Alcohol and drug use, smoking, and gambling among psychiatric outpatients: a 1-year prevalence study.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Studies of alcohol habits in general psychiatric populations are scarce. The objective was to investigate alcohol and drug use, smoking, and gambling in a clinical sample of psychiatric outpatients. A further aim was to study age and gender differences in the rates of these habits. METHODS: Data were collected among psychiatric outpatients with mainly mood (47%) and anxiety (35%) disorders. A questionnaire package was distributed, including AUDIT (Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test), DUDIT (Drug Use Disorders Identification Test), tobacco items, and gambling items. Two major drinking categories were formed: "Nonhazardous alcohol use" (NH) and "Alcohol use above hazardous levels" (AH). RESULTS: In total, 2160 patients (65% females) responded to the questionnaire package. The AH rate was high among psychiatric outpatients (28.4%), particularly among young females (46.6%). Young female patients also reported a high prevalence of problematic drug use (13.8%). Problematic drug use, daily smoking, and problematic gambling were frequent. The unhealthy habits were linked to AH. CONCLUSIONS: Alcohol and drug use, smoking, and gambling are all highly prevalent among psychiatric outpatients. Young females are in particular need of attention. Interventions should be tailored for co-occurring psychiatric disorders and applied within routine psychiatric care.

Brief alcohol intervention in a psychiatric outpatient setting: a randomized controlled study.

BACKGROUND: Although brief alcohol intervention (BI) is widely studied, studies from psychiatric outpatient settings are rare. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of two variants of BI in psychiatric outpatients. By using clinical psychiatric staff to perform the interventions, we sought to collect information of the usefulness of BI in the clinical setting. METHODS: Psychiatric outpatients with Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) scores indicating hazardous or harmful drinking were invited to participate in the study. The outpatients were randomized to minimal (assessment, feedback, and an informational leaflet) or BI (personalized advice added). Measurements were performed at baseline and at six and 12 months after the intervention. The primary outcome was change in AUDIT score at the 12-month follow-up. RESULTS: In all, 150 patients were enrolled and received either a minimal intervention (n = 68) or BI (n = 82). At 12 months, there was a small reduction in AUDIT score in both groups, with no significant differences in outcome between groups. At 12-month follow-up, 21% of participants had improved from a hazardous AUDIT score level to a nonhazardous level, and 8% had improved from a harmful level to a hazardous level (8%). CONCLUSIONS: Brief alcohol interventions may result in a reduction of AUDIT score to a small extent in psychiatric patients with hazardous or harmful alcohol use. Results suggest that BI may be of some value in the psychiatric outpatient setting. Still, more profound forms of alcohol interventions with risky-drinking psychiatric patients need elaboration.

Three hours of training improve psychiatric staff's self-perceived knowledge and attitudes toward problem-drinking patients.

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS: Staff attitudes are an important factor in the successful implementation of systematic alcohol strategies and policies. The forms and extent of training needed to improve therapeutic attitude among psychiatric staff to problem drinking are unclear. The aim of the investigation was to study the knowledge and attitudes of psychiatric staff toward problem-drinking patients. A further aim was to investigate whether a short 3 h training is sufficient to improve knowledge and therapeutic attitude toward problem drinking. DESIGN AND METHODS: A tailored training model for psychiatric staff (non-physicians) was carried out at a medium size university clinic. Participants were medical (nurses and psychiatric aides) and non-medical staff (psychologists and social workers). The training consisted of a 2 h workshop and a 1 h follow-up session. Knowledge and attitudes were measured at baseline and follow up by a questionnaire including vignettes assessment and the Short Alcohol and Alcohol Problems Perception Questionnaire. RESULTS: In total, 115 persons completed the questionnaire (follow-up rate 83.5%). The distribution was even (50% for the medical and 50% for the non-medical staff). After training, the non-medical staff estimated vignette case severity higher than before. Both staff groups estimated their capacity to help a patient with complex problems higher after training. Role adequacy was higher in both subgroups after training. Medical staff scored work satisfaction higher after the training. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Three hours of tailored training for psychiatric staff improve their knowledge and therapeutic attitude to problem-drinking patients.

A stepped care strategy using buprenorphine and methadone versus conventional methadone maintenance in heroin dependence: a randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: Both methadone and buprenorphine are effective therapy for heroin dependence. Efficacy is best documented for methadone maintenance therapy, but safety concerns limit its use. Buprenorphine offers lower overdose risk and improved access, but efficacy may be lower. The authors compared adaptive, buprenorphine-based stepped care to optimal methadone maintenance treatment. METHOD: This randomized controlled trial was undertaken 2004-2006. It consisted of a 24-day uniform double-blind induction phase followed by single-blind flexible dosing based on structured clinical criteria, for a total of 6 months. Ninety-six self-referred subjects with heroin dependence were randomly assigned to methadone or to stepped treatment initiated with buprenorphine/naloxone and escalated to methadone if needed. All subjects received intensive behavioral treatment. Primary outcome was retention in treatment. Secondary outcomes were completer analyses of problem severity (Addiction Severity Index) and proportion of urine samples free of illicit drugs. RESULTS: Overall, 6-month retention was 78%. Stepped treatment and methadone maintenance therapy outcomes were virtually identical. Among completers of stepped therapy, 46% remained on buprenorphine/naloxone. Proportion of urine samples free of illicit opiates increased over time and ultimately reached approximately 80% in both arms. Problem severity decreased significantly and uniformly in both arms. CONCLUSIONS: A stepped treatment of heroin dependence as described here appears equally efficacious compared to optimally delivered methadone maintenance therapy. Together with prior data on the advantageous safety of buprenorphine, this suggests that broad implementation of strategies using buprenorphine as first-line treatment should be considered.