225 research outputs found
Predicting smoking cessation, reduction and relapse six months after using the Stop-Tabac app for smartphones: a machine learning analysis.
An analysis of predictors of smoking behaviour among users of smoking cessation apps can provide useful information beyond what is already known about predictors in other contexts. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to identify the best predictors of smoking cessation, smoking reduction and relapse six months after starting to use the smartphone app Stop-Tabac.
Secondary analysis of 5293 daily smokers from Switzerland and France who participated in a randomised trial testing the effectiveness of this app in 2020, with follow-up at one and six months. Machine learning algorithms were used to analyse the data. The analyses for smoking cessation included only the 1407 participants who responded after six months; the analysis for smoking reduction included only the 673 smokers at 6-month follow-up; and the analysis for relapse at 6 months included only the 502 individuals who had quit smoking after one month.
Smoking cessation after 6 months was predicted by the following factors (in this order): tobacco dependence, motivation to quit smoking, frequency of app use and its perceived usefulness, and nicotine medication use. Among those who were still smoking at follow-up, reduction in cigarettes/day was predicted by tobacco dependence, nicotine medication use, frequency of app use and its perceived usefulness, and e-cigarette use. Among those who had quit smoking after one month, relapse after six months was predicted by intention to quit, frequency of app use, perceived usefulness of the app, level of dependence and nicotine medication use.
Using machine learning algorithms, we identified independent predictors of smoking cessation, smoking reduction and relapse. Studies on the predictors of smoking behavior among users of smoking cessation apps may provide useful insights for the future development of these apps and future experimental studies.
ISRCTN Registry: ISRCTN11318024, 17 May 2018. http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN11318024
SY29-2CONTRASTING THE CONCEPTS OF COMPLIANCE AND ENGAGEMENT
Compliance has been defined as "the degree of constancy and accuracy with which a patient follows a prescribed regimen, and engagement can be thought of as the "emotional involvement or commitment of a person. Compliance is related to algorithmic tasks with well-defined rules of conduct and with a priori acknowledged outcomes. They follow (a) a set of established instructions, (b) down a single pathway, (c) to one conclusion. Algorithmic tasks, which require compliance to be successful, are best suited to routine work. Engagement, on the other hand, is related to heuristic tasks, for which no algorithm exists, where one has to experiment with possibilities and devise new solutions. Therapy, and even more specifically, psychotherapy with addicted patients, has continuously to be developed between these two pole
Effects of substance use disorder on treatment process and outcome in a ten-session psychiatric treatment for borderline personality disorder.
Dual diagnosis is common in Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), one of the most common being Substance Use Disorder (SUD). Previous studies have shown that general psychiatric management (GPM) was effective in reducing borderline symptoms. In the present study, we tested whether the short GPM was as effective in the BPD + SUD as in the BPD group.
We analysed a group of 99 patients presenting a BPD. 51 of these patients presented a SUD. The BPD group and the BPD + SUD group received a manual-based short variant of the GPM treatment. Previous studies have shown that a 10-session version of GPM was effective in reducing borderline symptoms at the end of the treatment (Psychother Psychosom 83:176-86, 2014).
We found no significant difference in the reduction of general symptoms, which diminished in both groups. The specific borderline symptoms were also reduced in both groups, but there was a slightly higher reduction of the borderline symptoms in the SUD group. The therapeutic alliance progressed positively in all groups. Moreover, the alliance increased more over time in the SUD group.
The short variant of GPM seems to be effective in BPD treatment independently from the presence of SUD. Therefore, this treatment could be an effective entry-level treatment for patients with dual diagnosis as well as patients with BPD only. Further studies are needed to confirm efficacy and long-term outcome.
The trial was registered at ClinicalTrial.gov (identifier NCT01896024 )
Consciousness alterations in a cohort of young Swiss men: Associations with substance use and personality traits.
Substance-induced consciousness alterations (CA) have mainly been studied among users of psychedelics but not among people using street drugs.
Explore occurrences of three different types of substance-induced CA [ego dissolution (ED), visual pseudo-hallucinations (VPH), anxiety/paranoia (A/P)] and their perceived influences on life, together with their associations with substance use and personality correlates in a general population sample of 25-year-old men.
2,796 young Swiss men lifetime substance users completed a self-report questionnaire including history of use (never, former, and current) of different substances categories (psychedelics, cocaine, psychostimulants, ecstasy, MDMA, and other drugs), substance-induced ego dissolution (ED), visual pseudo-hallucinations (VPH) and anxiety/paranoia (A/P), the influence of these CA experiences on life, and personality traits (sensation seeking, sociability, anxiety-neuroticism, and aggression-hostility).
32.2% reported at least one CA (i.e., ED, VPH or A/P), with 20.5% reporting ED, 16.7% VPH, and 14.6% A/P. Former and current use of psychedelics and ketamine was significantly associated with occurrences of all three types of CAs and with a positive influence of CA on life. Associations between the former and current use of other substances and the different types of CA were less consistent, and perceived influences on life were not statistically significant. Sociability was negatively associated with occurrences of all three types of CA. Positive associations were found between anxiety-neuroticism and ED and A/P, between aggression-hostility and A/P, and between sensation seeking and ED and VPH.
This study supports the potential for psychedelics to induce CAs perceived as beneficial to life among people using street drugs, possibly reflecting the mechanism underlying the therapeutic potential of psychedelics
Online Gambling's Associations With Gambling Disorder and Related Problems in a Representative Sample of Young Swiss Men.
Background and Aims: Internet gambling has recently grown in popularity, but relatively little is known about how online and the combination of online and offline (mixed) gambling are associated with gambling disorder (GD) and related problems. The present research examined in a cohort study sample of young Swiss men how their gambling activities and gambling-related problems differed across the spectrum from offline to online gambling. Sample: A general-population based sample from the Cohort Study on Substance Use Risk Factors (C-SURF), consisting of 5,352 young Swiss men (mean age 28.26 years old). Measures: The spectrum from exclusively offline to almost exclusively online (>90% of gambling money spent online) gambling was measured using one question about the proportion of gambling money spent online. Total money gambled and time spent on gambling were also assessed. GD severity (range 0-9) was measured using items reflecting the nine DSM-5 GD criteria. The number of gambling-related problems (e.g., financial difficulties, range 0-10), other addictive disorders and mental health problems were also inquired about. Methods: We estimated a generalised linear model using a count model (negative binomial link function) for GD severity and gambling-related problems associated with the amounts and proportions of money gambled online and offline. Results: The number of GD criteria were associated with money gambled online (IRR [95%CI] = 2.81 [2.43, 3.24]) and offline (IRR = 2.68 [2.40, 3.00]). This was also found for the number of gambling-related problems (IRR = 2.43 [2.13, 2.79] and IRR = 2.89 [2.59, 3.23]). Compared with exclusively-offline gamblers, mixed gamblers (26-90% of money gambled online) showed the highest levels of GD symptoms and gambling-related problems, followed by the almost-exclusively-online gamblers (≥91% money gambled online) and, overall, these associations were still significant after adjustment for overall involvement in gambling (time spent and money gambled). Levels of other addictive disorders and mental health problems were higher among mixed gamblers than among offline-only gamblers, but levels among almost-exclusively-online gamblers were not. Conclusions: Symptoms of gambling disorder and gambling related problems are highest among gamblers engaging in both offline and online gambling. Prevention efforts need to target the combination of offline and online gambling
Predictors of compulsive cyberporn use: A machine learning analysis.
Compulsive cyberporn use (CCU) has previously been reported among people who use cyberporn. However, most of the previous studies included convenience samples of students or samples of the general adult population. Research examining the factors that predict or are associated with CCU are still scarce.In this study, we aimed to (a) assess compulsive cyberporn consumption in a broad sample of people who had used cyberporn and (b) determine, among a diverse range of predictor variables, which are most important in CCU scores, as assessed with the eight-item Compulsive Internet Use Scale adapted for cyberporn.
Overall, 1584 adult English speakers (age: 18-75 years, M = 33.18; sex: 63.1 % male, 35.2 % female, 1.7 % nonbinary) who used cyberporn during the last 6 months responded to an online questionnaire that assessed sociodemographic, sexual, psychological, and psychosocial variables. Their responses were subjected to correlation analysis, analysis of variance, and machine learning analysis.
Among the participants, 21.96% (in the higher quartile) presented CCU symptoms in accordance with their CCU scores. The five most important predictors of CCU scores were related to the users' strength of craving for pornography experiences, suppression of negative emotions porn use motive, frequency of cyberporn use over the past year, acceptance of rape myths, and anxious attachment style.
From a large and diverse pool of variables, we determined the most important predictors of CCU scores. The findings contribute to a better understanding of problematic pornography use and could enrich compulsive cyberporn treatment and prevention
Unique versus shared associations between self-reported behavioral addictions and substance use disorders and mental health problems: A commonality analysis in a large sample of young Swiss men.
Behavioral addictions (BAs) and substance use disorders (SUDs) tend to co-occur; both are associated with mental health problems (MHPs). This study aimed to estimate the proportion of variance in the severity of MHPs explained by BAs and SUDs, individually and shared between addictions.
A sample of 5,516 young Swiss men (mean = 25.47 years old; SD = 1.26) completed a self-reporting questionnaire assessing alcohol, cannabis, and tobacco use disorders, illicit drug use other than cannabis, six BAs (Internet, gaming, smartphone, Internet sex, gambling, and work) and four MHPs (major depression, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, social anxiety disorder, and borderline personality disorder). Commonality analysis was used to decompose the variance in the severity of MHPs explained (R <sup>2</sup> ) by BAs and SUDs into independent commonality coefficients. These were calculated for unique BA and SUD contributions and for all types of shared contributions.
BAs and SUDs explained between a fifth and a quarter of the variance in severity of MHPs, but individual addictions explained only about half of this explained variance uniquely; the other half was shared between addictions. A greater proportion of variance was explained uniquely or shared within BAs compared to SUDs, especially for social anxiety disorder.
The interactions of a broad range of addictions should be considered when investigating their associations with MHPs. BAs explain a larger part of the variance in MHPs than do SUDs and therefore play an important role in their interaction with MHPs
Mobile Intervention for Individuals With Psychosis, Dual Disorders, and Their Common Comorbidities: A Literature Review.
Over 50% of people diagnosed with a severe mental illness, such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, will meet criteria for a substance use disorder in their lifetime. This dual disorder often starts during youth and leads to significant societal costs, including lower employability rates, more hospitalizations, and higher risk of homelessness and of suicide attempts when compared to those with a serious mental illness without substance misuse. Moreover, many individuals presenting with comorbid disorders also present with other psychological difficulties as well, such as personality disorders or anxiety and depression, also known as complex comorbid disorders. Transdiagnostic treatments that focus on core difficulties found in people with complex dual disorders, such as emotional regulation, are direly needed. Emotional regulation skills can help reduce distress related to psychotic symptoms and maintain abstinence in substance use disorders. New technologies in the field of communications have developed considerably over the past decade and have the potential to improve access to such treatments, a major problem in many health care settings. As such, this paper aims at: presenting core difficulties present in many individuals with dual disorders, reviewing the scientific literature pertaining to the use of mobile applications in mental health and addictions, and presenting the development and potential of a new application for emotional regulation for people with dual disorders
Psychometric properties of the transaddiction craving triggers questionnaire in alcohol use disorder.
We aimed to develop the transaddiction craving triggers questionnaire (TCTQ), which assesses the propensity of specific situations and contexts to trigger craving and to test its psychometric properties in alcohol use disorder (AUD).
This study included a sample of 111 AUD outpatients. We performed exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and calculated item-dimension correlations. Internal consistency was measured with Cronbach's alpha coefficient. Construct validity was assessed through Spearman correlations with craving, emotional symptoms, impulsivity, mindfulness, and drinking characteristics.
The EFA suggested a 3-factor solution: unpleasant affect, pleasant affect, and cues and related thoughts. Cronbach's coefficient alpha ranged from .80 to .95 for the three factors and the total score. Weak positive correlations were identified between the TCTQ and drinking outcomes, and moderate correlation were found between the TCTQ and craving strength, impulsivity, anxiety, depression, and impact of alcohol on quality of life.
The 3-factor structure is congruent with the well-established propensity of emotions and cues to trigger craving. Construct validity is supported by close relations between the TCTQ and psychological well-being rather than between the TCTQ and drinking behaviors. Longitudinal validation is warranted to assess sensitivity to change of the TCTQ and to explore its psychometric properties in other addictive disorders
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