Assessing the Predictive Validity of the Stages of Change Readiness and Treatment Eagerness Scale (SOCRATES) in Alaska Native and American Indian People

Treatment readiness and prognosis for problematic smartphone use: Evaluation of the Stages of Change, Readiness, and Treatment Eagerness Scale (SOCRATES) and log data

Aim

While moderate smartphone use contributes to information gathering and relationship building, excessive smartphone use, also referred to as problematic smartphone use (PSU), has raised concerns because of its addictive nature and associated health consequences. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between treatment readiness and prognosis in individuals with PSU and to assess the predictive ability of smartphone log data in evaluating treatment readiness.

Methods

A sample of 47 patients with PSU participated in this study. Treatment readiness was assessed using the Stages of Change, Readiness, and Treatment Eagerness Scale (SOCRATES), and log data were collected using a smartphone log application.

Results

The results showed a significant correlation between baseline SOCRATES scores and the difference in Global Assessment of Functioning scores between baseline and 6 months (Spearman's ρ = 0.640, P-value = .001), suggesting that treatment readiness may explain part of the treatment outcomes (Pearson's r 2 = 0.379, P-value = 0.032). In addition, baseline log data, including the log acquisition rate, showed a positive correlation with treatment readiness (Spearman's ρ = 0.328, P-value = 0.045).

Conclusion

These findings provide valuable insights into the relationship between treatment readiness and clinical outcomes in patients with PSU, and suggest the potential of log data as objective indicators of treatment motivation.

The Validity of the Short Inventory of Problems and Drinking Intensity among Urban American Indian Adults

BACKGROUND

American Indian (AI) adults have both high prevalence rates of alcohol abstinence and alcohol use disorders compared to non-Hispanic White adults. We investigated the applicability and validity of the Short Inventory of Problems (SIP) among AI urban adults and the moderating effect of biological sex.

METHODS

AI adults from three Alcoholics Anonymous samples (n = 124) provided baseline, 3-, 6- and 9-month data. Measures included Form 90 and the SIP, which includes 5 domains of alcohol-related negative consequences including interpersonal, intrapersonal, physical, impulse control and social. Drinking frequency and intensity were assessed by percent days abstinent (PDA) and drinks per drinking day (DPDD).

RESULTS

Cronbach alphas of the SIP were similar between urban AI adults and the mainstream treatment-seeking population reported in the SIP manual. DPDD was a significant and positive predictor of all five SIP scales collected 9-months later. Higher PDA was significantly and negatively associated with later consequences, and all 5 SIP scales. Moderation tests indicated that the association between consequences and drinking intensity was stronger for AI females with fewer drinking days resulting in significantly fewer consequences for AI males relative to AI females.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings highlight the acceptability of SIP as a measure to assess drinking related consequences among AI urban adults, with clinical implications related to alcohol use and sex. Further research is warranted to examine differential drinking related outcomes among AI men and women in addition to adaptations of the SIP that more fully capture the range of negative drinking consequences.