs with substance use disorders (SUDs) at an alarmingly high rate, and the presence of anxiety is associated with an increased risk for relapse to substance use following treatment. Furthermore, comorbid SUDs and other forms of psychopathology are associated with an increased risk for leaving treatment against medical advice (AMA).

OBJECTIVE AND METHOD

Research has yet to examine whether the presence of GAD symptoms is associated with leaving treatment AMA in SUDs populations. Thus, the current study sought to address this important gap in the literature by examining this relationship among a sample of 122 women in residential treatment for SUDs.

RESULTS

Results demonstrated that GAD symptoms were significantly associated with the decision to leave treatment AMA after controlling for age, education, problematic alcohol and drug use, and depression symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS/IMPORTANCE

Our finding indicates the potential importance of assessing and targeting GAD in treatment for SUDs, which may increase treatment compliance.

Using incentives to reduce substance use and other health risk behaviors among people with serious mental illness

INTRODUCTION

Serious mental illness (SMI) is associated with high rates of tobacco and other drug dependence, poor treatment compliance, obesity and low levels of physical activity, which have severe medical and psychosocial consequences. Interventions that effectively reduce these health risk behaviors among people with SMI are urgently needed.

METHODS

Published reports from studies evaluating incentive-based treatments for promoting tobacco and other drug abstinence, treatment attendance, medication use and increased physical activity are reviewed.

RESULTS

Results of this review indicate the efficacy of incentive-based treatments for reducing tobacco and other drug use among people with SMI. Few studies have examined whether incentive-based treatments improve treatment attendance, medication use and physical activity levels in people with SMI; however, initial evidence is positive and indicates that further research in these areas is warranted.

CONCLUSION

Given the medical and psychosocial costs of tobacco and other drug use, treatment non-compliance and physical inactivity, and the efficacy of incentive-based treatments for improving these behaviors, such interventions should be further developed and integrated into behavioral health treatment programs for people with SMI.

Treatment of substance abusing patients with comorbid psychiatric disorders

OBJECTIVE

To update clinicians on the latest in evidence-based treatments for substance use disorders (SUD) and non-substance use disorders among adults and suggest how these treatments can be combined into an evidence-based process that enhances treatment effectiveness in comorbid patients.

METHOD

Articles were extracted from Pubmed using the search terms "dual diagnosis," "comorbidity" and "co-occurring" and were reviewed for evidence of effectiveness for pharmacologic and psychotherapeutic treatments of comorbidity.

RESULTS

Twenty-four research reviews and 43 research trials were reviewed. The preponderance of the evidence suggests that antidepressants prescribed to improve substance-related symptoms among patients with mood and anxiety disorders are either not highly effective or involve risk due to high side-effect profiles or toxicity. Second generation antipsychotics are more effective for treatment of schizophrenia and comorbid substance abuse and current evidence suggests clozapine, olanzapine and risperidone are among the best. Clozapine appears to be the most effective of the antipsychotics for reducing alcohol, cocaine and cannabis abuse among patients with schizophrenia. Motivational interviewing has robust support as a highly effective psychotherapy for establishing a therapeutic alliance. This finding is critical since retention in treatment is essential for maintaining effectiveness. Highly structured therapy programs that integrate intensive outpatient treatments, case management services and behavioral therapies such as Contingency Management (CM) are most effective for treatment of severe comorbid conditions.

CONCLUSIONS

Creative combinations of psychotherapies, behavioral and pharmacological interventions offer the most effective treatment for comorbidity. Intensity of treatment must be increased for severe comorbid conditions such as the schizophrenia/cannabis dependence comorbidity due to the limitations of pharmacological treatments.

Validity study of Kessler's psychological distress scales conducted among patients admitted to French emergency department for alcohol consumption-related disorders

BACKGROUND

Alcohol-related disorders (ARD) encountered in emergency departments (ED) have a high prevalence and are underestimated. It is necessary to provide professionals with a tool to identify patients in whom there is a risk that alcohol-related and mental health problems may be associated. Kessler's K6/10 psychological distress scales are fast, easy-to-use, and have been shown to achieve a good performance in the identification of psychological distress associated with ARD.

AIM

The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Kessler scales, version 6 and 10, with a sample of patients admitted to EDs for alcohol consumption.

METHODS

On the day after their admission, with a zero "blood" alcohol concentration, 71 patients were randomly assigned to be assessed using 6 or 10 items version. The internal consistency and factor structure of the K6/10 versions were examined. Convergent validity was measured using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS).

RESULTS

The prevalence of psychological distress in our sample was approximately 60%. The selected threshold scores were 10 for K6 (Sensitivity: 0.92; Specificity: 0.62) and 14 for K10 (Sensitivity: 0.95; Specificity: 0.54). The Cronbach coefficients for K6 and K10 were 0.76 and 0.84, respectively. The factor analyses indicated the multidimensional nature of K6/10. The 2 versions, containing 6 and 10 items respectively, correlated better with the HADS (0.83 and 0.70, respectively) than with the HDRS (0.51 and 0.49, respectively). The areas under the ROC Curve indicated a high level of accuracy for both the K6 (0.87) and the K10 (0.77). The difference was not statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONS

This study confirms the good psychometric characteristics of Kessler's psychological distress scale. Even though similar performances were observed for K6/10, the brevity of the K6 makes it more suitable for use in EDs.

Adherence to treatment and therapeutic strategies in schizophrenic patients: the ADHERE study

AIM

To assess the degree of compliance and adherence to treatment during the follow-up of schizophrenic outpatients after a new therapeutic strategy had been initiated.

METHODS

A multicenter, retrospective, prospective, observational study of 1,848 outpatients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorders (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition criteria) was conducted. Patients were treated either with oral or injectable conventional or second generation antipsychotics, and were followed up for 3 months at mental health centers. Patient compliance with the pharmacological treatment was assessed by the use of questionnaires, scales, medication accountability, and the Medication Event Monitoring System. Patients were considered compliant if they reported a high compliance rate (> or = 80%).

RESULTS

At baseline only 29% of patients on oral medication were compliant compared with 79% of patients on injectable medication (injection counting) (OR= 9.11; 95% CI 6.02-13.77; P<.0001). At the 3 month visit, 84% of patients had changed their treatment and in these, the compliance rate of those on injectable medication was 94% versus 87% of patients taking oral medication (OR= 2.47; 95% CI 1.21-5.05; P=.022).

CONCLUSION

The use of long-acting injectable antipsychotics, which improves compliance rates and patient follow-up, should facilitate the management of Spanish patients with schizophrenia in mental health centers.

Psychotic spectrum disorders and alcohol abuse: a review of pharmacotherapeutic strategies and a report on the effectiveness of naltrexone and disulfiram

The rate of substance-use disorders in patients with mental illnesses within the psychotic spectrum, such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorder, is higher than the rate observed in the general population and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Although there are currently 3 medications approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of alcohol dependence, no medications have been approved for the specific treatment of dually diagnosed patients. A small but growing body of literature supports the use of 2 of these medications, disulfiram and naltrexone, in dually diagnosed individuals. This article outlines a review of the literature about the use of disulfiram and naltrexone for alcoholism and in patients with comorbid mental illness. In addition, results are presented of a 12-week randomized clinical trial of disulfiram and naltrexone alone and in combination for individuals with Axis I disorders and alcohol dependence who were also receiving intensive psychosocial treatment. Individuals with a psychotic spectrum disorder, including schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, and bipolar disorder, had worse alcohol outcomes than those without a psychotic spectrum disorder. Individuals with a psychotic spectrum disorder had better alcohol-use outcomes on an active medication compared with placebo, but there was no clear advantage of disulfiram or naltrexone or of the combination. Retention rates and medication compliance in the study were high and exceeded 80%. Pharmacotherapeutic strategies should take into account the advantages and disadvantages of each medication. Future directions of pharmacotherapeutic options are also discussed.

Naltrexone and disulfiram in patients with alcohol dependence and comorbid post-traumatic stress disorder

BACKGROUND

Although disulfiram and naltrexone have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of alcoholism, the effect of these medications on alcohol use outcomes and on psychiatric symptoms is still unknown in patients with co-occurring disorders post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

METHODS

Patients (n = 254) with a major Axis I psychiatric disorder and comorbid alcohol dependence were treated for 12 weeks in a medication study at three Veterans Administration outpatient clinics. Randomization included (1) open randomization to disulfiram or no disulfiram; and (2) double-blind randomization to naltrexone or placebo. This resulted in four groups: (1) naltrexone alone; (2) placebo alone; (3) disulfiram and naltrexone; or (4) disulfiram and placebo. Outcomes were measures of alcohol use, PTSD symptoms, alcohol craving, GGT levels and adverse events.

RESULTS

93 individuals (36.6%) met DSM-IV criteria for PTSD. Subjects with PTSD had better alcohol outcomes with active medication (naltrexone, disulfiram or the combination) than they did on placebo; overall psychiatric symptoms of PTSD improved. Individuals with PTSD were more likely to report some side effects when treated with the combination.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of this study suggest that disulfiram and naltrexone are effective and safe for individuals with PTSD and comorbid alcohol dependence.

Management of complex and severe personality disorders in community mental health services

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

To describe the prevalence and specific management of severe and complex personality disorders in community mental health services and similar settings.

RECENT FINDINGS

Conflicting reports exist in the literature but the consensus of evidence suggests that more complex personality disorder (more so than simple personality disorder) impairs response to treatment of most psychiatric disorders and complicates their management. Poor adherence to treatment may be one of the mechanisms underlying this.

SUMMARY

Increasing evidence now suggests that more complex and severe personality disorders have a negative impact on the outcome of most psychiatric disorders. Some indications, however, are there to show that pharmacological treatments may not handicap the outcome of pharmacological treatment as much as other types of intervention and may be selectively chosen in this group. Severe personality disorder needs to be identified early in community services as by anticipating and adjusting to its effects it is likely to improve treatment plans and prognosis.