Multi-family therapy for eating disorders across the lifespan: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Eating disorders (EDs) have an estimated prevalence rate of 1%-5% across Europe. Effective adjunct interventions are needed to support the 20%-40% of families whose recovery requires additional support to first line approaches. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to establish whether multi-family therapy (MFT) improves the physical and psychological health of patients and family members. Searches were conducted in PsycINFO, MEDLINE, PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, and the Cochrane Library in March 2021. 15 studies (850 patients) met the inclusion criteria. Meta-analysis demonstrated MFT resulted in significant benefits in weight gain, ED symptoms, patients' and parents' depression symptoms, and parents' negative experiences of caregiving. However, significant improvements were only evident when comparisons were drawn before and after the intervention; these dissipated when MFT was compared to another intervention. There was no evidence MFT improves family functioning, positive aspects of caregiving, nor patient and parental anxiety. Intervention completion rates ranged from 86% to 100% indicating a high level of acceptability. Studies varied with regard to intervention length and structure, follow-up period, and outcome measures utilised; most were rated as moderate or weak in methodological quality. More rigorous and large scale randomised controlled trials are needed to fully assess the effectiveness of MFT.

Quality of Life and Psychosocial Functioning 2 Years Following Facial Transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Face transplantation is a novel option for patients with severe facial disfigurement. Quality of life (QoL) outcomes of face transplantation remain poorly understood. OBJECTIVES: We sought to evaluate psychosocial functioning among 6 patients undergoing facial transplantation. METHODS: We prospectively assessed depressive symptoms, health status, mental and physical QoL, and self-esteem at 3-month intervals for 2 years. Social desirability was assessed pretransplant. RESULTS: On average, before transplantation, patients generally reported minimal to subthreshold depressive symptoms, normal to high health status, normal mental-health QoL, slightly below normal physical-health QoL, and normal to high self-esteem. Most endorsed high social desirability. As patients recovered from surgery, hospitalization, and immunosuppression induction, physical-health QoL generally deteriorated 3 months posttransplantation. Posttransplant trajectories show that perceived health state improved; health status and mental and physical health-related QoL slightly improved; self-esteem remained stable and high; and overall depressive symptoms remained stable but 3 patients experienced a depressive episode. CONCLUSIONS: Pretransplant ceiling effects may render improvements difficult to quantify. Future research should use mixed methods including population-specific measures with demonstrated sensitivity to change.

Medical Student Experiences on Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry Rotations: A Nationwide Survey.

BACKGROUND: Consultation-liaison (C-L) psychiatry clerkship rotations may improve medical students' understanding of psychiatric principles relevant to the settings in which they will ultimately practice. This study aimed to characterize students' experiences on C-L rotations. METHODS: This cross-sectional survey study, sponsored by the Academy of Psychosomatic Medicine Subcommittee on Medical Student Education, was conducted at 5 US medical schools between 2012 and 2016. After the C-L rotation, students completed a voluntary 17-item survey. RESULTS: A total of 235 surveys were collected (mean response rate = 92%). The most frequently endorsed benefit of C-L was learning to manage psychiatric disorders in the context of medical illness (89%). The most frequently endorsed drawback was inconsistent/excessively variable workload (40%). Overall, 82% of respondents recommended C-L to other students; 80% reported that the ideal clerkship would include exposure to both C-L and inpatient psychiatry. Overall, 38% reported that their C-L experience increased their interest in psychiatry as a career. Effect of C-L on interest in psychiatry did not differ by study site, age, sex, clerkship length, or time spent on C-L. Respondents who noted more positive role-modeling on C-L compared to other clerkship rotations were more likely to report increased interest in a psychiatry career (odds ratio = 2.70). CONCLUSIONS: Most medical students perceive C-L rotations favorably. Positive role modeling may increase their consideration of psychiatry specialization. The findings that C-L rotation length did not correlate with attitudes and that most students preferred exposure to both inpatient and C-L psychiatry suggest that C-L exposure can beneficially be integrated into core clerkships containing other elements.

Quantitative testing of buprenorphine and norbuprenorphine to identify urine sample spiking during office-based opioid treatment.

BACKGROUND: Patients may spike urine samples with buprenorphine during office-based opioid treatment to simulate adherence to prescribed buprenorphine, potentially to conceal diversion of medications. However, routine immunoassay screens do not detect instances of spiking, as these would simply result in a positive result. The aim of this study was to report on the experience of using quantitative urine testing for buprenorphine and norbuprenorphine to facilitate the identification of urine spiking. METHODS: This is a retrospective chart review of 168 consecutive patients enrolled in outpatient buprenorphine treatment at an urban academic medical setting between May 2013 and August 2014. All urine samples submitted were subjected to quantitative urine toxicology testing for buprenorphine and norbuprenorphine. Norbuprenorphine-to-buprenorphine ratio of less than 0.02 were further examined for possible spiking. Demographic and clinical variables were also extracted from medical records. Clinical and demographic variables of those who did and did not spike their urines were compared. Statistically significant variables from the univariate testing were entered as predictors of spiking in a regression analysis. RESULTS: A total of 168 patients were included, submitting a total of 2275 urine samples. Patients provided on average 13.6 (SD = 9.9) samples, and were in treatment for an average 153.1 days (SD = 142.2). In total, 8 samples (0.35%) from 8 patients (4.8%) were deemed to be spiked. All of the samples suspected of spiking contained buprenorphine levels greater than 2000 ng/mL, with a mean norbuprenorphine level of 11.9 ng/mL. Spiked samples were submitted by 6 patients (75.0%) during the intensive outpatient (IOP) phase of treatment, 2 patients (25.0%) during the weekly phase, and none from the monthly phase. Regression analysis indicated that history of intravenous drug use and submission of cocaine-positive urine samples at baseline were significant predictors of urine spiking. CONCLUSIONS: Even though only a small number of patients were identified to have spiked their urine samples, quantitative testing may help identify urine spiking during office-based opioid treatment with buprenorphine.

Psychosocial Outcomes after Bilateral Hand Transplantation.

UNLABELLED: Since the first successful hand transplantation in 1998, there have been multiple reports about surgical technique, transplant survival, and immunosuppression. However, very limited published data exist on psychosocial outcomes following hand transplantation. METHODS: We report psychosocial outcomes in a patient with bilateral hand transplants at the midforearm level with serial follow-ups over 3.5 years. Different metrics used to study psychosocial outcomes included the following: SF-12, CES-D, Dyadic Adjustment Scale, Rosenberg SE, and EQ-5D. RESULT: Preoperatively, our patient did not have any evidence of depression (CES-D = 3), had a nonstressful relationship with his spouse (Dyadic Adjustment Scale = 100), and self-esteem was in the normal range (Rosenberg SE = 21). These metrics and his additional scales (SF-12 MCS, EQ-5D, and EQ-VAS) did not change appreciably and were within the normal range for the entire duration of 3.5-year follow-up at all different time points. CONCLUSION: With the increasing popularity of hand transplantation and the increasing awareness of the importance of psychosocial parameters in overall success, appropriate, comprehensive, and standardized measurements are important. These should be an integral part of patients' screening and follow-up.

Initiating buprenorphine treatment for hospitalized patients with opioid dependence: A case series.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Opioid dependent patients are hospitalized frequently. We aimed to determine if initiation of buprenorphine treatment during hospitalization facilitates entry into treatment following discharge. METHODS: Retrospective case series (n = 47). RESULTS: Twenty-two (46.8%) patients successfully initiated buprenorphine treatment within 2 months of discharge. Those patients obtaining a referral to a specific program were more successful in continuing treatment, but this difference did not reach statistical significance (59.1% vs 39.1%, p = 0.18). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Hospitalization may be an important opportunity to engage opioid dependent patients to initiate buprenorphine treatment. SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE: This study provides provisional support for utilizing buprenorphine for hospitalized patients.

Feasibility of Implementing Shared Medical Appointments (SMAs) for Office-Based Opioid Treatment With Buprenorphine: A Pilot Study.

BACKGROUND: Shared medical appointments (SMAs) are designed to improve patient satisfaction and increase access to treatment. In a typical SMA, 6-12 patients with similar diagnoses attend a group appointment with their health care providers, often lasting 60-120 minutes. All components of an individual visit are completed, and additional time is spent providing education and facilitating peer support. The aim of this study was to report on patient and program outcomes after implementation of SMA-based office-based opioid treatment with buprenorphine. METHODS: The study was conducted at a hospital-based outpatient psychiatric clinic that previously did not offer any office-based opioid treatment with buprenorphine. Demographic and clinical data (treatment retention, depression, anxiety, craving scores, and urine toxicology results) were extracted from the medical records. Patients were recruited to complete a survey assessing their experience. RESULTS: Ninety-three patients enrolled in the program, and 52.7% remained in treatment at 6 months. The proportion of aberrant opioid urine results, depression, anxiety, and craving decreased significantly from baseline to 6 months. Twenty-two patients completed the survey, who generally agreed that the SMA format allowed for more time with physicians, more support from peers, better coordination of care, and more predictable times for visits. CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of an SMA-based buprenorphine program was feasible, with treatment outcomes comparable to traditional models of care. More research is needed to explore the impact of SMA on buprenorphine treatment.