ORCID Profile
0000-0003-0200-5684
Current Organisation
La Trobe University
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Publisher: SPIE
Date: 13-12-2020
DOI: 10.1117/12.2561930
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 07-2020
DOI: 10.1111/DAR.13120
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 07-2020
DOI: 10.1111/DAR.13121
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 29-05-2023
DOI: 10.1111/DAR.13693
Abstract: To help reduce relapse rates following alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment, continuing care interventions have been recommended. Previous continuing care interventions have incorporated telephone and face‐to‐face sessions to help promote participant engagement. The study was conducted as a randomised controlled feasibility study and examined a call centre delivered continuing care intervention for people leaving residential rehabilitation services. Participants were attending AOD residential treatment services in NSW, Australia ( N = 154). Participants were randomised to either 12‐ or 4‐sessions of continuing care. Follow up assessments were completed at 6‐months. The primary outcomes were demand and implementation. Secondary outcomes were AOD use, mental health and physical health at 6‐months. Interest in continuing care was high, with 93% of participants approached reporting an interest in being involved. Of the participants who completed the consent and baseline procedures, 29% of people were contacted post residential treatment and randomised. For those people randomised, the average number of sessions completed was 2.78 (SD = 1.65) for the 4‐session arm and 4.81 (SD = 4.46) for the 12‐session arm. Fidelity to the treatment manual was high. Both treatment arms showed higher complete abstinence at 6‐months compared to baseline (12‐session OR 28.57 [2.3, 353.8] 4‐session OR 28.11 [3.6, 221.2]). A major challenge associated with the call centre approach was re‐engaging participants once they left the residential facility and delivering the planned dose of treatment. Further work is required to promote greater uptake of these protocols once people leave residential treatment.
Publisher: Elsevier
Date: 2021
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 20-04-2020
DOI: 10.1111/DAR.13064
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2021
DOI: 10.1016/J.ADDBEH.2021.106840
Abstract: Although continuing care programs have been shown to improve alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment outcomes, uptake of continuing care has been low. The current study aimed to determine predictors of participants' who both re-confirmed consent to engage in telephone-based continuing care and commenced continuing care once they left residential AOD treatment. These participants had initially consented to partake in continuing care during the course of their residential stay. Participants were 391 in iduals (232 males, 59% and 158 females, 40%) accessing therapeutic communities for AOD treatment provided by The Australian Salvation Army and We Help Ourselves (WHOS). Measures at baseline, collected during residential treatment, included demographics, primary substance of concern, abstinence goal, refusal self-efficacy, cravings for substances, mental health diagnoses, psychological distress, quality of life and feelings of loneliness. All measures were used as predictor variables to determine characteristics of participants who re-confirmed consent to engage in continuing care and commenced continuing care following residential AOD treatment. Completing residential treatment, being unmarried, and higher levels of loneliness predicted re-confirmation of consent to participate in continuing care following discharge from residential treatment. Participants who were Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander were less likely to provide re-confirmation of consent. Participants were more likely to commence continuing care if they completed residential treatment, were older, and had longer years of substance use. Tailoring continuing care programs to reach a broader array of in iduals such as Indigenous populations and persons who exit treatment services early is needed to ensure these programs can reach all in iduals who might need them.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2021
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2020
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 16-06-2021
DOI: 10.1111/DAR.13337
Abstract: Little is known about the experiences of continuing care workers (CCW) in the implementation of continuing care programs. The current study sought to understand CCWs and supervisor perceptions of the successes and challenges of implementing a telephone‐based continuing care intervention following residential alcohol and other drug treatment services. It also aimed to provide recommendations for treatment providers wishing to integrate continuing care into their treatment model, including the resources, training and supervision needs of CCWs. The participants were eight CCWs and two independent supervisors who completed semi‐structured interviews. Interview coding and analysis was guided by Iterative Categorisation procedures and an implementation framework. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research was used. Telephone delivery was advantageous, but even more enhanced, when there was a face‐to‐face session first to build rapport. Other key successes included CCWs who were confident and competent, as well as a match between the organisation's values and the philosophy of the continuing care program. Key challenges faced by CCWs related to a perceived lack of support from managers, difficulties accessing quiet office spaces and participant disengagement. Interviews revealed several factors that may influence successful delivery of continuing care as part of alcohol and other drug treatment. These included features of the intervention (e.g. telephone delivery, evidence‐based content), characteristics of the in idual CCWs (e.g. flexibility in delivery of the intervention while maintaining fidelity), organisational culture (e.g. alignment of organisational values with continuing care) and resources (e.g. office space, flexible work schedules).
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 09-02-2021
DOI: 10.1111/DAR.13249
Abstract: In iduals with substance use problems are at greater risk of chronic diseases due to their unhealthy lifestyle behaviours (e.g. alcohol use, smoking, physical inactivity, poor nutrition). There is increasing evidence that health risk communication is crucial in improving risk perception and knowledge of chronic diseases, and both factors are associated with health behaviour change. The aim of this systematic review is to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of evidence on health risk communication on people with substance use problems. A systematic search identified peer reviewed studies from the databases MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL and Scopus. Data were extracted from the included studies and a narrative synthesis of the results was conducted. Eight articles, representing five unique studies, were included in the review. The overall risk of bias of the included studies was considered to be low. The studies evaluated the use of message framing and personalised/customised recommendations across smoking cessation and patient engagement with methadone maintenance treatment. Results revealed that message framing, specifically gain-framed messages, had a positive impact on smoking cessation. Risk perception, sex and level of nicotine dependence were also found to be associated with smoking cessation. The limited number of studies provides preliminary evidence that health risk communication promotes smoking cessation. However, studies included in the review were characterised by heterogeneous methods and measures. Further investigation of health risk communication using adequately powered randomised controlled trial is warranted.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 07-05-2017
DOI: 10.1111/DAR.12522
Abstract: The Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ-8) is one of a limited number of standardised satisfaction measures that have been used widely across mental health services. This study examined the CSQ-8 as a measure of general satisfaction within residential substance abuse treatment. It compared the CSQ-8 with another established measure of client satisfaction that was developed for substance abuse treatment settings (Treatment Perceptions Questionnaire, TPQ). It also sought to examine the relationship between the CSQ-8 and commonly used process measures. Cross-sectional data was collected from across 14 Australian residential medium-to-long term alcohol and other drug treatment facilities (N = 1378). Demographic, substance abuse and mental health characteristics were collected, as well as process measures of craving, general functioning, self-perceptions, recovery and symptom distress. A confirmatory factory analysis established that the CSQ-8 retains a single factor. The scale was strongly correlated with the TPQ, suggesting high concurrent validity. However, while the TPQ was normally distributed, the CSQ-8 was highly negatively skewed. Significant associations were found between the CSQ-8 and cross-sectional process measures. Results suggest that that CSQ-8 is an appropriate measure to be used in residential substance abuse treatment settings. However, because of the high levels of negative skew, it is likely that the TPQ is more accurate in capturing clients' dissatisfaction than the CSQ-8. Future research should include longitudinal studies of satisfaction in order to examine how changes in satisfaction may be related to client characteristics, outcome measures, dropout or re-engagement in treatment. [Kelly PJ, Kyngdon F, Ingram I, Deane FP, Baker AL, Osborne BA. The Client Satisfaction Questionnaire-8: Psychometric properties in a cross-sectional survey of people attending residential substance abuse treatment. Drug Alcohol Rev 2018 :79-86].
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 16-09-2023
DOI: 10.1111/DAR.13752
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 24-05-2019
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2021
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 03-04-2018
DOI: 10.1080/15504263.2018.1442951
Abstract: Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) is recommended as a frontline smoking cessation tool for people attending mental health and substance dependence treatment services. Previous research suggests that NRT is underutilized in these settings. To improve the use of NRT among people attending residential treatment for substance use disorders, it is important that the factors influencing smokers' decisions to use NRT are understood. The study aimed to examine (1) smoking cessation strategies used by participants in previous quit attempts, (2) participants' attitudes toward NRT (i.e., safety concerns and perceived efficacy), and (3) the predictors of participants' intention to use NRT to support future quit attempts. Participants completed a cross-sectional survey that examined their smoking behaviors, previous experiences using smoking cessation strategies, attitudes and beliefs regarding NRT, and intention to use NRT as part of future quit attempts (N = 218). All participants were attending residential treatment for substance use disorders provided by We Help Ourselves, a large provider of specialist alcohol and other drug treatment in Australia. The majority of respondents (98%) reported that they had smoked regularly in their lifetime, and 89% were current smokers. Forty-five percent of the current smokers reported that they had previously used NRT to support a quit attempt, with 54% reporting that they intended to use NRT to support a future quit attempt. Intentions to use NRT were not related to the participants' mental health status or the participants' perceptions regarding the safety or potential drawbacks associated with using NRT. However, participants were more likely to report that they would use NRT to support future quit attempts if they were female, had previously used NRT, and perceived NRT to be effective. Improving the use of evidence-based smoking cessation strategies within substance use treatment continues to be a priority. To enhance the use of NRT among consumers attending mental health and addiction treatment services, NRT should be universally offered. Future research should consider strategies that help to improve participants' positive perceptions regarding the efficacy of NRT.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 03-05-2015
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 02-01-2017
DOI: 10.1080/15504263.2017.1287456
Abstract: Smoking continues to be a major health concern for people with a history of alcohol or other substance use problems. The current research is aimed to (1) describe the prevalence of smoking in residential addictions treatment services and (2) compare characteristics of people who had or had not quit smoking. Participants were attending residential substance abuse treatment provided by the Australian Salvation Army. These programs are up to 10 months in length and offer a range of low-intensity smoking cessation supports. Measures of smoking, substance use, and clinical characteristics were collected from 2008 to 2015 at baseline and three months post-discharge from treatment (N = 702). At baseline, 86% of people were smokers (n = 606). At follow-up, only 48 participants who were smokers at baseline (7%) had quit smoking. Participants who had quit smoking at follow-up also reported higher rates of abstinence from alcohol or other substances at follow-up (72%) than people who had not quit smoking (46% OR = 2.95, 95% CI [1.52, 5.74]). There is potential for smoking cessation to be better addressed as part of routine care in substance abuse treatment settings. Future research should evaluate the provision of more systematic smoking cessation interventions within these settings.
Publisher: Springer International Publishing
Date: 2022
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2020
DOI: 10.1016/J.ADDBEH.2019.106249
Abstract: To reduce smoking and improve other health behaviours of people living with severe mental illness, healthy lifestyle interventions have been recommended. One approach to improving the availability of these types of interventions is to utilise the mental health peer workforce. The current study aimed to evaluate the feasibility of peer-workers facilitating a telephone delivered healthy lifestyle intervention within community based mental health settings. The study also examined preliminary outcomes of the intervention. The study was conducted as a randomised controlled feasibility trial. In addition to treatment as usual, participants randomised to the Treatment Condition were offered BHC. This was an 8-session telephone delivered coaching intervention that encouraged participants to decrease their smoking, increase their intake of fruit and vegetables, and reduce their leisure screen time. Participants in the waitlist Control Condition continued to complete treatment as usual. All participants were engaged with Neami National, an Australian community mental health organisation. Peer-workers were also current employees of Neami National. Forty-three participants were recruited. The average number of sessions completed by participants in the Treatment Condition was 5.7 (SD = 2.6 out of 8-sessions). Seventeen participants (77%) completed at least half of the sessions, and nine participants (40%) completed all eight sessions. Participant satisfaction was high, with all participants followed up rating the quality of the service they received as 'good' or 'excellent'. When compared to the Control Condition, people in the Treatment Condition demonstrated greater treatment effects on smoking and leisure screen time. There was only a negligible effect on servings of fruit and vegetable. Results were promising regarding the feasibility of peer-workers delivering BHC. Good retention rates and high consumer satisfaction ratings in the Treatment Condition demonstrated that peer-workers were capable of delivering the intervention to the extent that consumers found it beneficial. The current results suggest that a sufficiently powered, peer delivered randomised controlled trial of BHC is warranted. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR Trial ID ACTRN123615000564550).
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 28-12-2022
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 28-09-2018
DOI: 10.1080/15504263.2018.1498565
Abstract: Loneliness is a distressing emotional experience that is likely to be prevalent among people accessing treatment for substance dependence problems. The first aim of the current study was to report on the validity of the Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale for Adults-Short Version (SELSA-S), a multidimensional measure of loneliness, for use in substance-dependent treatment populations. In order to further the understanding of loneliness among this population, loneliness was examined in relation to demographic, physical, and mental health variables. Participants were attending Australian residential substance dependence treatment services provided by two nongovernmental organizations (The Salvation Army and We Help Ourselves). Participants completed cross-sectional surveys (N = 316) consisting of measures of demographics, substance use, loneliness, and physical and mental health. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed high factor loadings and a moderate degree of concurrent and discriminant validity and internal consistency for the SELSA-S however, model fit indices did not meet prespecified cutoff criteria. Loneliness was deemed to be a serious problem for 69% of respondents, and 79% reported feeling lonely at least once per month. Findings of this study suggest the need for further research into the validity of the SELSA-S for use with substance-dependent populations. In addition, it may be beneficial to test a range of loneliness measures in order to determine whether other measures of loneliness may be more favorable for use across this population.
No related grants have been discovered for Isabella Ingram.