El uso de las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación (TIC) en la prevención del juego patológico en población joven y adolescente

Introducción. En España, la prevalencia del juego patológico (JP) oscila entre el 2 % y el 3 % de la población adulta (p. ej., Becoña, 1999) representando un problema relevante en jóvenes y adolescentes (Becoña, 2010). Por este motivo, es necesario dedicar esfuerzos en la prevención de este problema, sobre todo en esta población. En este sentido, las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación (TIC) pueden tener un papel fundamental a la hora de prevenir, evaluar e intervenir en el JP . El objetivo de este trabajo fue llevar a cabo una revisión sobre la utilización de las TIC en el ámbito de la prevención del JP en esta población. Método. Se realizó una búsqueda en bases de datos como PsycInfo, ISI Web of Knowledge, Scopus y Springer Link. Resultados. Se encontraron 6 programas de prevención para el JP en población joven y adolescente, así como 4 estudios en Canadá que utilizaban TIC (vídeos y presentaciones interactivas) en intervenciones breves para la prevención del JP . Solo se encontró 1 estudio que utilizaba las TIC para llevar a cabo un programa de prevención del JP (It’s Your Lucky Day). En España, no se encontraron estudios sobre prevención del JP y las TIC. Conclusiones. Los resultados muestran que la investigación en el uso de las TIC para la prevención del JP en jóvenes y adolescentes es escasa. El uso de estas herramientas se presenta como una línea de investigación prometedora debido a las ventajas que plantea para esta población específica (p. ej., Heider y Massanari, 2010).Introduction. In Spain, the prevalence of Pathological Gambling (PG) is around 2 % and 3 % of adults (e.g., Becoña, 1999), representing a significant problem in youth and adolescents (Becoña, 2010). For this reason, it is necessary to devote efforts in preventing this problem, especially in this population. In this line, Information and Communication Technologies (ICTS) may have a key role in preventing, assessing and treating PG. The aim of this study was to conduct a review of the use of ICTS in the field of pathological gambling prevention among young and adolescent. Method. We searched in databases as PsycInfo, ISI Web of Knowledge, Scopus y Springer Link. Results. Six prevention programs for PG among young and adolescent were found, as well as 4 studies in Canada that used ICTS (vídeos and interactive presentations) for brief interventions to prevent gambling. Only 1 study that used ICTS to apply a prevention program for PG (It’s Your Lucky Day) was found. In Spain, no study about the prevention for PG and ICTS was found. Conclusion. The results show that the use of ICTS for PG prevention among youth and adolescents is scarce. The use of ICTS may be a promising line of research due to the advantages arising for this specific population (e.g., Heider & Massanari, 2010)

Psychosocial and pharmacological treatments for cannabis use disorder and mental health comorbidities:a narrative review

Cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug worldwide, and it is estimated that up to 30% of people who use cannabis will develop a cannabis use disorder (CUD). Demand for treatment of CUD is increasing in almost every region of the world and cannabis use is highly comorbid with mental disorders, where sustained use can reduce treatment compliance and increase risk of relapse. In this narrative review, we outline evidence for psychosocial and pharmacological treatment strategies for CUD, both alone and when comorbid with psychosis, anxiety or depression. Psychosocial treatments such as cognitive behavioural therapy, motivational enhancement therapy and contingency management are currently the most effective strategy for treating CUD but are of limited benefit when comorbid with psychosis. Pharmacological treatments targeting the endocannabinoid system have the potential to reduce cannabis withdrawal and cannabis use in CUD. Mental health comorbidities including anxiety, depression and psychosis hinder effective treatment and should be addressed in treatment provision and clinical decision making to reduce the global burden of CUDs. Antipsychotic medication may decrease cannabis use and cannabis craving as well as psychotic symptoms in patients with CUD and psychosis. Targeted treatments for anxiety and depression when comorbid with CUD are feasible

A systematic review and behaviour change technique analysis of remotely delivered alcohol and/or substance misuse interventions for adults

© 2022 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)Background: There has been a lack of systematic exploration of remotely delivered intervention content and their effectiveness for behaviour change outcomes. This review provides a synthesis of the behaviour change techniques (BCT) contained in remotely delivered alcohol and/or substance misuse approaches and their association with intervention promise. Methods: Searches in MEDLINE, Scopus, PsycINFO (ProQuest), and the Cochrane Library, included studies reporting remote interventions focusing on alcohol and/or substance misuse among adults, with a primary behaviour change outcome (e.g., alcohol levels consumed). Assessment of risk of bias, study promise, and BCT coding was conducted. Synthesis focussed on the association of BCTs with intervention effectiveness using promise ratios. Results: Studies targeted alcohol misuse (52 studies) or substance misuse (10 studies), with predominantly randomised controlled trial designs and asynchronous digital approaches. For alcohol misuse studies, 16 were very promising, 17 were quite promising, and 13 were not promising. Of the 36 eligible BCTs, 28 showed potential promise, with seven of these only appearing in very or quite promising studies. Particularly promising BCTs were ‘Avoidance/reducing exposure to cues for behaviour’, ‘Pros and cons’ and ‘Self-monitoring of behaviour’. For substance misuse studies, three were very promising and six were quite promising, with all 12 BCTs showing potential promise. Conclusions: This review showed remotely delivered alcohol and substance misuse interventions can be effective and highlighted a range of BCTs that showed promise for improving services. However, concerns with risk of bias and the potential of promise ratios to inflate effectiveness warrant caution in interpreting the evidence.Peer reviewe

Psychosocial and pharmacological treatments for cannabis use disorder and mental health comorbidities:a narrative review

Cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug worldwide, and it is estimated that up to 30% of people who use cannabis will develop a cannabis use disorder (CUD). Demand for treatment of CUD is increasing in almost every region of the world and cannabis use is highly comorbid with mental disorders, where sustained use can reduce treatment compliance and increase risk of relapse. In this narrative review, we outline evidence for psychosocial and pharmacological treatment strategies for CUD, both alone and when comorbid with psychosis, anxiety or depression. Psychosocial treatments such as cognitive behavioural therapy, motivational enhancement therapy and contingency management are currently the most effective strategy for treating CUD but are of limited benefit when comorbid with psychosis. Pharmacological treatments targeting the endocannabinoid system have the potential to reduce cannabis withdrawal and cannabis use in CUD. Mental health comorbidities including anxiety, depression and psychosis hinder effective treatment and should be addressed in treatment provision and clinical decision making to reduce the global burden of CUDs. Antipsychotic medication may decrease cannabis use and cannabis craving as well as psychotic symptoms in patients with CUD and psychosis. Targeted treatments for anxiety and depression when comorbid with CUD are feasible

Evaluation of a Web-based Intervention for College Marijuana Use

Young adults in college have high rates of marijuana use, abuse, and dependence. Web-based interventions have been growing in popularity, but their dissemination currently exceeds empirical support. One especially popular (but understudied) program is The Marijuana eCHECKUP TO GO (e-TOKE) for Universities & Colleges (San Diego State University Research Foundation, 2009). The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether this program is effective in changing marijuana involvement and perceived norms in undergraduates. Participants were 317 undergraduates (52% female, 78% White) who reported marijuana use within the month preceding baseline. Conditions were the e-TOKE program or assessment only, crossed with brief vs. extensive baseline assessment (to assess assessment reactivity), producing four experimental conditions to which participants were randomly assigned. Thus, 161 (51%) received eTOKE (77 with extended baseline, 84 with brief baseline), and 156 (49%) received assessment-only control (85 with extended baseline, 71 with brief baseline). One month later, all participants reported on marijuana use, problems, abuse and dependence symptoms, and descriptive norms. Assessment reactivity analyses yielded no significant differences by assessment condition. Individuals completing the e-TOKE program reported less extreme descriptive norms (ps \u3c 0.01) but no decrease in marijuana use frequency, problems, abuse, or dependence symptoms (ps \u3e 0.10). Analyses controlling for baseline yielded similar results. The program thus seems effective for changing perceptions of others\u27 use, but there is not yet evidence for its utility in changing personal use and problem indicators. More research with longer follow-ups is indicated, especially given the possibility that descriptive norms could play a mediating role in change

Are Computer-Based Treatment Programs Effective at Reducing Symptoms of Substance Misuse and Mental Health Difficulties Within Adults? A Systematic Review

Objective: Comorbid substance misuse and mental health difficulties are recognized as a leading contributor to disease burden worldwide. Amid cuts to health care services, computer-based interventions may provide support for patients experiencing these difficulties. The aims of this systematic review were to identify and investigate the efficacy of these computer-based interventions at improving substance misuse and mental health outcomes. Methods: A systematic search was conducted of CINAHL Plus, PsycARTICLES, PsycINFO, Medline, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library. Gray literature was also searched for relevant papers. Data were extracted from 33 papers, which met eligibility criteria by reporting a computer-based intervention designed to treat substance misuse and mental health in adults. Quality assessments were conducted on these papers. Results: Computer-based interventions generally led to an improvement of substance misuse and mental health outcomes within groups and when compared against waitlist control and psychoeducation. Computer-based interventions were effective at improving dual diagnosis outcomes, and improvements to mental health outcomes specifically were maintained for up to nine months. However, the combined effect of computer-based interventions and therapist support was found to be more effective than the effects of computer-based interventions alone. Conclusions: Many papers were limited by high attrition rates commonly attributed to “digital” interventions. Future research should consider systematically recruiting a range of participants, including those potentially affected by the digital divide, and incorporating methods within research to maintain engagement. This review was also limited by the heterogeneity of the papers reported, many of which differed between targeting dual diagnosis and targeting either substance misuse or mental health respectively, with outcomes investigating other difficulties out of curiosity

How online communication and social media networking are used in alcohol use treatment

Understanding cultural shifts towards the increasing trend of seeking treatment offered through online communication and utilization of social networking sites has changed the way mental health professionals approach alcohol use treatment. This study illuminates the ways in which mental health professionals are currently exploring methods of counseling through online communication and social networking sites to improve their practice and reach more clients, thus helping increasing numbers of people while earning a greater profit. Through the research, numerous benefits and drawbacks of social networking and online communication used in mental health treatment are identified, particularly when working in alcohol use treatment. When communicating with clients online, there are a multitude of observations derived from researchers, particularly surrounding the quality of the therapeutic experience affecting practitioner and client alike. Utilizing a grounded theory approach in the research process allowed for the ability to arrive at a theoretical construct based upon the use of open and axial coding. The findings derived from the research argue that social networking and online communication are excellent tools utilized for the mass dissemination of information. Examples include: increased opportunities for networking between professionals, and an opportunity to advertise on a larger scale to increase overall exposure, awareness, and outreach to clients. The use of careful observation around the findings based on interviewing 15 therapists matching common criteria indicate that social networking and online communication are not the preferred, nor appear to be the most effective means of treatment by mental health professionals when working with those who struggle with alcohol use. The study informs the profession that there remains ample room for further research, particularly in regard to establishing legal as well as ethical guidelines to ensure proper use of technology by professionals practicing in the field of alcohol use treatment. The findings derived from the study support the importance of educating counselors practicing alcohol use treatment in an age where technology is continually changing and methods of communication online are evolving. In addition to those professionals who are currently practicing in the field, graduate students in preparation to become mental health professionals working in alcohol use treatment will benefit from being introduced to research findings to ensure effective treatment outcomes

Entwicklung und Akzeptanzprüfung einer interaktiven, computerbasierten motivierenden Beratung zu körperlicher Aktivität chronisch kranker Patienten in Hausarztpraxen

Die Prävalenz chronischer Erkrankungen steigt in unserer von Inaktivität geprägten Gesellschaft zunehmend. Zahlreiche Studien konnten die Bedeutung regelmäßiger körperlicher Aktivität sowohl in der Primär- als auch in der Sekundärprävention nachweisen. Vor diesem Hintergrund wurde in einer interdisziplinären Arbeitsgruppe ein computerbasiertes Beratungssystem entwickelt. Anschließend wurde in einer Pilotstudie die Akzeptanz des CBCS durch chronisch kranke Patienten mit koronarer Herzerkrankung und/oder Diabetes mellitus untersucht. Die Inhalte des Beratungssystems wurden den Patienten auf Basis des Transtheoretischen Modells der Verhaltensänderung stadienabhängig präsentiert. Die Informationen waren multimedial aufbereitet und dem Nutzer dialogorientiert sowie interaktiv in kleinen Einheiten dargeboten. Somit konnte eine individuelle Beratung gewährleistet werden. Die Pilotstudie im Prä-Post-Design wurde mittels einer Stichprobe (n=79) älterer chronisch-kranker Patienten mit Koronarer Herzerkrankung und/oder Diabetes mellitus in 5 unterschiedlichen Hausarztpraxen getestet. Mittels eines neu entworfenen Fragebogens wurde sich ein erster quantitativer Eindruck bzgl. der Nutzer-Akzeptanz verschafft, die überwiegend mit „sehr gut“ bewertet, obwohl gleichzeitig die Vertrautheit mit Computernutzungen meistens mit „gar nicht“ angegeben wurde. Anhand von qualitativen Befragungen wurde versucht spezifisch für das CBCS Akzeptanzindikatoren zu identifizieren, die in weiteren Studien zur Optimierung des Systems eingesetzt werden können. Computerbasierte Beratungssysteme können ein wichtiges Teilelement im Rahmen der hausärztlichen Gesundheitsberatung darstellen und bieten eine kostengünstige Möglichkeit viele Patienten mit geringem Personalaufwand zu beraten und das bei gleichzeitig hoher Zielgruppenadaption. Wir konnten zeigen, dass die Beratung mittels Computer in der Gesundheitsberatung und – förderung im primärärztlichen Setting eine vielversprechende Chance bietet, die es lohnt weiterzuentwickeln

The impact of mHealth on adolescent global health outcomes: A scoping review of mHealth initiatives

Negative health behaviour during the period of adolescence contributes to the global burden of mortality, chronic disease, and preventable disability from physical injury. It is therefore essential to encourage positive health behaviour such as on-time vaccination, safer sex practices, and early recognition of infectious conditions and mental illness, before complications arise from unprotected sexual debut or undetected illness. Our project aims to determine the favourable aspects of global mHealth interventions as applied to adolescent health outcomes for knowledge transfer to adolescent infectious disease programmes in low and middle-income countries (LMIC’s). mHealth refers to the integration of mobile or wireless technology for health delivery and promotion and may appeal to adolescents as it allows for interactive, personalized, two-way communication on various digital platforms. However, it remains unclear what specific interventions work best to target vulnerable adolescents in LMIC’s, as most of the evidence for mHealth stems from studies in high-income countries, conducted on groups other than adolescents such as caregivers, health workers and adult patients. This report is a scoping review examining the global evidence of mHealth efficacy for common adolescent conditions, in order to gain insight into the types of interventions that best target adolescents for biological and behavioural health outcomes. These insights will facilitate knowledge transfer for the implementation of adolescent mHealth infectious disease management, and identification of research gaps. We included published and unpublished studies between 31 January 1990 and 30 November 2017, with no language limitation. Primary studies included adolescents (defined as 10-19 years of age) of any gender, location, or ethnicity, with access to a mobile phone or wireless device used for a healthrelated outcome. Studies reported on health outcomes of HIV, TB, vaccine-preventable disease, depression, suicide, road traffic accidents and substances other than tobacco use. Purely qualitative study designs and voice-only calls were excluded. Despite the potential appeal of mHealth among adolescents, there is unclear overall evidence for efficacy in this population. We had hoped that the adolescent period itself would allow generalisability of interventions. However, the variable reporting quality between studies, often without rich contextual descriptions, necessitate caution with interpretation of findings. This incomplete reporting also impacted on knowledge transfer at multiple levels, despite the use of study-specific guidelines. Our recommendations for future researchers would be to undertake adequately-powered studies among clearly defined age groups, and examine biological health outcomes for longer periods of follow-up. We also encourage researchers to use mHealth-specific guidelines such as the CONSORT-EHEALTH and mERA checklists to enable effective knowledge transfer and scaling of interventions