Groups for belonging: a parallel cluster randomized controlled trial of a group-based loneliness intervention for people attending treatment for alcohol and other drug use.

Background: People accessing alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment experience high rates of loneliness, which is a strong driver of substance use. Groups for Belonging is a 6-session group-based intervention that combines elements of the social identity informed intervention Groups for Health with psychoeducation and strategies to help participants manage loneliness and overcome cognitive barriers to social connection. The project will examine the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of delivering Groups for Belonging within routine care offered by AOD treatment providers in Australia.

Relationship Between Patient-Reported Experiences and Treatment Satisfaction Among Men and Women in Residential Substance Use Treatment.

Introduction: Understanding the experiences of women participating in residential alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment is important in ensuring treatment effectively meets women's needs. Patient-reported experience measures aid in assessing women's experiences of treatment but are often used to quantify women's treatment satisfaction without additional context regarding specific treatment experiences. This study examined the relationship between the domains of the Patient Reported Experience Measure for Addiction Treatment (PREMAT) and overall treatment satisfaction, including whether relationships differed by gender.

Gender and Overdose Risk Factors Among Clients Entering Residential Treatment for Opioid Use.

Introduction: The period post-residential treatment for opioid use is associated with heightened risk of overdose. The current study aims to: (i) describe characteristics of men and women attending residential treatment for primary opioid use; (ii) identify classes of clients based on primary opioid and other substance/s of concern and (iii) identify relationships between substance use profile and sociodemographic risk factors for opioid overdose, including differences by gender.

Methods: Data from 2994 clients (29.

Psychological Distress Trajectories in Residential Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment.

Introduction: Residential clients frequently report high psychological distress at intake, but little is known about changes in distress throughout treatment. This study aimed to identify in-treatment trajectories for psychological distress and factors associated with trajectory classes.

Methods: A retrospective cohort of adults attending Australian non-government residential substance use treatment between 2012 and 2023 was identified from routinely collected data, NADAbase.

A qualitative exploration of affected family members' responses to methamphetamine use using the family resilience framework.

Introduction: Families affected by a loved one's methamphetamine use experience substantial harm and burden. Pathologising views have been dominant in understanding families' experiences, reinforcing stigma and limiting support provision and access. Using a family-resilience framework, this qualitative study aimed to identify adaptations in response to the stress and strain of supporting a loved one with methamphetamine use.

A mixed-methods study of staff perspectives on the barriers and facilitators to the implementation of patient-reported routine outcome measures and feedback in alcohol and other drug treatment.

Introduction: Preliminary evidence supports the use of patient-reported outcome measures (PROM) and feedback for enhancing client outcomes in alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment. However, successful implementation remains challenging. This mixed-methods study applied the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) framework to examine inner setting and staff characteristics that act as barriers and facilitators to the implementation of PROMs in AOD treatment.

Exploring the potential of Self-Management and Recovery Training (SMART Recovery) mutual-help groups for supporting people who use methamphetamine: A qualitative study examining participant experience of initiation and engagement.

Introduction: Improving support options for people who use methamphetamine is of critical national and global importance. The role of mutual-help groups within the treatment-seeking journey of people who use methamphetamine is unclear. Self-Management and Recovery Training ('SMART Recovery') mutual-help groups are led by a trained facilitator and support participants to work on individual goals, including, but not limited to abstinence.

Online SMART Recovery mutual-help groups: a comparison of the characteristics and experiences of men living in rural and urban regions of Australia.

Introduction: Harms arising from alcohol and other drug (AOD) use are disproportionately felt by men living in rural locations. The detrimental impact of AOD use is compounded by a range of barriers to help-seeking. Online recovery support services (including mutual-help groups) are increasingly used to reach people who might not otherwise seek support for AOD use.

Women and opioid use disorder treatment: A scoping review of experiences, use of patient-reported experience measures, and integration of person-centred care principles.

Background: Patient-reported experience measures (PREMs) are an important aspect of assessing and improving women's experiences of person-centred care during treatment for Opioid Use Disorder (OUD). This scoping review aimed to 1) examine the extent, type, and characteristics of evidence regarding women's OUD treatment experiences, and 2) describe the extent to which PREMs and person-centred care principles are incorporated within research methods.

Methods: Following Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR), we conducted a scoping review to identify peer-reviewed articles on women's OUD treatment experiences.

SMART Family and Friends: Feasibility and outcomes of a video-conference delivered intervention for families impacted by another's methamphetamine use.

Introduction: Families affected by another's substance use, including methamphetamine, experience harms to their mental and physical health. Yet, research has paid little attention to support and service needs of this population. This pilot study examines the feasibility and outcomes of SMART Family and Friends, a video-conference-delivered mutual-support group targeting families affected by another's methamphetamine use.

Five-Year Mortality Outcomes for Eating As Treatment (EAT), a Health Behavior Change Intervention to Improve Nutrition in Patients With Head and Neck Cancer: A Stepped-Wedge, Randomized Controlled Trial.

Purpose: Malnutrition affects up to 80% of patients with head and neck cancer (HNC) and is associated with higher burden of disease, poorer treatment outcomes, and greater mortality. The Eating As Treatment (EAT) intervention is a behavioral intervention previously demonstrated to be effective in improving nutritional status, depression, and quality of life in patients with HNC. This article examines the effects of the EAT intervention on 5-year mortality among participants.

The benefits and challenges of virtual SMART recovery mutual-help groups: Participant and facilitator perspectives.

Background: COVID-19 prompted widespread transition of face-to-face mutual-help groups to virtual delivery. Current understanding of the experience of virtual mutual-help groups is limited to 12-step approaches or asynchronous groups (e.g.

SMART recovery for youth: a small, exploratory qualitative study examining the potential of a mutual-aid, peer support addictive behaviour change program for young people.

Background: SMART (Self-Management and Recovery Training) Recovery is a mutual-aid program informed by cognitive behaviour therapy and motivational interviewing that provides support for a range of addictive behaviours. SMART Recovery has not been adapted to target young people with addictive behaviours despite the potential to overcome important barriers affecting youth engagement in other addiction programs. This study aimed to engage young people and SMART Recovery facilitators in qualitative interviews and focus groups to explore the potential of such a program and gain specific insights for its development.

Adapted motivational interviewing for brief healthcare consultations: A systematic review and meta-analysis of treatment fidelity in real-world evaluations of behaviour change counselling.

Background: Behaviour change counselling (BCC) is an adaptation of motivational interviewing (MI) designed to maximize the effectiveness of time-limited health behaviour change consultations. To improve intervention quality and understanding of treatment effects, it is recommended that evaluations of health behaviour change interventions incorporate existing fidelity frameworks (e.g.

Consistency of Violence: Implications for Effective Inpatient Psychiatric Care.

Instances of violence and aggression in acute psychiatric settings are common and highly distressing for service users and staff. They also incur financial costs. This study aimed to identify the proportion of service users at risk of consistent violence/aggression enactment.

The effectiveness of psychosocial interventions for family members impacted by another's substance use: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction: Family members affected by another's substance use disorder experience physical health problems, breakdowns in relationships and reduced psychological wellbeing. This review examines the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions for improving the wellbeing of family members.

Methods: A systematic review of randomised-controlled trials (RCT), non-RCTs and pre-post studies examining group or individual interventions for affected families.

Supporting people affected by problematic alcohol, substance use and other behaviours under pandemic conditions: A pragmatic evaluation of how SMART recovery Australia responded to COVID-19.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic prompted rapid, reflexive transition from face-to-face to online healthcare. For group-based addiction services, evidence for the impact on service delivery and participant experience is limited.

Methods: A 12-month (plus 2-month follow-up) pragmatic evaluation of the upscaling of online mutual-help groups by SMART Recovery Australia (SRAU) was conducted using The Reach Effectiveness Adoption Implementation Maintenance (RE-AIM) framework.

Online SMART Recovery mutual support groups: Characteristics and experience of adults seeking treatment for methamphetamine compared to those seeking treatment for other addictive behaviours.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic prompted the transition of Australian Self-Management and Recovery Training (SMART) Recovery mutual support groups to virtual delivery. This study examined the self-reported experience of online SMART Recovery groups for people seeking support for methamphetamine use (alone or in combination with other behaviours) compared to those who did not endorse methamphetamine use as a reason for seeking support.

Methods: An online survey invitation was embedded in the post-group exit page.

Associations between violence, self-harm and acute psychiatric service use: Implications for inpatient care.

Unlabelled: WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: Service users who behave violently may suffer. This is because violence can lead to unnecessary medication, seclusion on the ward and strained relationships with other people. It can also affect a service user's self-esteem and lead to feelings of shame.

Staff support in a National Health Service mental health trust in response to the COVID-19 pandemic: qualitative study.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the impact work can have on healthcare workers and the importance of staff support services. Rapid guidance was published to encourage preventive and responsive support for healthcare workers.

Aims: To understand mental healthcare staff's help-seeking behaviours and access to support at work in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, to inform iterative improvements to provision of staff support.

FullFix: a randomised controlled trial of a telephone delivered transdiagnostic intervention for comorbid substance and mental health problems in young people.

Introduction: Transdiagnostic cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) targets common psychological factors that underlie multiple disorders. While transdiagnostic interventions are a promising new approach, limited research has evaluated these treatments within the alcohol and other drug (AOD) sector for young people with comorbid mental health symptoms. This project will examine the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of FullFix-a new risk-targeted transdiagnostic CBT telehealth programme for comorbid AOD and depression/anxiety disorders in young people.

Feasibility of a Mobile Health App for Routine Outcome Monitoring and Feedback in SMART Recovery Mutual Support Groups: Stage 1 Mixed Methods Pilot Study.

Background: Mutual support groups are an important source of long-term help for people impacted by addictive behaviors. Routine outcome monitoring (ROM) and feedback are yet to be implemented in these settings. SMART Recovery mutual support groups focus on self-empowerment and use evidence-based techniques (eg, motivational and behavioral strategies).

SMART Recovery International and COVID-19: Expanding the reach of mutual support through online groups.

Background: Mutual support groups play an extremely important role in providing opportunities for people to engage in alcohol and other drug (AOD) treatment and support. SMART Recovery groups employ cognitive, behavioural and motivational principles and strategies to offer support for a range of addictive behaviours. COVID-19 fundamentally changed the way that these groups could be delivered.