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1.
J Subst Use Addict Treat ; 162: 209334, 2024 Jul.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38531508

BACKGROUND: The opioid epidemic in the United States has not spared youth or young adults, as evidenced by a six-fold increase in opioid use disorder (OUD) diagnoses in the last two decades. Given this dramatic rise, a call for greater uptake and accessibility of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUDs) among youth and young adults has ensued, resulting in an increasing number of MOUD treatment pathways for this vulnerable population. METHODS: This secondary data analysis seeks to characterize patient and provider preferences for MOUD treatment pathways, and test for associations between baseline MOUD treatment preferences and opioid use and treatment adherence outcomes. Participants included 288 youth and young adults (age 15-21 years), recruited from a residential treatment program in Maryland. The study assessed patient preferences at baseline (n = 253) and provider preferences at patient treatment discharge (n = 224). Mixed-effects negative binomial regression models were conducted for opioid use outcomes, and logistic regressions were conducted for treatment adherence outcomes. RESULTS: Results indicate that congruence of treatment with patients' (Incidence Rate Ratio [IRR] = 0.65) and providers' (IRR = 0.66) preferences was significantly associated with reduced self-reported days of opioid use in the past 90 days, but only for patients receiving extended-release naltrexone (XR-NTX). Results also indicated that patients were less likely to switch medication treatment pathways (e.g., from XR-NTX to buprenorphine, or vice versa) during follow-up if they received their preferred treatment at baseline, a finding which held true for both XR-NTX (Odds Ratio [OR] = 0.32) and buprenorphine (OR = 0.22). CONCLUSIONS: Receipt of MOUD congruent with patient and provider preferences was associated with reduced opioid use and greater treatment adherence in this sample of youth and young adults with OUD.


Opioid-Related Disorders , Patient Preference , Humans , Adolescent , Opioid-Related Disorders/drug therapy , Opioid-Related Disorders/epidemiology , Opioid-Related Disorders/psychology , Male , Female , Young Adult , Patient Preference/psychology , Patient Preference/statistics & numerical data , Opiate Substitution Treatment/methods , Treatment Outcome , Medication Adherence/psychology , Medication Adherence/statistics & numerical data , Adult , Maryland , Naltrexone/therapeutic use , Residential Treatment , Buprenorphine/therapeutic use
2.
J Subst Use Addict Treat ; : 209162, 2023 Sep 19.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37730015

INTRODUCTION: Opioid use among youth is a public health concern in the United States, with >3300 overdose deaths occurring nationally each year. Unfortunately, youth in the United States are still prescribed medication for opioid use disorder (OUD) at a lower rate than their adult counterparts. METHODS: From 10/2013 to 01/2018, adolescents (ages 15-17; n = 25) and young adults (ages 18-21; n = 263) with moderate to severe OUD enrolled in the parent trial of extended-release naltrexone (XR-NTX; n = 82) versus treatment-as-usual (TAU; either buprenorphine maintenance [n = 94] or counseling without buprenorphine maintenance [n = 112]). The study assessed opioid use outcomes for adolescents vs. young adults using timeline follow-back self-report procedures at baseline and 3-/6-month follow-up assessments. Mixed-effects longitudinal and clustered panel regression models compared treatment effects over time of XR-NTX and TAU on opioid use outcomes in this secondary analysis. RESULTS: Though adolescent participants reported significantly less opioid use at baseline relative to their young adult counterparts (p < 0.05), the two age groups reported similar rates of opioid use throughout the intervention period. Additionally, both adolescents and young adults receiving XR-NTX evidenced lower rates of opioid use than those receiving TAU at all time points, and adolescents on XR-NTX were the only group who reduced their opioid use at all time points. Mixed-effects models indicated adolescents receiving XR-NTX demonstrated a 48 % lower rate of opioid use days [Incidence Rate Ratio (IRR) = 0.52; p = 0.020], while young adults receiving XR-NTX reported an estimated 26 % lower rate (IRR = 0.74; p = 0.009). CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate that adolescents respond favorably to XR-NTX relative to TAU for treatment of OUD, demonstrating similar outcomes to young adults.

3.
J Subst Use Addict Treat ; 154: 209137, 2023 11.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37558183

BACKGROUND: Few studies have examined the cost of medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) with counseling for the adolescent and young adult population. This study calculated the health care utilization and cost of MOUD treatment, other substance use disorder treatment, and general health care for adolescents and young adults receiving treatment for opioid use disorder. METHODS: The study randomized youth ages 15 to 21 (N = 288) equally into the two study conditions: extended-release naltrexone (XR-NTX) or treatment as usual (TAU). While participants committed to treatment based on randomization the study observed considerable nonadherence to both randomized conditions. Instead of using the randomly assigned study conditions, we present descriptive costs by the type of MOUD treatment received: XR-NTX only, buprenorphine only, any other combination of MOUD treatments, and no MOUD. Health care use was aggregated over the 6-month period for each participant, and we calculated average/participant utilization for each treatment group. To determine participant costs, we multiplied the unit costs of health care services obtained from the literature by the reported amount of health care utilization for each participant. We then calculated the mean, standard error, median and IQR for MOUD costs, other substance use disorder treatment costs and general healthcare cost from the health care sector perspective. RESULTS: On average, participants in the XR-NTX only group received 2.6 doses of XR-NTX (equivalent to approximately 78 days of treatment). The buprenorphine only group had an average of 97 days of buprenorphine treatment. The XR-NTX only group had higher/patient costs compared to participants in the buprenorphine only group ($10,491 vs. $8765) and higher XR-NTX utilization would further increase costs. Participants in the any other MOUD combination group had the highest total costs ($14,627) while participants in the no MOUD group at the lowest ($3453). DISCUSSION: Our cost analysis calculates the real-world cost of MOUD treatment and, while not generalizable, provides policy makers an estimate of costs for adolescents and young adults. We found that participants in the XR-NTX only group received fewer days of medication compared to the buprenorphine only group, but their medication costs were higher due to the cost of XR-NTX injections. While the buprenorphine only group had the highest number of days of medication utilization of all the groups, the average number of days of medication utilization was considerably shorter than the six-month treatment period.


Buprenorphine , Opioid-Related Disorders , Adolescent , Humans , Young Adult , Buprenorphine/therapeutic use , Counseling , Health Care Costs , Narcotic Antagonists/therapeutic use , Opioid-Related Disorders/drug therapy
4.
J Subst Abuse Treat ; 130: 108407, 2021 11.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34118699

BACKGROUND: Few published research studies have examined the effectiveness of extended-release naltrexone (XR-NTX) for the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD) among adolescents and young adults. METHODS: This two-group randomized controlled trial recruited 288 youth, ages 15-21, with moderate/severe OUD from a residential addiction treatment program in Baltimore, Maryland. The study randomized the youth within the first week of treatment entry to receive either XR-NTX or treatment-as-usual (TAU; either buprenorphine maintenance treatment or treatment without OUD medication following medically managed withdrawal) prior to discharge, with continued treatment in the community for 6 months. However, due to various reasons spanning patients' and caregivers' preferences and constraints, considerable participant nonadherence to randomized condition occurred (i.e., only 30% of the participants randomized to XR-NTX received an initial injection, while 27% of participants randomized to TAU received an XR-NTX injection at treatment discharge, instead of their assigned treatment). The study used generalized linear mixed modeling (GLiMM) to examine self-reported 90-day opioid, cocaine, marijuana, and alcohol use as well as DSM-5 OUD criteria on "intention-to-treat" (as randomized), "as-received" (XR-NTX vs. not XR-NTX), and "as-medicated" (XR-NTX vs. buprenorphine vs. no medication) bases. RESULTS: The condition x time interactions in the intention-to-treat analyses failed to reach significance for past-90-day self-reported use of illicit opioids, cocaine, marijuana, or alcohol, or in meeting DSM-5 OUD criteria at 3 or 6 months [all ps > 0.05]. However, these findings are of limited interpretive value due to participant nonadherence to their randomized condition. When the study analyzed results by the treatment received at discharge, the "as-received" group x time interaction for illicit opioid use was significant [p = .003], with the XR-NTX group reporting less opioid use in the past 90 days at 3 and 6 months. Participants who received their first XR-NTX dose at inpatient discharge (n = 82) received, on average, 1.3 subsequent injections in the community over the 6-month study follow-up period. Only 2 of the 82 study participants received XR-NTX continuously through the 6-month postdischarge follow-up period. Twelve serious adverse events (SAEs) occurred during the study, but the study determined that only 1 was possibly study related (hepatitis C/elevated liver function test results). CONCLUSION: None of the condition x time interactions in the intention-to-treat analyses reached significance. Participants' nonadherence may have contributed to the failure to reject the null hypothesis. Irrespective of randomized condition, participants who received XR-NTX for OUD demonstrated low retention in treatment, receiving an average of only 1.3 subsequent injections, yet reported less opioid use at follow-up than participants who did not received XR-NTX. Treatment programs should consider XR-NTX as a treatment option for youth motivated to receive it. Future research should focus on building developmentally informed strategies to improve uptake of and adherence to relapse prevention medication in this population.


Naltrexone , Opioid-Related Disorders , Adolescent , Adult , Aftercare , Delayed-Action Preparations/therapeutic use , Humans , Injections, Intramuscular , Naltrexone/therapeutic use , Narcotic Antagonists/therapeutic use , Opioid-Related Disorders/drug therapy , Patient Discharge , Young Adult
5.
J Subst Abuse Treat ; 128: 108241, 2021 09.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33339633

This study is a randomized, open label, controlled trial of extended-release buprenorphine (XR-B; BRIXADI™ formulation) versus extended-release naltrexone (XR-NTX) in Maryland jails. A 7-site, open-label, equivalence design will randomly assign 240 adults with a history of opioid use disorder (OUD), stratified by gender and jail, who are nearing release to one of two treatment arms: 1) XR-B in jail or 2) XR-NTX in jail, both followed by 6 monthly injections postrelease at a community treatment program. The primary aim is to determine the rate of pharmacotherapy adherence (number of monthly injections received) of XR-B compared to XR-NTX. The proposed study is innovative because it will be the first randomized clinical trial in the U.S. assessing the effectiveness of receiving XR-B vs. XR-NTX in county jails. The public health impact of the study will be highly significant and far-reaching because most individuals with OUD do not receive treatment while incarcerated, thereby substantially raising their likelihood of relapse to drug use, overdose death, and re-incarceration. Understanding how to expand acceptance of medications for OUD in jails, particularly extended-release medications, and supporting treatment engagement and medication adherence in transition to the community, has far-reaching implications for improving treatment access and success in this population.


Buprenorphine , Opioid-Related Disorders , Adult , Buprenorphine/therapeutic use , Clinical Protocols , Delayed-Action Preparations/therapeutic use , Humans , Injections, Intramuscular , Jails , Naltrexone/therapeutic use , Narcotic Antagonists/therapeutic use , Opioid-Related Disorders/drug therapy , Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
6.
J Child Adolesc Subst Abuse ; 27(4): 211-226, 2018.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-30524179

Adolescent cannabis use is associated with working memory impairment. The present randomized controlled trial assigned adolescents ages 14 to 21 enrolled in cannabis use treatment to receive either working memory training (experimental group) or a control training (control group) as an adjunctive treatment. Cognitive function, drug use, and other outcomes were assessed before and after training. We observed few differences in cognitive, functional, or self-reported drug use outcomes as a function of training group, although tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) urinalysis results favored the experimental group. These findings are similar to previous studies in substance users, which have shown limited transfer effects for working memory training.

7.
J Subst Abuse Treat ; 87: 23-30, 2018 04.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-29471923

AIMS: Maladaptive responses to stress are thought to play a role in addiction and relapse. Transcendental Meditation (TM) is a popular meditation technique with promising clinical applications. This study sought to: (a) examine the feasibility of providing TM during AUD treatment; (b) compare outcomes for TM vs. treatment as usual (TAU); and (c) investigate the relationship between TM practice and outcomes. METHODS: Meditation-naïve adults with primary AUD (N = 60; 35% female, 60% white) newly admitted to inpatient treatment were recruited in sequential cohorts (30 receiving TAU and 30 receiving TM training). Assessments were conducted at baseline and 3-months post-discharge. RESULTS: Integrating TM into inpatient AUD treatment was feasible. Uptake of TM was high (85% meditating on most of the past 30 days at follow-up; 61% closely adherent to recommended practice of twice-daily TM). Participants reported high satisfaction with TM. The sample as a whole improved on multiple measures after AUD treatment, but there were no significant differences between TM and TAU cohorts. However, those practicing TM twice-daily as recommended were less likely than the rest of the sample to return to any drinking (25% vs. 59%; p = .02) or heavy drinking post-discharge (0% vs. 47%, p < .001). Greater regularity of TM practice was inversely correlated with stress, psychological distress, craving, and alcohol use at follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: This study established the feasibility and acceptability of using TM during AUD treatment. Consistently practicing TM (but not just learning it) was associated with better outcomes. These promising findings warrant further investigation in larger, controlled studies.


Alcoholism/rehabilitation , Meditation , Patient Compliance , Adult , Alcoholism/psychology , Cohort Studies , Female , Humans , Inpatients , Male , Maryland , Stress, Psychological , Substance Abuse Treatment Centers , Treatment Outcome
8.
J Subst Abuse Treat ; 85: 49-55, 2018 02.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28473233

BACKGROUND: Opioid use disorder is often treated with short term hospitalization and medically supervised withdrawal from opioids followed by counseling alone without medication assisted treatment (MAT). More evidence is needed to confirm the expectation that the rate of relapse would be high after short term inpatient treatment and withdrawal from opioids without follow-up MAT. OBJECTIVE/METHODS: To examine relapse to opioid use disorder in a randomized, multi-site effectiveness trial of extended-release injection naltrexone (XR-NTX) vs community-based treatment as usual (TAU) without medication, as a function of the type of clinical service where treatment was initiated-short-term inpatient (N=59), long-term inpatient (N=48), or outpatient (N=201). Inpatients typically were admitted to treatment actively using opioids and had completed withdrawal from opioids before study entry. Outpatients typically presented already abstinent for varying periods of time. RESULTS: One month after randomization, relapse rates on TAU by setting were: short-term inpatient: 63%; long term inpatient: 14%; outpatient: 28%. On XR-NTX relapse rates after one month were low (<12%) across all three settings. At the end of the 6 month trial, relapse rates on TAU were high across all treatment-initiation settings (short term inpatient 77%; long term inpatient 59%; outpatient 61%), while XR-NTX exerted a modest protective effect against relapse across settings (short term inpatient: 59%; long term inpatient 46%; outpatient 38%). CONCLUSIONS: Short term inpatient treatment is associated with a high rate of relapse among patients with opioid use disorder. These findings support the recommendation that medically supervised withdrawal from opioids should be followed by medication assisted treatment.


Injections, Intramuscular , Inpatients/statistics & numerical data , Naltrexone/administration & dosage , Narcotic Antagonists/administration & dosage , Opioid-Related Disorders/drug therapy , Recurrence , Adult , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Outpatients/statistics & numerical data , Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic , Substance Withdrawal Syndrome
9.
Exp Clin Psychopharmacol ; 24(5): 390-399, 2016 10.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27690506

Individuals with substance use disorders have shown deficits in the ability to implement future intentions, called prospective memory. Deficits in prospective memory and working memory, a critical underlying component of prospective memory, likely contribute to substance use treatment failures. Thus, improvement of prospective memory and working memory in substance use patients is an innovative target for intervention. We sought to develop a feasible and valid prospective memory training program that incorporates working memory training and may serve as a useful adjunct to substance use disorder treatment. We administered a single session of the novel prospective memory and working memory training program to participants (n = 22; 13 men, 9 women) enrolled in outpatient substance use disorder treatment and correlated performance to existing measures of prospective memory and working memory. Generally accurate prospective memory performance in a single session suggests feasibility in a substance use treatment population. However, training difficulty should be increased to avoid ceiling effects across repeated sessions. Consistent with existing literature, we observed superior performance on event-based relative to time-based prospective memory tasks. Performance on the prospective memory and working memory training components correlated with validated assessments of prospective memory and working memory, respectively. Correlations between novel memory training program performance and established measures suggest that our training engages appropriate cognitive processes. Further, differential event- and time-based prospective memory task performance suggests internal validity of our training. These data support the development of this intervention as an adjunctive therapy for substance use disorders. (PsycINFO Database Record


Memory , Psychotherapy/methods , Substance-Related Disorders/therapy , Adult , Feasibility Studies , Female , Humans , Male , Memory, Short-Term , Mental Recall , Prospective Studies , Reproducibility of Results , Substance-Related Disorders/psychology
10.
Games Health J ; 4(6): 494-501, 2015 Dec.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26213838

OBJECTIVE: This study examined the feasibility and acceptability of a body motion-activated videogame, targeting the prevention of opioid relapse among youth in the context of outpatient treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Participants attended four weekly gameplay sessions. Surveys were conducted at baseline and following each week's gameplay and assessed satisfaction with gameplay, craving intensity, and self-efficacy to refuse opioids. RESULTS: Participants expressed a high level of satisfaction with the videogame throughout the 4 weeks and agreed with the statement that they would be more likely to attend treatment sessions if the game was present (mean=4.6; standard deviation [SD]=0.7) and would recommend the videogame to other people in treatment (mean=4.2; SD=0.8). All participants recommended playing the videogame as part of treatment at least weekly, with a third recommending playing daily. Self-reported cravings declined over the 4-week period from baseline (mean=12.7; SD=8.4) to Week 4 (mean=9.8; SD=8.3), although the decline was not significant. Although participants stated that they liked the game, one-third of participants had dropped out of the study by the fourth session of gameplay. CONCLUSIONS: Preliminary evidence indicates that a motion videogame for addiction recovery may be feasible and acceptable within the context of outpatient treatment, although additional efforts are needed to keep youth in treatment. Future studies are needed to assess the impact of the game on long-term abstinence, treatment adherence, and engagement.


Secondary Prevention/methods , Self Efficacy , Substance-Related Disorders/rehabilitation , Video Games/psychology , Adolescent , Ambulatory Care/methods , Analgesics, Opioid/adverse effects , Avoidance Learning , Craving , Female , Humans , Male , Personal Satisfaction , Self Report , Self-Control , Young Adult
11.
J Child Adolesc Subst Abuse ; 21(4): 310-322, 2012 Jul 01.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24532964

The purpose of this study is to identify factors associated with adolescent alcohol or drug (AOD) abuse/dependence, mental health and co-occurring problems; as well as factors associated with access to treatment. This is a secondary analysis of data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) 2000. The 12-month prevalence rate of adolescents with only mental health problems was 10.8%, 5.1% had only AOD abuse/dependence only, and 2.7% had co-occurring problems. Approximately 15% of youth reported receiving behavioral health treatment in the past 12 months. Several factors associated with having behavioral health problems and receiving treatment are presented.

12.
J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry ; 50(11): 1120-8, 2011 Nov.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-22024000

OBJECTIVE: To examine predictors of opioid abstinence in buprenorphine/naloxone (Bup/Nal)-assisted psychosocial treatment for opioid-dependent youth. METHOD: Secondary analyses were performed of data from 152 youth (15-21 years old) randomly assigned to 12 weeks of extended Bup/Nal therapy or up to 2 weeks of Bup/Nal detoxification with weekly individual and group drug counseling. Logistic regression models were constructed to identify baseline and during-treatment predictors of opioid-positive urine (OPU) at week 12. Predictors were selected based on significance or trend toward significance (i.e., p < .1), and backward stepwise selection was used, controlling for treatment group, to produce final independent predictors at p ≤ .05. RESULTS: Youth presenting to treatment with previous 30-day injection drug use and more active medical/psychiatric problems were less likely to have a week-12 OPU. Those with early treatment opioid abstinence (i.e., weeks 1 and 2) and those who received additional nonstudy treatments during the study were less likely to have a week-12 OPU and those not completing 12 weeks of treatment were more likely to have an OPU. CONCLUSIONS: Youth with advanced illness (i.e., reporting injection drug use and additional health problems) and those receiving ancillary treatments to augment study treatment were more likely to have lower opioid use. Treatment success in the first 2 weeks and completion of 12 weeks of treatment were associated with lower rates of OPU. These findings suggest that youth with advanced illness respond well to Bup/Nal treatment and identify options for tailoring treatment for opioid-dependent youth presenting at community-based settings. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION INFORMATION: Buprenorphine/Naloxone-Facilitated Rehabilitation for Opioid Dependent Adolescents; http://www.clinicaltrials.gov; NCT00078130.


Buprenorphine/administration & dosage , Naloxone/administration & dosage , Narcotic Antagonists/administration & dosage , Opioid-Related Disorders/drug therapy , Adolescent , Adult , Combined Modality Therapy , Counseling , Female , Humans , Male , National Institute on Drug Abuse (U.S.) , Opiate Substitution Treatment , Opioid-Related Disorders/therapy , Severity of Illness Index , Substance Abuse Detection/methods , Treatment Outcome , United States , Young Adult
14.
Addiction ; 105(9): 1669-76, 2010 Sep.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-20626723

BACKGROUND: Opioid dependence is an increasing problem among adolescents and young adults, but in contrast to the standard in the adult population, adoption of pharmacotherapies has been slow. Extended-release naltrexone (XR-NTX) is a promising treatment that has been receiving increasing interest for adult opioid dependence. Clinical chart abstractions were performed on a convenience sample of 16 serial adolescent and young adult cases (mean age 18.5 years) treated for opioid dependence with XR-NTX who attended at least one out-patient clinical follow-up visit. CASE DESCRIPTIONS: Of these 16 cases, 10 of 16 (63%) were retained in treatment for at least 4 months and nine of 16 (56%) had a 'good' outcome defined as having substantially decreased opioid use, improvement in at least one psychosocial domain and no new problems due to substance use. CONCLUSIONS: These descriptive results suggest that XR-NTX in the treatment of adolescents and young adults with opioid dependence is well tolerated over a period of 4 months and feasible in a community-based treatment setting, and associated with good outcomes in a preliminary, small non-controlled case-series. This probably reflects an overall trend towards greater adoption of medication treatments for this population.


Naltrexone/therapeutic use , Narcotic Antagonists/therapeutic use , Opioid-Related Disorders/drug therapy , Adolescent , Adult , Buprenorphine/therapeutic use , Delayed-Action Preparations/administration & dosage , Delayed-Action Preparations/therapeutic use , Drug Administration Schedule , Feasibility Studies , Female , Humans , Injections, Subcutaneous , Male , Naltrexone/administration & dosage , Narcotic Antagonists/administration & dosage , Parents , Patient Satisfaction , Retrospective Studies , Secondary Prevention , Substance Abuse Detection , Substance Abuse, Intravenous/drug therapy , Treatment Outcome , Young Adult
15.
Curr Psychiatry Rep ; 11(5): 360-3, 2009 Oct.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-19785976

Rising rates of opioid use among teenagers and young adults are a public health concern. Despite short durations of opioid use compared with those of adults, youth with opioid dependence have a host of co-occurring conditions, including polysubstance abuse, psychiatric disorders, hepatitis C infection, HIV risk, and high-risk sexual and criminal behaviors. Opioid-dependent youth typically are offered outpatient/residential treatment with brief detoxification, but one study showed that heroin users fare worse following residential treatment. Although abundant research supports the use of medication-assisted treatment for opioid-dependent adults, research is only recently emerging for youth. Buprenorphine, a partial opioid agonist, was proven safe and effective in improving abstinence from opioids in two controlled clinical trials. More research is needed to determine several clinically relevant areas: appropriate duration of agonist treatment, ways to enhance medication adherence, the value of integrated treatments for co-occurring conditions, and the role of opioid antagonists in opioid-dependent youth.


Buprenorphine/therapeutic use , Narcotic Antagonists/therapeutic use , Opioid-Related Disorders/drug therapy , Adolescent , Adult , Clinical Trials as Topic , Humans , Young Adult
16.
Drug Alcohol Depend ; 99(1-3): 141-9, 2009 Jan 01.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-18818027

OBJECTIVES: To assess the clinical characteristics of adolescents with DSM-IV opioid use disorder (OUD) and compare them to adolescents with cannabis/alcohol use disorders. METHOD: 94 adolescents (ages 14-18 years) with a current OUD and 74 adolescents with a current non-OUD cannabis/alcohol use disorders were recruited from admissions, predominantly residential, to a substance abuse treatment program in Baltimore, ML. Participants were assessed cross-sectionally using standardized interviews and self-reports. Chi-square, t-tests and ANCOVA (adjusting for age, gender and treatment setting, race and residence) were performed to determine group differences on demographic, substance use, psychiatric and HIV-risk behaviors; logistic regression analyses, both unadjusted and adjusted for the above five factors were conducted to assess the strength of associations. RESULTS: The OUD group was more likely to be Caucasian, to have dropped out of school and to live in the suburbs (trend). They also had greater substance use severity with higher proportion of current sedative and multiple substance use disorders (SUD). There were generally no differences in rates of criminal behaviors. Both groups had high rates of current psychiatric disorders (83% vs. 78%, n.s.) but the OUD adolescents reported higher depressive symptoms, mostly in the moderate range. Injection drug use (IDU) and needle sharing was almost exclusive to the OUD group, while both groups reported similar high rates of risky sexual behaviors. CONCLUSIONS: While there were similarities between the two groups, OUD adolescents evidenced greater impairment in academic, substance use, depressive symptom and IDU-related HIV-risk areas. Findings suggest poorer long-term prognosis and highlight the need for specialized interventions for treatment-seeking OUD adolescents.


Alcoholism/psychology , Alcoholism/rehabilitation , Marijuana Abuse/psychology , Marijuana Abuse/rehabilitation , Opioid-Related Disorders/psychology , Opioid-Related Disorders/rehabilitation , Patient Acceptance of Health Care/psychology , Adolescent , Alcoholism/epidemiology , Baltimore/epidemiology , Crime/statistics & numerical data , Cross-Sectional Studies , Data Interpretation, Statistical , Depression/psychology , Ethnicity , Female , HIV Infections/complications , Hepatitis C/complications , Humans , Male , Marijuana Abuse/epidemiology , Opioid-Related Disorders/epidemiology , Patient Selection , Psychiatric Status Rating Scales , Psychometrics , Risk-Taking , Sex Factors , Socioeconomic Factors
17.
J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry ; 46(8): 1062-1069, 2007 Aug.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-17667484

OBJECTIVE: To characterize baseline depressive symptoms among substance-abusing adolescents and determine their association with post residential treatment substance use outcomes. METHOD: In total, 153 adolescents (mean age 6.6 years, +/- 0.11) entering residential treatment were assessed at intake and at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months. Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Global Appraisal of Individual Needs were administered to assess depression, other risk factors, and substance use. A regression model was developed with 10 risk factors including BDI scores of >/=11 versus <11 to predict the outcome measure mean percentage of days in the past 90 days with any (nonnicotine) substance use. RESULTS: At intake, 55% had BDI scores of >/=11. A baseline BDI score of >/=11 was significantly associated with greater mean percentage of days of substance use (27.5 +/- 3.8% versus 15.4 +/- 4.0% days, p <.01) across 1-year follow-up. Two other factors were significant: length of drug career >2 years and having an opioid use disorder. CONCLUSIONS: Results from this prospective study, although preliminary, suggest the association of depressive symptoms with poorer substance outcomes and the utility of the BDI as a prognostic tool. They highlight the need for interventions targeting co-occurring depressive symptoms that may improve adolescent substance treatment outcomes.


Depressive Disorder/diagnosis , Depressive Disorder/epidemiology , Residential Treatment , Substance-Related Disorders/epidemiology , Substance-Related Disorders/rehabilitation , Adolescent , Female , Humans , Length of Stay , Male , Risk Factors , Severity of Illness Index , Substance-Related Disorders/diagnosis
18.
J Forensic Sci ; 49(6): 1343-8, 2004 Nov.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-15568711

Some juveniles who engage in sexual offenses may have a paraphilia, a psychiatric disorder characterized by a pervasive pattern of deviant and impairing sexual fantasies, thoughts, and/or behaviors. Though there is no known cure for these conditions, paraphilias can be effectively managed using a multimodal treatment approach. This may include the use of psychotherapeutic and pharmacological treatment interventions, including antiandrogen medications. One such agent, leuprolide acetate (leuprolide), a luteinizing hormone-releasing-hormone agonist, has been shown to be effective in reducing paraphilic symptoms in adult patients. To date, however, there is no published data on its use and effectiveness in adolescent and young adult paraphilic patients. This study consists of a case report series of six young adult patients treated with leuprolide. All subjects had been diagnosed with at least one paraphilia (i.e., Pedophilia, Sexual Sadism, Frotteurism, and Paraphilia Not Otherwise Specified). All subjects had been refractory to treatment in a residential program for adolescent sex offenders prior to initiation of leuprolide. All six subjects reported a reduction in sexually deviant symptoms following treatment with leuprolide. Clinicians rated four as much improved and two as moderately improved. The treatment was well tolerated in all six subjects. This preliminary case series supports the conclusion that leuprolide deserves further examination as a potentially safe and effective component in the treatment of young adult patients with paraphilia.


Androgen Antagonists/therapeutic use , Leuprolide/therapeutic use , Paraphilic Disorders/drug therapy , Adult , Forensic Psychiatry , Humans , Male , Paraphilic Disorders/psychology , Treatment Outcome
19.
Am J Addict ; 13(3): 256-67, 2004.
Article En | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-15370945

This study examines the demographic and clinical correlates and time course of depressive symptoms among abstinent adolescents with substance use disorders (SUD) during residential treatment. Fifty-six adolescents were administered the Beck Depression Inventory at Weeks 1, 3, and 5 of residential treatment for SUD. Clinically significant depression persisted in a substantial minority at the time of discharge. Shorter length of stay patients reported higher baseline scores and a significant decline by Week 3. Longer length of stay patients showed significant decline in scores only at Week 5. Females, Caucasians, and high frequency cocaine/opiates users had elevated depressive symptoms, while those with shorter duration of abstinence did not.


Depression/etiology , Depression/psychology , Substance-Related Disorders/therapy , Adolescent , Demography , Female , Humans , Male , Prospective Studies , Psychiatric Status Rating Scales , Substance Abuse Treatment Centers
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