"I don't want to take buprenorphine for the rest of my life": Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for a Client Struggling to Reduce Low-Dose Buprenorphine (a Hermeneutic Single-Case Efficacy Design).

The misuse of substances is often maintained by both physical and psychological factors. Opioid-substitution medications manage physical aspects of addiction; however, difficulties with emotional regulation and avoidance perpetuate continued substance misuse. In the UK, individuals who misuse substances are often excluded from mental health services, meaning these underlying difficulties are not addressed. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) seeks to reduce emotional avoidance. A hermeneutic single-case efficacy design was used to evaluate the effects of ACT within drugs and alcohol service. Quantitative and qualitative data was critically analysed to understand factors involved in identified changes. Analysis recognised the client progressed towards two of three of their goals, related to motivation and anxiety. Their psychological flexibility also increased. ACT processes played a key role in this; however, the therapeutic relationship and psychopharmacological factors were also noted. Study limitations and clinical and research implications are discussed.

Factors influencing the transition experience of carers for persons with dementia, when the person with dementia moves into residential care: systematic review and meta-synthesis.

Aims: To understand factors influencing the experience of carers for people with dementia, when that person moves from living in the community to living in residential care. Specifically, we aimed to identify facilitators and inhibitors of carer adjustment during this transition.Method: A systematic search of CINAHL, EMBASE, PubMed, and PsycINFO databases was conducted. Nine qualitative articles published between 2001 and 2017, based on the experiences of 141 carers, were included. Thematic analysis was applied to the data, with the concepts of transition inhibitors and facilitators being used to structure the analytic process.Results: Analysis produced five themes, representing factors that could affect carer experiences of the focal transition-process: modifying the difficulty of this process according to their presence or absence. The themes were (1) Connection, pertaining to the carer feeling connected to the person with dementia and professionals during this transition; (2) Informed & Informing, relating to exchange of information between the carer and facility staff or health professionals; (3) The facility: welcoming & skilful, dealing with carer perceptions of the facility and their confidence in the staff; (4) It's What You Make of It, discussing the meaning the carer made of the admission and the impact this had; and (5) Sharing Responsibility, addressing how carers were affected by the perceived sharing of responsibility for care-provision.Conclusions: A supportive network has a significant role to play in facilitating this transition for carers. However, further research into what carers would find useful during this time is needed.