scholarly journals Use of electronic health records in identifying drug and alcohol misuse among psychiatric in-patients

2013 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
James Bell ◽  
Cise Kilic ◽  
Reena Prabakaran ◽  
Yuan Yuan Wang ◽  
Robin Wilson ◽  
...  

Aims and methodTo assess the usefulness of the electronic patient record, we used the search engine Clinical Record Interactive Search (CRIS) to scan all acute admissions during 2008 for possible substance use disorders. In addition, screening interviews were undertaken with 75 in-patients, and documentation in their files was compared with results of screening interviews.ResultsOf 839 acute admissions during 2008, 47% of males and 29% of females had reference to a substance misuse problem in their file. Documentation was unsystematic and inconsistent and mostly occurred in progress notes rather than in structured questionnaires. Screening interviews and manual review of files of 75 current in-patients confirmed that substance use disorders were common, but poorly documented.Clinical implicationsThe study highlights the power of search engines in scanning electronic clinical records, but also identified the limitations of unsystematic documentation in research and practice. Mental health staff were reluctant to diagnose or rate severity of substance misuse problems.

Author(s):  
Kristina Caudle ◽  
B.J. Casey

Drug and alcohol dependence affects millions each year. Adolescence is a period of increased risk for substance use disorders. Understanding how the brain is changing during this developmental window relative to childhood and adulthood and how these changes vary across individuals is critical for predicting risk of later substance abuse and dependence. This chapter provides an overview of recent human imaging and animal studies of brain development focusing on changes in corticostriatal circuitry that has been implicated in addiction. Behavioral, clinical, and neurobiological evidence is provided to help elucidate who may be most at risk for developing a substance abuse problem and whenthey may be most vulnerable.


2011 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 478-489 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fleur L. Kraanen ◽  
Paul M.G. Emmelkamp

Author(s):  
Dennis C. Daley ◽  
Antoine Douaihy

Medications can help clients safely and comfortably withdraw from substances such as alcohol, opiates, or sedatives if they have a physical addiction. The medicines used will depend on the drug or drugs on which they are dependent. Medication-assisted treatment is the use of medications approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, in combination with counseling and behavioral therapies, to provide a whole-client approach to the treatment of opioid, alcohol, or tobacco use disorders. The goals of this chapter are to learn about types of medication that aid recovery from a substance use disorder, to understand the reasons why some people may have problems with medication, to learn about withdrawal symptoms and medications that help, to understand the effects of drug and alcohol use on psychiatric medications, and to determine whether or not a client needs medication to help with his or her substance disorder.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (01) ◽  
pp. 31-34
Author(s):  
Muhammad Siddique Kakar ◽  
Shehzad Rauf ◽  
Muhammad Waleed Iqbal ◽  
Azaan Qureshi ◽  
Saad Nabeel

Objective: To assess the effects of early brief psychological interventions in patients of substance use disorders. Study Design and Setting: This descriptive prospective study was conducted at main reception centre filter clinic/ Emergency Department of PNS Shifa hospital from 1st July 2020 to 31st March 2021. Methodology: Total n=78 patients were identified after a simple screening question regarding substance abuse which was how many times the patient had used an illegal drug in the last one year. An answer of more than 1 was considered as a positive response and further screening was done with Drug and Alcohol screening test (DAST). Patients who showed low scores on DAST were recommended for brief interventions which were given as weekly sessions for 6 weeks and reassessment was done at 3rd month. The SPSS 20 package program was used for statistical analysis. The descriptive statistics were analyzed for all the variables evaluated in the study. Results: This study revealed that that after 3 months of brief psychological interventions, 43(55.1%) patients remained abstinent from drugs. 18(23%) patients did not report for follow up. 9(11.5%) had reduced their use while 8(10.2%) were still using drugs regularly. Conclusion: This study showed that brief psychological interventions at the level of filter clinics/Emergency departments can help patients of substance use seek early care who fear going to a psychiatric clinic.


Author(s):  
Dennis C. Daley ◽  
Antoine Douaihy

This guide was written for family members, significant others, and people concerned about their relatives or friends who have an alcohol or drug problem, which in this book is referred to as substance misuse or substance use disorder (SUD). Substance problems can take many shapes and forms and differ in their severity and impact. This family guide will discuss these problems and how to help the affected person and other family members (including children) who may have been harmed by a loved one’s substance problem. This guide can also help individuals with a substance use problem understand the impact of their SUDs on the family as well as what their family members can do to help themselves. Addressing family issues and making amends are key issues for people in recovery from SUDs.


2000 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 279-289 ◽  
Author(s):  
David J. Kavanagh ◽  
Lea Greenaway ◽  
Linda Jenner ◽  
John B. Saunders ◽  
Angela White ◽  
...  

Objectives: To determine opinions and experiences of health professionals concerning the management of people with comorbid substance misuse and mental health disorders. Method: We conducted a survey of staff from mental health services and alcohol and drug services across Queensland. Survey items on problems and potential solutions had been generated by focus groups. Results: We analysed responses from 112 staff of alcohol and drug services and 380 mental health staff, representing a return of 79%% and 42%% respectively of the distributed surveys. One or more issues presented a substantial clinical management problem for 98%% of respondents. Needs for increased facilities or services for dual disorder clients figured prominently. These included accommodation or respite care, work and rehabilitation programs, and support groups and resource materials for families. Needs for adolescent dual diagnosis services and after-hours alcohol and drug consultations were also reported. Each of these issues raised substantial problems for over 70%% of staff. Another set of problems involved coordination of client care across mental health and alcohol and drug services, including disputes over duty of care. Difficulties with intersectoral liaison were more pronounced for alcohol and drug staff than for mental health. A majority of survey respondents identified 13 solutions as practical. These included routine screening for dual diagnosis at intake, and a range of proposals for closer intersectoral communication such as exchanging client information, developing shared treatment plans, conducting joint case conferences and offering consultation facilities. Conclusions: A wide range of problems for the management of comorbid disorders were identified. While solution of some problems will require resource allocation, many may be addressed by closer liaison between existing services.


2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 50-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lauren P. Greenberg ◽  
Sarah L. Martindale ◽  
Laura R. Fils-Aimé ◽  
Sara L. Dolan

Impulsivity and distress tolerance (DT) have been implicated as key features in development and maintenance of substance use disorders. This study expanded on previous research by exploring the four factors of DT (Absorption, Appraisal, Regulation, Tolerance) and their interaction with impulsivity in relation to substance use. Participants were 105 men and 150 women who completed measures of impulsivity, DT, and substance use. Results indicated that Appraisal DT was a better predictor of substance use problems over and above overall DT or other DT factors. Mediation analysis indicated that Appraisal partially mediated the relationship between impulsivity and DT. Results suggest that DT, particularly Appraisal, plays a role in substance use problems, specifically in the relationship between impulsivity and substance use problems. Treatments emphasizing DT skills, particularly the appraisal of aversive emotions, may be useful to employ when attempting to reduce harmful drinking or drug use behaviors.


1999 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 267-273 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nandi Siegfried ◽  
Joanne Ferguson ◽  
Michelle Cleary ◽  
Garry Walter ◽  
Joseph M. Rey

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the experience, knowledge and attitudes of mental health staff regarding patients' problematic drug and alcohol use in order to provide direction for planned drug and alcohol education. Method: A 47-item questionnaire was developed and individually posted to all mental health staff employed by Central Sydney Area Health Service (n == 536). Results: Three hundred and thirty-eight (63%) staff members completed the questionnaire. Thirty-six percent of respondents had received drug and alcohol training and 41% had drug and alcohol work experience. Drug and alcohol training and work experience were associated with increased drug and alcohol knowledge. Respondents' perception of their knowledge and competence was positively correlated with their actual knowledge. Most staff reported having regular contact with patients with psychotic illnesses and drug and alcohol problems. The majority considered the management of this patient group difficult and currently inadequate. Seventy percent believed that as mental health professionals they had a role to play in the management of their patients' drug and alcohol problems. Almost all (95%) were willing to participate in further education and training in this area. Conclusions: Mental health staff are often confronted with drug and alcohol problems in patients with psychotic illnesses. They perceive a need for drug and alcohol education and training specific to the management of these patients. Future research will need to evaluate outcomes of education and training programs for both staff and patients.


2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jason Aaron Chen ◽  
Justin Albert Chen ◽  
Sanghoon Lee ◽  
Gerard Mullin

Addressing the global obesity epidemic requires innovative approaches that are also acceptable to affected individuals. There is growing evidence suggesting that food addiction, one contributor to obesity, bears many similarities to drug and alcohol addiction, presenting a potential role for addiction-focused acupuncture as a novel treatment modality. In this perspective article, we begin by briefly reviewing the evidence linking food and drug/alcohol addiction. We then describe the development of an acupuncture-based protocol for treating opioid addiction in Hong Kong in the 1970s and discuss the evidence base for acupuncture's efficacy in treating a range of substance use disorders. Next, we describe acupuncture's proposed mechanism of action in attenuating withdrawal and promoting abstinence. Finally, we note the dearth of studies specifically examining the effectiveness of acupuncture in treating food addiction and suggest that more research should focus in this area as part of the effort to combat rising rates of obesity worldwide.


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