Differences in substance-related risk behavior between dual and triple diagnosed severely mentally ill adults

Health outcomes associated with crack-cocaine use: Systematic review and meta-analyses

BACKGROUND

Crack-cocaine use is prevalent largely in socio-economically marginalized populations in the Americas. Its use has been associated with diverse health outcomes, yet no recent or systematic reviews of these exist.

METHODS

A systematic review of health outcomes associated with crack-cocaine use was performed, using MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and LILACS up to October 2016. Search terms included crack-cocaine and health outcome-related keywords, targeting peer-reviewed studies on quantified health outcomes associated with crack-cocaine use. Random effects meta-analyses produced pooled odds ratios. Levels of evidence for major results were assessed using the GRADE approach. A review protocol was registered with PROSPERO (CRD42016035486).

RESULTS

Of 4700 articles returned, 302 met eligibility criteria, reporting on health outcomes for 14 of 22 ICD-10 chapters. Conclusive evidence and meta-analyses showed positive associations between crack-cocaine use and blood/sexually transmitted diseases (HIV and hepatitis C virus, others); moderate evidence and meta-analyses supported associations with neonatal health, and violence. There were mixed associations for mental and other health outcomes, yet insufficient evidence to perform meta-analyses for many categories (e.g., mortality). Most underlying research was of limited or poor quality, with crack-cocaine commonly assessed as a secondary covariate.

CONCLUSIONS

Crack-cocaine use was associated with a range of health outcomes, although it was unclear if there was direct causal impact, interactions between risk factors, or external drivers of both crack-cocaine use and outcomes. Rigorous epidemiological studies are needed to systematically assess health outcomes of crack-cocaine use and underlying pathways, also to inform evidence-based interventions.

Primary Care for Mentally Ill Adults in Acute Residential Treatment Facilities

Psychiatric bed capacity has decreased nationally with an impact on the number and the types of patients admitted to acute in-patient units. Acute residential programs provide alternatives to hospitals for patients with problems that do not meet criteria for admission. However, these settings may not have resources to respond to the medical co-morbidities associated with severe mental illness. To understand the medical needs of patients in these settings, this research examined data from a nurse-managed primary care outreach service. Prevalent problems included acute issues and chronic disorders associated with severe mental illness. In multivariate analyses, demographic and substance related factors contributed to all chronic illness. However, age was the over-riding predictor of cardio-metabolic disorders. Drug abuse consistently predicted HIV/AIDS and HCV risk. Findings demonstrate that patients diverted to alternative forms of acute psychiatric care are no less in need of medical services than those admitted to hospitals. This underscores the importance of primary care that is provided at the site of acute residential treatment and integrated with overall care.