Background: There is little research exploring harm reduction interventions for men who have sex with men (MSM) who engage in chemsex. Beyond-66 is a novel, 132-day, peer-led intervention programme for MSM who are chemsex dependent in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. We aimed to evaluate the feasibility, retention and effect of Beyond-66 on: abstinence from chemsex, motivation for abstinence, and mental wellbeing.
Method: We collected data on demographics, retention and completion and abstinence between January 2021-August 2023 in MSM using Beyond-66. Using 10-point Likert scales, we compared motivation to remain abstinent and mental wellbeing at the beginning and end of Beyond-66.
Results: 25 MSM have either completed or dropped out/referred out of Beyond-66, 12/25(48%) were living with HIV and the median duration of chemsex use was 5 years (IQR = 4-6). 19 (76%) completed programme; 3 were referred out for a psychiatry assessment and 3 dropped out of the programme. 14 (74%) remain abstinent and 5 relapsed. The median motivation for abstinence scores for the 19 completers increased significantly between the pre-programme and post-programme period (7/10 (IQR = 4-8) to 9/10 (IQR = 5-10), = .04) and the median mental health score (Likert score out of 10 where 10 is poor mental health) reduced significantly (5/10 (IQR = 4-7) to 2/10 (IQR 1-6), = .008).
Conclusion: This pilot evaluation suggests that MSM using Beyond-66 experience high completion (76%) and abstinence (74%) rates and increased motivation for abstinence and mental wellbeing scores. Further research is needed to design, develop, and deliver peer led interventions for MSM who are chemsex dependant.
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http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/09564624231213113 | DOI Listing |
BMJ Open
January 2025
Health Economics and Epidemiology Research Office, Wits Health Consortium, University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg Faculty of Health Sciences, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Objective: To study the behavioural factors associated with sustained cigarette smoking cessation, and those associated with a current smoker attempting to quit, among current and former cigarette smokers living in low-income South African communities.
Setting: Three low-income areas in South Africa.
Design: In-person surveys with structured questions that asked respondents about their cigarette smoking and quitting behaviour, sociodemographic information and behavioural attributes.
JAMA Netw Open
January 2025
Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
Importance: During buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD), risk factors for opioid relapse or treatment dropout include comorbid substance use disorder, anxiety, or residual opioid craving. There is a need for a well-powered trial to evaluate virtually delivered groups, including both mindfulness and evidence-based approaches, to address these comorbidities during buprenorphine treatment.
Objective: To compare the effects of the Mindful Recovery Opioid Use Disorder Care Continuum (M-ROCC) vs active control among adults receiving buprenorphine for OUD.
Basic Clin Pharmacol Toxicol
February 2025
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.
New psychoactive substances (NPS) are health-hazardous through unpredictable toxicity and effects and largely unknown epidemiology, motivating studies of the latter. Up to 138 NPS were retrospectively identified using liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry data from all 34 183 oral fluid drug samples collected in one Swedish health care region 2019-2020 representing 9468 psychiatric and addiction care patients. In total, 618 findings representing 58 NPS were detected in 481 samples from 201 patients.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCochrane Database Syst Rev
January 2025
Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
Background: Financial incentives (money, vouchers, or self-deposits) can be used to positively reinforce smoking cessation. They may be used as one-off rewards, or in various schedules to reward steps towards sustained smoking abstinence (known as contingency management). They have been used in workplaces, clinics, hospitals, and community settings, and to target particular populations.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPhysiol Behav
January 2025
Department of Psychology, Program in Behavioral Neuroscience, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9172, USA.
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