Background: Cannabis is among the most widely used drugs, with the literature demonstrating that cannabis use disorder (CUD) may be more prevalent than previously thought. Research should explore novel approaches to behavioral support to meet treatment need, including computer-assisted therapies such as Breaking Free Online (BFO). This study aimed to understand how participants' baseline sociodemographic and clinical characteristics are associated with engagement with BFO, and how both participants' characteristics and their engagement may be associated with cannabis use and biopsychosocial functioning at follow-up.
Methods: An observational study with 1830 individuals presenting to UK-based publicly funded treatment services who reported cannabis as their primary problem substance and engaged with BFO as a self-directed intervention.
Results: Moderate-severe depression/anxiety (51%) and elevated severity of cannabis dependence scores (39%) characterized the baseline sample. Women demonstrated greater clinical complexity at baseline than men. Baseline mental health and biopsychosocial functioning were associated with whether participants completed a follow-up assessment. Among 460 participants who completed a follow-up assessment, intervention engagement was positively associated with self-reported quality of life and biopsychosocial functioning at follow-up.
Conclusions: Cannabis users demonstrated substantial clinical complexity at baseline, with depression/anxiety and biopsychosocial functioning being associated with BFO engagement. Greater BFO engagement was also associated with better quality of life and biopsychosocial functioning at follow-up. Some groups, including those with greater mental health and biopsychosocial impairment at baseline and women, may require support to engage with BFO to maximize clinical benefits.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jsat.2020.108261 | DOI Listing |
PLOS Glob Public Health
January 2025
Department of International Public Health, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
Globally, one in five people in post-conflict areas are estimated to be living with a mental health condition. As a key public health issue, these conditions negatively affect individuals, communities, and societies to function after a conflict. Documenting the prevalence of mental health conditions amongst these populations is crucial to prioritise and guide future mental health interventions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSex Med Rev
December 2024
Digital Human-Environment Interaction Lab, Department of Psychology, Education and Sports, Lusófona University, Inês Tavares, 4000-098 Porto, Portugal.
Introduction: Sexual health concerns are common and significantly impact quality of life, but many people do not seek treatment due to embarrassment and other barriers. A biopsychosocial model of assessment and treatment acknowledges the biological, psychological, and social contributors to sexual difficulties and suggests that all these domains should be evaluated.
Objectives: This paper provides an overview of the major psychological factors contributing to sexual difficulties and offer an evidence-based approach for primary care clinicians to assess and treat these issues.
Alzheimers Dement
December 2024
Dementias Platform UK - University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
Background: According to the World Health Organization, dementia is one of the leading causes of death and at least 55 million people worldwide currently have dementia. Therefore, identifying the factors that increase the risk of developing dementia, but also those that protect against it, as well as the mechanisms underlying these effects, are essential for prevention and the development of interventions.
Method: Literature findings underline the detrimental effects of early adverse experiences on a variety of later-life biopsychosocial outcomes, including brain and cognition.
Alzheimers Dement
December 2024
Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
Background: Clinical guidelines in Australia discourage disclosure of apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotypes but advances in Alzheimer's disease (AD) therapeutics will likely change this. Limited work has assessed interest in APOE disclosure in Australian adults, and it remains unclear which characteristics are associated with interest within this sample. In a large group of middle-aged adults, this study aimed to describe interest in APOE disclosure and investigate differences in demographic and clinical characteristics and AD risk perceptions among groups with varying interest in disclosure.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCancer Med
January 2025
Division of Physical Activity, Prevention and Cancer, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.
Objective: Cancer-related fatigue is one of the most common burdens of cancer patients. To date, most studies focused on fatigue during or after treatment. However, investigation of pretreatment fatigue is crucial to identify causal or risk factors other than cancer therapy and to enable timely fatigue management.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!