A Feasibility Study to Direct System Level Change for Hospital Patients With Alcohol Use Disorder

The feasibility study was aimed to develop a web-based gaming tool for the therapy of alcohol use disorder to offer patients a cue-exposure-based extinction and decision training, enhanced with virtual reality. To increase the training effect, patients playfully experience situations that resemble critical real-life situations. For implementing the game, a combination of HTML5 and JavaScript was used. The application comes with an administrator interface, to allow editing the game content. Initially, we included 21 patients (Group 1), 18 suffering from alcohol use disorder and 3 using cannabis (18/3 male/female, mean age 39 ± 13 years). Considering the iterative process of a feasibility study, we developed the game design as suggested by participants of Group 1 and additionally included 11 novel participants (Group 2) (11 suffering from an alcohol use disorder, 7/4 male/female, mean age 46 ± 14 years). Basically, the game was very well received. Usability ratings were generally high, even in patients with little computer experience. Both groups rated the application as realistic, and would generally be willing to play it on a daily basis. Given that SALIENCE is inexpensive, easily available, and engaging, it might be a reasonable add-on intervention to the standard treatment of alcohol use disorder.

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Time to Get Help? Help-Seeking Process in Latin American Hospital Patients with Alcohol Use Disorder

International Journal of Mental Health and Addiction ◽

10.1007/s11469-019-00157-3 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 18 (2) ◽

pp. 328-335

Author(s):

Karina Conde ◽

Tomás Salomon ◽

Elida Civetta ◽

Maria Blanco ◽

Mariana Cremonte

Keyword(s):

Alcohol Use ◽

Latin American ◽

Help Seeking ◽

Alcohol Use Disorder ◽

American Hospital ◽

Hospital Patients

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Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder With Adjunctive Addiction-Focused EMDR: A Feasibility Study

Journal of EMDR Practice and Research ◽

10.1891/1933-3196.13.3.187 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 13 (3) ◽

pp. 187-220

Author(s):

Wiebren Markus ◽

Cindy de Kruijk ◽

Hellen K. Hornsveld ◽

Gerdien H. de Weert–van Oene ◽

Eni S. Becker ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Alcohol Use ◽

Feasibility Study ◽

Alcohol Use Disorder ◽

Treatment Options ◽

Drinking Behavior ◽

Multiple Baseline ◽

Treatment As Usual ◽

Baseline Design ◽

Evidence Based Treatment ◽

Emdr Therapy

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) treatment presents a serious challenge. While there are evidence-based treatment options available, there is still a substantial group of treatment-seeking patients who do not complete regular AUD treatment. In addition, accomplished reductions in drinking behavior during treatment are often lost posttreatment. Therefore, both feasibility and effectiveness of AUD treatment are important. Innovative interventions, such as addiction-focused eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (AF-EMDR) therapy (Markus & Hornsveld, 2017), may hold promise as adjunctive treatments. Here the results of a feasibility study of adjunctive AF-EMDR therapy in outpatients with AUD and without comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are described. A multiple baseline design across four participants was used. They received AF-EMDR alongside treatment as usual (TAU). The results suggest that, while challenging, AF-EMDR therapy in outpatients with AUD can be safe, acceptable, and feasible. Whether it is effective, under what conditions and for whom, requires further study however.

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DSM-5 alcohol use disorder features among treatment-seeking older adults

SUCHT - Zeitschrift für Wissenschaft und Praxis / Journal of Addiction Research and Practice ◽

10.1024/0939-5911/a000550 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 64 (4) ◽

pp. 185-196 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Silke Behrendt ◽

Barbara Braun ◽

Randi Bilberg ◽

Gerhard Bühringer ◽

Michael Bogenschutz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Alcohol Use ◽

Alcohol Use Disorder ◽

The Elderly ◽

Treatment Seeking ◽

Controlled Clinical Trial ◽

Dsm 5 ◽

Wide Range ◽

And Gender ◽

International Multicenter

Abstract. Background: The number of older adults with alcohol use disorder (AUD) is expected to rise. Adapted treatments for this group are lacking and information on AUD features in treatment seeking older adults is scarce. The international multicenter randomized-controlled clinical trial “ELDERLY-Study” with few exclusion criteria was conducted to investigate two outpatient AUD-treatments for adults aged 60+ with DSM-5 AUD. Aims: To add to 1) basic methodological information on the ELDERLY-Study by providing information on AUD features in ELDERLY-participants taking into account country and gender, and 2) knowledge on AUD features in older adults seeking outpatient treatment. Methods: baseline data from the German and Danish ELDERLY-sites (n=544) were used. AUD diagnoses were obtained with the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview, alcohol use information with Form 90. Results: Lost control, desired control, mental/physical problem, and craving were the most prevalent (> 70 %) AUD-symptoms. 54.9 % reported severe DSM-5 AUD (moderate: 28.2 %, mild: 16.9 %). Mean daily alcohol use was 6.3 drinks at 12 grams ethanol each. 93.9 % reported binging. More intense alcohol use was associated with greater AUD-severity and male gender. Country effects showed for alcohol use and AUD-severity. Conclusion: European ELDERLY-participants presented typical dependence symptoms, a wide range of severity, and intense alcohol use. This may underline the clinical significance of AUD in treatment-seeking seniors.

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Persönliche vs. computerbasierte Alkoholintervention für Krankenhauspatienten: Studiendesign

SUCHT - Zeitschrift für Wissenschaft und Praxis / Journal of Addiction Research and Practice ◽

10.1024/0939-5911.a000394 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 61 (6) ◽

pp. 347-355 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Jennis Freyer-Adam ◽

Sophie Baumann ◽

Inga Schnuerer ◽

Katja Haberecht ◽

Ulrich John ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Alcohol Use ◽

Alcohol Use Disorder ◽

Identification Test ◽

Disorder Identification

Zusammenfassung. Ziel: Persönliche Beratungen können bei stationären Krankenhauspatienten Alkoholkonsum und Mortalität reduzieren. Sie sind jedoch mit hohen Kosten verbunden, wenn aus Public-Health-Erfordernis viele Menschen einer Bevölkerung erreicht werden müssen. Computerbasierte Interventionen stellen eine Alternative dar. Jedoch ist ihre Wirksamkeit im Vergleich zu persönlichen Beratungen und im Allgemeinkrankenhaus noch unklar. Eine quasi-randomisierte Kontrollgruppenstudie „Die Bedeutung der Vermittlungsform für Alkoholinterventionen bei Allgemeinkrankenhauspatienten: Persönlich vs. Computerisiert“ soll dies untersuchen. Design und Methoden werden beschrieben. Methode: Über 18 Monate sind alle 18- bis 64-jährigen Patienten auf Stationen der Universitätsmedizin Greifswald mittels Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) zu screenen. Frauen/Männer mit AUDIT-Consumption ≥ 4/5 und AUDIT < 20 werden einer von drei Gruppen zugeordnet: persönliche Intervention (Beratungen zur Konsumreduktion), computerbasierte Intervention (individualisierte Rückmeldebriefe und Broschüren) und Kontrollgruppe. Beide Interventionen erfolgen im Krankenhaus sowie telefonisch bzw. postalisch nach 1 und 3 Monaten. In computergestützten Telefoninterviews nach 6, 12, 18 und 24 Monaten wird Alkoholkonsum erfragt. Schlussfolgerung: Das Studienvorhaben, sofern erfolgreich umgesetzt, ist geeignet die längerfristige Wirksamkeit einer persönlichen und computerbasierten Intervention im Vergleich zu untersuchen.

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