Description and Impact of Encounters With Deceased Partners or Spouses.

This study investigates perceived interactions with the deceased, a phenomenon reported across societies, with 30-34% of individuals likely experiencing at least one ADC in their lifetime. Despite this prevalence, studies examining the impact of ADCs' on those who have lost partners are limited. We present data from 70 individuals reporting partner ADCs via an online survey. Forty percent reported accelerated recovery and 42.9% confirm the ADCs' significant influence in their grieving, with 61% expressing a desire for continued contact. ADCs, interestingly, didn't worsen their pain. The influence on grief-related sadness varied: 41% noted no change, while 40% reported reduced sadness. Forty-seven percent acknowledged ADCs eased their loss acceptance. The data highlight ADCs' substantial, potentially therapeutic role in grief and healing, despite varying effects on sadness and recovery. This study underscores the ADCs' possible positive influence on bereaved partners, advocating for a deeper understanding of this phenomenon in the grieving process.

Impact of patient placement criteria on substance abuse treatment under the Oregon Health Plan.

When Oregon shifted to managed care for Medicaid-funded substance abuse treatment, standardized patient placement and discharge criteria were rapidly implemented statewide. This prospective, naturalistic study examines the validity and impact of placement criteria with a sample of 240 adults presenting for treatment compared to a sample of 287 in Washington state, where implementation was phased in slowly. Baseline profile analysis suggested better differentiation between Level II and Level III clients for the Oregon sample and better implementation than with the Washington sample, presumably because Oregon clinicians received more training and had more experience with the criteria. A majority of the Oregon sample was placed in intensive outpatient programs, consistent with the recommended level of care. In this study, placement criteria showed good potential for changing treatment planning behavior, increasing individualization, and improving utilization of new levels of care.