0000000000234583

AUTHOR

Thomas Clausen

Effects of a brief pre‑admission telephone reminder on no‑show and dropout rates in substance use disorder treatment: a quasi‑experimental study

Abstract Background Appointment no-show and early dropout from treatment represent major challenges in outpatient substance use disorder treatment, adversely affecting clinical outcomes and health care productivity. In this quasi-experimental study, we examined how a brief reminder intervention for new patients before their first appointment affected treatment participation and retention. No-shows (not attending any sessions) and dropouts (discontinuation of initiated treatment because of three consecutively missed appointments) were compared between a period with pre-admission telephone calls (intervention) and a period without such reminders (non-intervention). Methods Participants were a…

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Readiness to change among involuntarily and voluntarily admitted patients with substance use disorders

AbstractBackgroundHealth care workers in the addiction field have long emphasised the importance of a patient’s motivation on the outcome of treatments for substance use disorders (SUDs). Many patients entering treatment are not yet ready to make the changes required for recovery and are often unprepared or sometimes unwilling to modify their behaviour. The present study compared stages of readiness to change and readiness to seek help among patients with SUDs involuntarily and voluntarily admitted to treatment to investigate whether changes in the stages of readiness at admission predict drug control outcomes at follow-up.MethodsThis prospective study included 65 involuntarily and 137 volu…

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Mental distress following inpatient substance use treatment, modified by substance use; comparing voluntary and compulsory admissions

Background Treatment services to patients with substance use disorders (SUDs), including those mandated to treatment, needs to be evaluated and evidence based. The Norwegian Municipal Health Care Act (NMHCA) calls for compulsory treatment for persons with “severe and life-threatening substance use disorder” if these individuals are not otherwise willing to be voluntarily treated and consequently risk their lives over drug use. Mental distress is known to be high among SUD patients admitted to inpatient treatment. The purpose of this study is to describe changes in mental distress from admission to a 6-month follow-up in patients with SUDs, which underwent either voluntary or compulsory trea…

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Predicting patient post-detoxification engagement in 12-step groups with an extended version of the theory of planned behavior

Introduction Individuals with substance use disorders can receive important abstinence-specific support in 12-step groups (TSGs). However, our understanding of key factors that influence TSG participation remains limited. This study used an extended version of the theory of planned behavior (TPB) to enhance the understanding of TSG affiliation. Methods Data were retrieved from a controlled trial of a 12-step facilitation intervention conducted on an inpatient detoxification ward in Norway (N = 140). Surveys at baseline included a TPB questionnaire. The behavioral target was to attend at least two TSG meetings per month in the 6-month follow-up period. Structural equation modeling was used t…

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Infralow neurofeedback in the treatment of substance use disorders: a randomized controlled trial

Background Infralow neurofeedback (ILF-NF) was recently developed as a subtype of traditional, frequency-based neurofeedback that targets cerebral rhythmic activity below 0.5 Hz and improves brain self-regulation. The efficacy of ILF-NF in the treatment of substance use disorder has not yet been evaluated, but clinical evidence suggests that it may prevent relapse by improving functioning in various life domains. The current study aimed to fill this research gap and extend empirical evidence related to this issue. Methods Ninety-three patients with substance use disorders at an outpatient unit in Norway were randomized to receive 20 sessions (30 minutes each) of ILF-NF training combined wit…

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Can a Healthy Lifestyle Prevent Disability Pension among Female Healthcare Workers with Good and Poor Self-Rated Health? Prospective Cohort Study with 11-Year Register Follow-Up

BACKGROUND: Our purpose was to investigate whether healthy lifestyle habits prevent disability pension among female healthcare workers.METHODS: We conducted a prospective cohort study with an 11-year register follow-up in which 8159 female healthcare workers from Denmark completed a questionnaire concerning self-rated health, work environment, leisure-time physical activity (LTPA), smoking, and body mass index (BMI). Data on disability benefit payments were obtained from the Danish Register for Evaluation of Marginalization during an 11-year follow-up. Potential confounders included age, occupational education, psychosocial work factors, and physical exertion during work.RESULTS: Among work…

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Self-reported sickness absence and presenteeism as predictors of future disability pension: Cohort study with 11-year register follow-up

Many healthcare workers in eldercare are pushed out of the labor market before the official retirement age due to poor health. Identification of early warnings signs is important to avoid complete loss of work ability. The aim of this study was to investigate to what degree sickness absence and presenteeism increase future risk for disability pension among eldercare workers. A total of 8952 Danish female eldercare workers responded to a survey about work environment and health. They were followed for 11 years in the Danish Register for Evaluation of Marginalization, with time-to-event analyses estimating the hazard ratios (HRs) for disability pension from sickness absence and presenteeism a…

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Improved drug-use patterns at 6 months post-discharge from inpatient substance use disorder treatment: Results from compulsorily and voluntarily admitted patients

Background Treatment services to patients with substance use disorders (SUDs), including those mandated to treatment, needs to be evaluated and evidence based. The Norwegian Municipal Health Care Act calls for mandated treatment for persons with “severe and life-threatening substance use disorder” if these individuals are not otherwise willing to be voluntarily treated and consequently risk their lives over drug use. This study aims to examine substance use–related outcomes at 6 months following inpatient treatment and to analyse factors associated with improved outcomes and abstinence. Method This prospective study followed 202 hospitalized patients with SUD who were admitted voluntarily (…

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Musculoskeletal pain intensity in different body regions and risk of disability pension among female eldercare workers: prospective cohort study with 11-year register follow-up

Abstract Background Musculoskeletal pain is a risk factor for leaving the labour market temporarily and permanently. While the presence of multi-site pain increases the risk of disability pension, we lack detailed knowledge about pain intensity as a risk factor. This study investigated the association between musculoskeletal pain intensity in different body regions and risk of future disability pension among eldercare workers. Methods Eight thousand seven hundred thirty-one female eldercare workers replied to a questionnaire on work and health in 2005 and were followed for 11 years in the Danish Register for Evaluation of Marginalization. Time-to-event analyses estimated hazard ratios (HR) …

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Quality of life improved following in-patient substance use disorder treatment

Background Quality of life (QoL) is increasingly recognized as central to the broad construct of recovery in patients with substance use disorders (SUD). However, few longitudinal studies have evaluated changes in QoL after SUD treatment and included patients with SUD that were compulsorily hospitalized. This study aimed to describe QoL among in-patients admitted either voluntarily or compulsorily to hospitalization and to examine patterns and predictors of QoL at admission and at 6 months post treatment. Methods This prospective study followed 202 hospitalized patients with SUD that were admitted voluntarily (N=137) or compulsorily (N=65). A generic QoL questionnaire (QoL-5) was used to as…

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Perceived coercion to enter treatment among involuntarily and voluntarily admitted patients with substance use disorders

Background Perceived coercion is a sense of pressure related to the experience of being referred to treatment. The sense of pressure arises from the patient’s internal perception of coercion. The sources of coercion may be the legal system, the family, the health system, or self-criticism (internal sources). Here, we studied patients diagnosed with substance use disorders that were involuntarily admitted to hospital, pursuant to a social services act. We sought to determine whether these patients perceived coercion differently than patients that were admitted voluntarily. Methods This study included patients admitted to combined substance use disorder and psychiatry wards in three publicly …

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Additional file 1: of Perceived coercion to enter treatment among involuntarily and voluntarily admitted patients with substance use disorders

30-Item Perceived Coercion Questionnaire. Description: List of questions in the Perceived Coercion Questionnaire, and the alterations applied for the present study. (DOCX 90 kb)

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Leisure-Time Physical Activity Reduces the Risk of Long-Term Sickness Absence Among Older Healthy Female Eldercare Workers

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the association between leisure-time physical activity (PA) and risk of long-term sickness absence (LTSA). Design: Data on LTSA (≥3 consecutive weeks during a 1-year follow-up) were acquired from the Danish Register for Evaluation of Marginalization and linked to a questionnaire via personal identification number. Setting: Eldercare workers from 36 Danish municipalities. Subjects: Data were retrieved from 4605 healthy Danish female eldercare (i.e., workers assisting senior citizens with daily activities and health) aged 19 to 69 years, who answered a questionnaire on health, and work environment in 2005. Measures: Calculated risk of LTSA and its associat…

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The Launch of a New Scandinavian Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology

Background Welcome to this new journal – the Scandinavian Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology. The field of Work and Organizational Psychology has a long and strong tradition in Scandinavia. Typical studies within this field have focused on work environment issues, such as psychosocial working conditions, meaningfulness and influence at work. The focus on intervention and evaluation of work and organizational initiatives – focusing on the improvement of working life – has also been important in this research tradition. In a European and global context, there are relevant and prestigious journals covering the research field, such as the European Journal of Work and Organizational P…

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