Navigating Life Challenges Through Play.

In today's ever-changing world, adaptability is a key skill that is required to successfully navigate life's challenges. Through play individuals can build their innovation and adaptability skills. Additionally, through play we are able to collaborate with others and this builds connection amongst groups. And lastly, through practices such as gratitude we can increase our resilience skills when faced with life stressors.

Predictors of persistent psychotic symptoms in persons with methamphetamine abuse receiving psychiatric treatment.

The objective of this study was to identify predictors of sustained psychotic symptoms after methamphetamine (MA) abuse during the course of 6 months from patterns of MA and other substance use, depressive symptoms, family history of psychosis, antisocial personality disorder, and trauma history. A total of 295 individuals with MA abuse and psychotic symptoms seeking psychiatric services were assessed at baseline and then monthly on symptoms and substance use for 6 months. Trajectory analyses revealed two trajectories of the individuals with positive symptoms, with one group presenting with persistent psychotic symptoms (30% of the sample). Those with persistent psychosis were significantly older, had more severe psychotic symptoms, misused MA for more years, had more antisocial personality traits, and had more sustained depressive symptoms. The strongest predictors of belonging to the persistent psychosis group, via logistic regressions, were more severe psychotic symptoms, longer use of MA, and sustained depressive symptoms. Our results highlight the important comorbidities, especially regarding depressive symptoms and persistent psychosis, in individuals seeking psychiatric help after MA abuse. This study also highlights the importance of identifying people with persistent psychosis within MA users to facilitate rapid and effective treatment of co-occurring psychotic disorder.

Prevalence of physical and sexual abuse among substance abuse patients and impact on treatment outcomes.

More than half of substance abusers entering addiction treatment report a history of physical or sexual abuse. It is unclear if such a history impacts treatment outcomes. This one-year follow-up study of 700 substance abusers sought to clarify the relationship between lifetime physical and/or sexual abuse and addiction treatment outcome to help address the specific needs of this population. To achieve this goal, baseline characteristics, no-show for treatment status, post-treatment clinical outcomes, and treatment history were studied for subjects with lifetime history of abuse (47.3%) versus without. Abused subjects, predominantly women, were significantly more impaired at baseline on clinical dimensions including family/social severity and psychiatric severity as measured by the Addiction Severity Index (ASI), and general level of functioning. The two groups endorsed different drugs as primary, with the abused group less frequently endorsing heroin and cocaine in favor of alcohol and polydrug use. Abused subjects reported more prior medical and psychiatric treatments. Abuse history was not a predictor of no-show for treatment. Over the 1-year follow-up, lifetime physical and/or sexual abuse was significantly associated with worse psychiatric status and more psychiatric hospitalizations and outpatient treatment despite receiving similar intensive addiction treatment.