The working alliance inventory - short version: psychometric properties of the patient and therapist form in youth mental health and addiction care.

The therapeutic alliance is considered to play an important role in youth treatment. The commonly used versions of the Working Alliance Inventory (WAI) are based on Bordin's three-dimensional alliance model. However, previous psychometric studies of the WAI did not find this three-dimensional structure in youth psychotherapy. These earlier findings may indicate different perceptions of the alliance by adolescent versus adult patients, but may also be due to methodological shortcomings. The current study aims to address previous study limitations by evaluating the factor structure of the short version of the WAI (WAI-S) in youth treatment in multilevel analysis to address the hierarchical structure of the alliance data. We examined the psychometric properties of the patient (n = 203) and therapist (n = 62) versions of the WAI-S in youth mental health and addiction care and tested four multilevel models of alliance at start of treatment and 2-month follow-up. Our results suggests a two-factor model for youth and a three-dimensional model for their therapist at both time points. Since this is the first study that finds a best fit for a two-dimensional construct of alliance in youth, more research is needed to clarify whether the differences in alliance dimensions are due to measurement differences between the WAI-S for youth and therapists or whether youth and their therapists truly differ in their perceptions of the concept of alliance.

Point-of-care neutrophil CD64 as a rule in diagnostic test for bacterial infections in the emergency department.

INTRODUCTION: Bacterial infections are frequently seen in the emergency department (ED), but can be difficult to distinguish from viral infections and some non-infectious diseases. Common biomarkers such as c-reactive protein (CRP) and white blood cell (WBC) counts fail to aid in the differential diagnosis. Neutrophil CD64 (nCD64), an IgG receptor, is suggested to be more specific for bacterial infections. This study investigated if nCD64 can distinguish bacterial infections from other infectious and non-infectious diseases in the ED. METHODS: All COVID-19 suspected patients who visited the ED and for which a definitive diagnosis was made, were included. Blood was analyzed using an automated flow cytometer within 2 h after presentation. Patients were divided into a bacterial, viral, and non-infectious disease group. We determined the diagnostic value of nCD64 and compared this to those of CRP and WBC counts. RESULTS: Of the 291 patients presented at the ED, 182 patients were included with a definitive diagnosis (bacterial infection n = 78; viral infection n = 64; non-infectious disease n = 40). ROC-curves were plotted, with AUCs of 0.71 [95%CI: 0.64-0.79], 0.77 [0.69-0.84] and 0.64 [0.55-0.73] for nCD64, WBC counts and CRP, respectively. In the bacterial group, nCD64 MFI was significantly higher compared to the other groups (p < 0.01). A cut-off of 9.4 AU MFI for nCD64 corresponded with a positive predictive value of 1.00 (sensitivity of 0.27, a specificity of 1.00, and an NPV of 0.64). Furthermore, a diagnostic algorithm was constructed which can serve as an example of what a future biomarker prediction model could look like. CONCLUSION: For patients in the ED presenting with a suspected infection, nCD64 measured with automatic flow cytometry, has a high specificity and positive predictive value for diagnosing a bacterial infection. However, a low nCD64 cannot rule out a bacterial infection. For future purposes, nCD64 should be combined with additional tests to form an algorithm that adequately diagnoses infectious diseases.

[The therapeutic alliance as predictor in the treatment of young people]. / De therapeutische alliantie als voorspeller in de behandeling van jongeren.

BACKGROUND: The quality of the therapeutic alliance is an important factor in the treatment of both adult and adolescent patients in psychiatry. Little is known about the importance of the therapeutic alliance among youths who seek help for their substance abuse problems in addiction treatment. AIM: We investigated the importance of first treatment session therapeutic alliance for outcome in youth mental health and addiction treatment, considering both the youths' and therapists' perspective. METHOD: 127 adolescents participated in a prospective clinical cohort study, with favorable or unfavorable treatment outcome after 4 months as primary outcome measure. At the end of the first treatment session, youths and their therapists were asked to rate the therapeutic alliance. RESULTS: Youths' and therapists' perceptions about the therapeutic alliance at the start of treatment were predictive of treatment outcome at four months follow-up. In particular, the combined perspective on first-session alliance by both youths and therapists appeared a strong predictor for treatment outcome. If both youths and therapists rated the therapeutic alliance as weak, the percentage of youths showing a favorable treatment outcome was much lower (23%), than if youths and therapists rated the alliance as strong (70%). CONCLUSION: The present study confirms the importance of a combined perspective on the therapeutic alliance for predicting treatment outcome among patients in youth mental health and addiction treatment.

[Adolescents with concurrent ADHD and substance use disorder; international consensus]. / Jongeren met een stoornis in het gebruik van middelen en ADHD: internationale consensus.

BACKGROUND: Substance use disorder (SUD) is common among youths with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Co-morbid ADHD and SUD in youths complicates screening, diagnosis, and treatment of both disorders and is associated with worse treatment prognosis. Limited research in youths with SUD and co-morbid ADHD provides insufficient basis for firm recommendations. To offer clinicians some guidance on this topic, we present the results of an international consensus procedure. AIM: To summarize an international consensus on diagnosis and treatment of young people with comorbid ADHD and SUD. METHOD: In a modified Delphi-study, a multidisciplinary, international group of 55 experts strived to reach consensus on 37 recommendations. RESULTS: Consensus was reached on 36 recommendations. Routine screening of ADHD and/or SUD is important. For the treatment of co-morbid SUD and ADHD in youths, both psychosocial and pharmacological treatment should be considered. Psychosocial treatment should preferably consist of psychoeducation, motivational interviewing (MI), and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) focused on SUD or both disorders. Long-acting stimulants are recommended as first choice pharmacotherapy, preferably embedded in psychosocial treatment. Experts did not agree on the precondition that patients need to be abstinent before starting stimulant treatment. CONCLUSION: Clinicians and youths with co-morbid SUD and ADHD can use this international consensus to choose the best possible treatment.

Do smooth waters run deep? Alcohol intoxication and the effects of water consumption on driving-related cognitions and behavior.

The present study tested the effect of the combined use of alcohol and water on driving-related cognitions and behavior. Seventy-four female students performed a driving simulator task after having consumed alcohol or a placebo. Additionally, half of the participants consumed 0.5 liter of water. It was hypothesized that combining alcohol and water could lead to an underestimated perceived intoxication level resulting in more favorable driving cognitions and increased risk behavior. Our findings showed that the combined use of water and alcohol did not affect cognitions or behavior. Surprisingly, in the placebo condition, water intake increased risky driving cognitions and behavior in women with a history of accident involvement. Lacking a clear counterproductive effect when combined with alcohol, water could be a useful tool in limiting alcohol use among female drinkers.