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Background: Alcohol craving is an essential construct in research and treatment of alcohol use disorders (AUD). Craving is mostly investigated in association with concurrent variables or distal treatment outcomes at follow-up. Objectives: The aim of this study is to examine craving at admission and its relevance for essential proximal outcomes at discharge from AUD treatment such as positive alcohol expectancy, abstinent-related self-efficacy, and substance-related coping, as well as patients' demographic and AUD characteristics. Methods: In total, 36 patients were recruited within an inpatient treatment AUD program. Results: An association between craving and positive alcohol expectancies at discharge was found in the regression model even when the respective expectancies, age, gender, and severity of alcohol dependence at admission were controlled for ( F(2,29) = 32.71, p < 0.001). Craving explained 2.3% of the variance of change in positive alcohol expectancy. Conclusion: The results suggest a low predictive value of craving for positive alcohol expectancy. In addition, we found significant associations between the craving and the severity of AUD and alcohol consumption before admission. Future studies should include proximal outcomes related to treatment efficacy as well as distal outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is an increasingly recognized comorbid condition in subjects with substance use disorders (SUDs). This paper describes the methods and study population of the International ADHD in Substance Use Disorders Prevalence (IASP) study. Objectives of the IASP are to determine the prevalence of ADHD in adult treatment seeking patients with SUD in different countries and SUD populations, determine the reliability and validity of the Adult ADHD Self-report Scale V 1.1 (ASRS) as ADHD screening instrument in SUD populations, investigate the comorbidity profile of SUD patients with and without ADHD, compare risk factors and protective factors in SUD patients with and without a comorbid diagnosis of ADHD, and increase our knowledge about the relationship between ADHD and the onset and course of SUD. In this cross-sectional, multi-centre two stage study, subjects were screened for ADHD with the ASRS, diagnosed with the Conner's Adult ADHD Diagnostic Interview for DSM-IV (CAADID), and evaluated for SUD, major depression, bipolar disorder, anti social personality disorder and borderline personality disorder. Three thousand five hundred and fifty-eight subjects from 10 countries were included. Of these 40.9% screened positive for ADHD. This is the largest international study on this population evaluating ADHD and comorbid disorders. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: In randomized controlled trials with high intemal validity, pharmacotherapy using acamprosate. naltrexone, and, to a somewhat lesser extent, disulfiram has proved effective in preventing relapse in patients with alcohol use disorders (AUD). There remains, however, a paucity of studies with sufficient external validity in which the effectiveness of pharmacotherapy in clinical practice is investigated. This study aimed to make a contribution to close this gap in research. Methods: In this naturalistic, prospective study, a comparison on indices of substance use, psychiatric symptoms, and treatment service utilization was carried out using samples of 92 patients who received pharmacotherapy and 323 patients who did not receive pharmacotherapy following discharge from 12 residential AUD programmes (index stay). Results: Patients that received pharmacotherapy were more likely to use alcohol during the index stay and at the 1-year follow-up. Moreover, this patient group more readily utilized treatment services during a 2-year period prior to and a 1-year period following index stay than patients who were not given pharmacotherapy. Nevertheless, when pharmacotherapy was prescribed before first post-treatment alcohol use, it was associated with delay of alcohol use, fewer relapses, and a reduced need for inpatient treatment. In many cases, however, medication was not prescribed until alcohol use and relapse had occurred. The length of time to first alcohol use was longer, and the cumulative abstinence rate higher, for disulfiram than for acamprosate, the latter being generally prescribed for more severely alcohol-dependent patients. Conclusions: There is a need for further studies to probe the reasons why medication for relapse prevention is not prescribed upon discharge from residential treatment and for less severely alcohol-dependent patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the German version of the Short Understanding of Substance Abuse Scale (SUSS) [Humphreys et al.: Psychol Addict Behav 1996;10:38–44], the Verständnis von Störungen durch Substanzkonsum (VSS), and evaluates its psychometric properties. The VSS assesses clinicians’ beliefs about the nature and treatment of substance use disorders, particularly their endorsement of psychosocial and disease orientation. The VSS was administered to 160 treatment staff members at 12 substance use disorder treatment programs in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. Because the confirmatory factor analysis of the VSS did not completely replicate the factorial structure of the SUSS, an exploratory factor analysis was undertaken. This analysis identified two factors: the Psychosocial model factor and a slightly different Disease model factor. The VSS Disease and Psychosocial subscales showed convergent and discriminant validity, as well as sufficient reliability. Copyright © 2005 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to assess a 4-month inpatient treatment program based on integrated models for patients with substance use and psychiatric disorders (dual diagnosis patients). On admission and at the 1-year follow-up, a consecutive sample of 118 dual diagnosis patients who entered the program were assessed by interview. Eighty-four patients (70.6%) completed the 1-year follow-up interview, reporting less frequent substance use, less severe psychiatric symptoms, a lower rehospitalization rate, and better housing conditions than on admission. Patients diagnosed with a comorbid personality disorder had a better improvement in the frequency of drinking and were less likely to be rehospitalized than patients with schizophrenia or depression. The results suggest that the integrated inpatient program may be a promising treatment approach for dual diagnosis patients. The results await replication in controlled studies that need to include an assessment of outpatient treatment following inpatient programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Childhood trauma (CT) is frequent in patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD) and may impact on adult drinking behaviour and treatment outcome. This study aimed to investigate the structural correlates of CT in AUD, focusing on the amygdala, which plays a crucial role in the neurobiology of trauma. We hypothesized reduced amygdala volume and reduced structural connectivity as quantified by fractional anisotropy (FA) and by number of streamlines in those AUD patients with a history of moderate to severe CT (AUD-CT). T1-weighted MP2RAGE and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) 3-Tesla MRI-scans were acquired in 41 recently abstinent patients with AUD. We compared bilateral amygdala volume and structural connectivity (FA and number of streamlines) of pathways emanating from the amygdala between AUD-CT (n = 20) and AUD without CT (AUD-NT, n = 21) using a mixed model multivariate analysis of variance (MANCOVA) controlling for age and gender. AUD-CT displayed reduced FA and reduced number of streamlines of amygdalar tracts. There were no differences regarding amygdala volume. The severity of physical abuse, a subscale of the childhood trauma questionnaire, was negatively correlated with FA and with number of streamlines. AUD-CT and AUD-NT differ regarding structural connectivity of pathways projecting to and from the amygdala, but not regarding amygdala volume. Those alterations of structural connectivity in AUD-CT may represent a distinguishable neurobiological subtype of AUD, which might be associated with the complex clinical picture and poorer outcome that patients with CT and AUD often present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) and depression are highly prevalent and tied to significant psychological, physiological, social and economic consequences. Their co‐occurrence presents a complex clinical challenge, as the impact of antidepressant medication on AUD outcomes remains equivocal. In this multicenter, longitudinal study we investigated the relationship between antidepressant medication and changes in depression symptoms and alcohol use in AUD patients. Methods: We analyzed data from 153 detoxified AUD patients who attended a 12‐week residential treatment program between 2015 and 2019. Within a mediation analysis, adopting a bootstrapping approach and a quasi‐Bayesian framework, we estimated the total, direct, and mediated effects of antidepressants on the percentage of days abstinent to assess the role of changes in depression symptoms as a mediating factor. Results: The mediation analysis revealed a dual impact pathway model with a negative direct effect of antidepressants on abstinence (p = 0.004) and a positive indirect effect, mediated through the reduction of depression symptoms (p = 0.002). Conclusions: The findings of the mediation analysis show that patients treated with antidepressants and whose depression symptoms do not improve over time show more relapses, while patients treated with antidepressants who achieve a reduction in depression symptoms show fewer relapses over time. Thus, to optimize treatment outcome, depression symptoms should be vigilantly monitored when antidepressants are prescribed during AUD treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) leads to a significant individual and societal burden. To achieve higher therapy success rates, therapeutic interventions still need to be improved. Most current neuroscientific conceptualizations of AUD focus on the imbalance between an enhanced automatic reaction to alcohol cues and impaired inhibition. Complementary to traditional relapse prevention strategies, novel computerized training interventions aim to directly alter these processes. This study tests a computerized alcohol-specific inhibition training in a large clinical sample and investigates its effects on behavioral, experimental and neurophysiological outcomes. It also analyzes whether variations in inhibition difficulty and/or endogenous cortisol levels during training impact these effects.Methods: This is a double-blind, randomized controlled trial (RCT) with 246 inpatients with AUD participating. After baseline assessment, participants are randomly assigned to one of three computerized Go-NoGo-based inhibition training interventions (two alcohol-specific versions with different Go/NoGo ratios, or neutral control training) and one of two intervention times (morning/afternoon), resulting in six study arms. All patients perform six training sessions within 2 weeks. Endogenous cortisol is measured in 80 patients before and after the first training session. Inhibitory control and implicit associations towards alcohol are assessed pre and post training, at which point electroencephalography (EEG) is additionally measured in 60 patients. Patients' alcohol consumption and relevant psychological constructs (e.g., craving, self-efficacy, treatment motivation) are measured at discharge and at 3-, 6- and 12-month follow-ups. Fifty healthy participants are assessed (20 with EEG) at one time point as a healthy control group.Discussion: This study investigates the effects of a computerized, alcohol-specific inhibition training for the first time in patients with AUD. Results should give insight into the effectiveness of this potential add-on to standard AUD treatment, including proximal and distal measures and effects on behavioral, experimental and neurophysiological measures. Information about working mechanisms and potential optimizations of this training are gathered through variations regarding difficulty of inhibition training and training time. This study may thus contribute to a deepened understanding of AUD and the improvement of its evidence-based treatment.Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, ID: NCT02968537 . Registered on 18 November 2016. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Craving affects the neurophysiological difference between alcohol-specific and neutral inhibitory control. • Neurophysiological correlates of inhibition allow to distinguish between patients who relapse and those who remain abstinent. • Event-related potentials of relapsers differ between alcohol-specific and neutral inhibition while those of abstainers do not. This study investigates neurophysiological correlates of general and alcohol-specific inhibitory control in patients with Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD), focusing on its association with individual craving levels and with relapse at three-month follow-up. 59 abstinent AUD patients and 20 healthy controls performed a Go/NoGo task incorporating alcohol-related and neutral stimuli during 64-channel electroencephalography (EEG) recording, yielding four event-related potentials (ERP) per participant (NoGo-Alcohol, Go-Alcohol, NoGo-Neutral, Go-Neutral). Whole-scalp randomization-based statistics assessed effects of the factors group (patients/controls or relapsers/abstainers), craving level, response type (NoGo/Go) and picture type (alcohol/neutral) on topography and signal strength of the ERP components N2 and P3. No differences on group level were observed between patients and controls. However, analyses incorporating individual craving indicated that the topographic difference between alcohol-related and neutral NoGo-N2 components increased with craving. Moreover, topographic differences in the alcohol-related and neutral NoGo-P3 component allowed for differentiation between relapsers and abstainers. In alcohol-related contexts, the response inhibition conflict reflected in the NoGo-N2 seems enhanced in patients with high craving. The inhibition-sensitive NoGo-P3 varies in relapsers but not in abstainers between neutral and alcohol-related contexts. In AUD patients, neurophysiological correlates of inhibition vary with alcohol-related contexts and craving, and might be indicative of relapse risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Patients with AUD show deficient early processing, i.e., a weaker, insensitive P1. • A weaker P1 is associated with higher subjective craving. • Neurophysiological stimulus discrimination is delayed in patients. Patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD) show altered brain responses to alcohol cues as compared to healthy controls. Event-related potential (ERP) studies mostly focus on the P3, which is usually diminished in AUD patients. The few studies that have investigated earlier components have yielded inconsistent results. The present study aimed at identifying the onset of impaired alcohol cue processing in AUD patients, as well as the association between neurophysiological processing and subjective craving. A sample of 15 inpatients with AUD and 15 healthy controls completed a cue reactivity task with alcohol-related, neutral, and scrambled pictures. Multichannel-EEG was recorded from 70 scalp electrodes, and ERP microstates were analyzed. Patients displayed impaired neurophysiological processing, as indexed by a weaker P3 and a weaker, insensitive P1. The blunted P1 was associated with higher subjective craving. Impaired alcohol cue processing in AUD emerges early, at the stage of sensory processing. Such deficient initial processing seems crucial to understanding cue reactivity processes in the brain and in the subjective experience of craving. The results highlight the importance of investigating early ERP components preceding the P3, and contribute to the debate on the onset of information-processing dysfunction in the addicted brain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Abstinence-related self-efficacy and action-oriented motivation to change addictive behaviours have been demonstrated to be important predictors of post-treatment drinking. However, there are only a few studies that assess drinking outcomes through a long-term follow-up interval.Objectives: The purpose of this longitudinal observational study is to evaluate whether self-efficacy and motivation at a 1-year follow-up mediate the relationship of self-efficacy at discharge from residential treatment with drinking outcomes at 5-year follow-up.Method: Simple and serial multiple mediation analyses were conducted on data collected from 263 patients (174 men, 89 women) with severe alcohol use disorder (AUD). Self-efficacy was measured at discharge and 1-year follow-up, and motivation was also measured at 1-year follow-up. Abstinence, percent days of abstinence (PDA), and drinks per drinking day (DDD) were used as drinking outcomes at 5-year follow-up. Exploring the indirect paths provided details about the interrelationship between self-efficacy and motivation.Results: Self-efficacy at discharge predicted abstinence and PDA. The mediation models suggest that self-efficacy at discharge was associated with self-efficacy and motivation at 1-year follow-up, which in turn was related to better long-term drinking outcomes, in particular for abstinence and PDA at 5-year follow-up. No such effects were found for DDD.Conclusions: The results indicate that self-efficacy and motivation are interrelated in improving long-term abstinence and PDA following residential treatments and may play a substantial role in recovery from AUD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: A large body of literature discusses change mechanisms underlying psychotherapy with an emphasis on common factors. The present study examined how different comprehensive common factors change over the course of therapy and whether this change was associated with clinical outcome at discharge. Method: Three hundred forty‐eight adults (mean age = 32.1, SD = 10.6; 64% female) attended a standardized 14‐week day‐clinic psychotherapy program. They provided longitudinal data on common factors based on weekly assessments. Additionally, pre‐ and post‐assessment questionnaires on clinical outcome were completed. Using multilevel modelling, we predicted common factors by time (week in therapy). Multiple linear regression models tested the association between changes in common factors and clinical outcome. Results: The common factor 'Therapeutic Alliance' was best fitted by linear growth models, whereas models for the common factors 'Coping', 'Cognitive Integration' and 'Affective Processing' indicated logarithmic changes over time. 'Coping', that is change in patients' ability to cope with their individual problems, was most closely linked with outcome. Conclusions: The present study provides evidence for the changeability of common factors over the course of therapy as well as their specific contributions to psychotherapeutic progress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several decades of neural scientific research have provided a better understanding of the development and maintenance of addictive behaviors and point to new treatment targets and interventions. Further exploring the interaction between Pavlovian conditioning and operant learning mechanisms, Belanger et al. [[12]] describe the development and first empirical test results regarding a novel task to assess outcome-specific and general PIT effects. Accordingly, Chen et al. [[13]] report results of a study that examined whether one such training program, cognitive bias modification, modulates PIT effects. [Extracted from the article]

Aims: For the first time, to our knowledge, in a clinical sample with alcohol use disorder (AUD), this study compared the effects of two versions of alcohol‐specific inhibition training (Alc‐IT) on drinking outcomes and on experimental parameters assessing two possible working mechanisms: stimulus devaluation and inhibitory enhancement. Design: Multi‐centre, double‐blind, three‐arm clinical RCT with 3‐, 6‐ and 12‐month follow‐up comparing standard Alc‐IT, improved Alc‐IT and an active control condition. Setting: Three specialized AUD treatment centres in Switzerland. Participants: A total of 242 detoxified, recently abstinent patients with severe AUD (18–60 years; 29.8% female). Intervention and Comparator: Both interventions [standard Alc‐IT (n = 84) and improved Alc‐IT (n = 79)] and the comparator [unspecific inhibition training (n = 79)] consisted of six sessions of a modified inhibitory task (Go/NoGo task) with alcohol‐related and neutral stimuli. Both versions of Alc‐IT required response inhibition in alcohol‐related trials but differed in Go/NoGo ratios (standard: 50/50; improved: 75/25), with improved Alc‐IT posing higher inhibitory demands. The control condition, an unspecific inhibition training, featured alcohol‐related pictures in Go as well as NoGo trials. Measurements The primary outcome, percentage of days abstinent, was assessed at 3‐month follow‐up with a time‐line follow‐back interview. Findings The group receiving improved Alc‐IT showed a significantly higher percentage of days abstinent at 3‐month follow‐up compared with the control group [γcontrol = 74.30; γimproved = 85.78; β = 11.48, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.57, 20.40, P = 0.012, adjusted r2 = 0.062], while for standard Alc‐IT no effect significantly different from zero was detected (γstandard = 70.95; β = −3.35, 95% CI = −12.20, 5.50, P = 0.457, adjusted r2 = −0.04). Conclusions: Alcohol‐specific inhibition training with high inhibitory demands increased days abstinent at 3‐month follow‐up in patients with severe alcohol use disorder. Such an improved, inhibitory‐demanding, alcohol‐specific inhibition training outperformed the standard version of alcohol‐specific inhibition training, suggesting an inhibitory working mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Le trouble du déficit de l'attention/hyperactivité chez l'enfant (TDAH) est un facteur de risque de mésusage et de troubles de l'usage de substances (TUS) chez l'adolescent et le jeune adulte. Le TDAH et le TUS coexistent également fréquemment chez les adolescents en demande de soins, compliquant le diagnostic et le traitement et étant associé à de mauvais résultats thérapeutiques. Les recherches concernant l'effet du traitement du TDAH chez l'enfant sur la prévention du TUS à l'adolescence sont peu concluantes et les études sur le diagnostic et le traitement des adolescents atteints de TDAH et de TUS comorbides sont rares. Ainsi, les preuves disponibles ne sont pas suffisantes pour justifier des recommandations de traitement solides. Le but de cette étude était d'aboutir à une déclaration de consensus basée sur une combinaison de données scientifiques et d'expérience clinique. La méthode Delphi modifiée a été utilisée pour parvenir à un consensus basé sur la combinaison de données scientifiques et d'expérience clinique, avec un groupe multidisciplinaire de 55 experts provenant de 17 pays. Les experts ont été invités à évaluer un ensemble d'énoncés portant sur l'effet du traitement du TDAH de l'enfant sur le TUS à l'adolescence ainsi que sur le dépistage, le diagnostic et le traitement des adolescents souffrant de TDAH et de TUS comorbides. Après trois tours de cotation et d'adaptation de 37 énoncés, un consensus a été atteint sur 36 d'entre eux, représentant six domaines : généralités (n = 4), risque de développer un TUS (n = 3), dépistage et diagnostic (n = 7), prise en charges psychosociales (n = 5), traitement pharmacologique (n = 11) et traitements complémentaires (n = 7). Le dépistage systématique du TDAH est recommandé auprès des patients adolescents vus en addictologie et du TUS auprès des patients adolescents souffrant de TDAH vus en santé mentale. Les stimulants à action prolongée sont recommandés comme traitement de première intention du TDAH chez les adolescents souffrant de la comorbidité TDAH-TUS et la pharmacothérapie doit de préférence être incluse dans une prise en charge psychosociale (psychoéducation, entretien motivationnel, thérapies comportementales et cognitives, prise en charge familiale). L'unique déclaration non consensuelle restante concerne l'exigence d'abstinence avant l'initiation d'un traitement pharmacologique chez les adolescents atteints de TDAH et de TUS concomitants. Contrairement à la majorité des experts, certains exigent une abstinence complète avant de débuter tout traitement pharmacologique, certains se positionnent contre l'utilisation de stimulants dans le traitement de ces patients (indépendamment de l'abstinence), tandis que d'autres n'approuvent pas l'utilisation alternative du bupropion. Cette déclaration de consensus internationale peut être utilisée par les cliniciens et les patients dans un processus collaboratif de prise de décision partagée pour sélectionner les meilleures interventions et obtenir des résultats optimaux chez les patients adolescents souffrant de TDAH et de TUS comorbides. Childhood attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a risk factor for substance misuse and substance use disorder (SUD) in adolescence and (early) adulthood. ADHD and SUD also frequently co-occur in treatment-seeking adolescents, which complicates diagnosis and treatment and is associated with poor treatment outcomes. Research on the effect of treatment of childhood ADHD on the prevention of adolescent SUD is inconclusive, and studies on the diagnosis and treatment of adolescents with ADHD and SUD are scarce. Thus, the available evidence is generally not sufficient to justify robust treatment recommendations. The aim of the study was to obtain a consensus statement based on a combination of scientific data and clinical experience. A modified Delphi study to reach consensus based upon the combination of scientific data and clinical experience with a multidisciplinary group of 55 experts from 17 countries. The experts were asked to rate a set of statements on the effect of treatment of childhood ADHD on adolescent SUD and on the screening, diagnosis, and treatment of adolescents with comorbid ADHD and SUD. After 3 iterative rounds of rating and adapting 37 statements, consensus was reached on 36 of these statements representing 6 domains: general (n = 4), risk of developing SUD (n = 3), screening and diagnosis (n = 7), psychosocial treatment (n = 5), pharmacological treatment (n = 11), and complementary treatments (n = 7). Routine screening is recommended for ADHD in adolescent patients in substance abuse treatment and for SUD in adolescent patients with ADHD in mental healthcare settings. Long-acting stimulants are recommended as the firstline treatment of ADHD in adolescents with concurrent ADHD and SUD, and pharmacotherapy should preferably be embedded in psychosocial treatment. The only remaining no-consensus statement concerned the requirement of abstinence before starting pharmacological treatment in adolescents with ADHD and concurrent SUD. In contrast to the majority, some experts required full abstinence before starting any pharmacological treatment, some were against the use of stimulants in the treatment of these patients (independent of abstinence), while some were against the alternative use of bupropion. This international consensus statement can be used by clinicians and patients together in a shared decision-making process to select the best interventions and to reach optimal outcomes in adolescent patients with concurrent ADHD and SUD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In individuals with alcohol use disorder (AUD), the brain areas underlying cue-induced reactions (e.g., cingulum, striatum, thalamus) and altered activation of these regions have been identified by functional neuroimaging. Neuronal responses to a complex alcohol-related context are yet to investigate. To better understand contextual effects as well as the interplay of cue-induced neural reactions and context exposure, the present study implemented an imagination procedure during functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Methods: Thirteen patients with AUD and 13 healthy controls completed two rounds of a cue-reactivity paradigm inside an MRI scanner. Two individualized imagination tasks were conducted before each of the two cue reactivity tasks. A 2 (group) × 2 (imagination) × 2 (picture-type) analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed. Results: The ANOVA revealed a main effect for imagination with higher activation in bilateral thalamus and right caudate nucleus and an interaction effect between imagination and group in right thalamus and left caudate nucleus, due to the patient group reacting stronger during alcohol-related imagination. These structures are involved in relaying sensory information and habit learning. No main or interaction effects of picture type were observed. Conclusions: These results support the view that context effects alter the neural responses in thalamus and nucleus caudatus in patients with AUD, and that imagination tasks are suited to incorporate contextual influences in neurophysiological research designs. Future research needs to investigate whether the failure to observe a picture-type effect was due to limited statistical power and omission to individualize picture set, or whether an imagination procedure interferes with the evocation of picture-type effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Alcohol use disorder (AUD) and depressive disorders often co-occur. Findings on the effects of major depressive disorder (MDD) or depressive symptoms on posttreatment alcohol relapse are controversial. The study''s aim is to examine the association of MDD and depressive symptoms with treatment outcomes after residential AUD programs. In a naturalistic-prospective, multisite study with 12 residential AUD treatment programs in the German-speaking part of Switzerland, 64 patients with AUD with MDD, 283 patients with AUD with clinically significant depressive symptoms at admission, and 81 patients with AUD with such problems at discharge were compared with patients with AUD only on alcohol use, depressive symptoms, and treatment service utilization. MDD was provisionally identified at admission and definitively defined at discharge. Whereas patients with MDD did not differ from patients with AUD only at 1-year follow-up, patients with AUD with clinically significant depressive symptoms had significantly shorter time-to-first-drink and a lower abstinence rate. These patients also had elevated AUD indices and treatment service utilization for psychiatric disorders. Our results suggest that clinically significant depressive symptoms are a substantial risk factor for relapse so that it may be important to treat them during and after residential AUD treatment programs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: The International Collaboration on ADHD and Substance Abuse (ICASA) is a network of 28 centers from 16 countries initiated to investigate the link between attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and substance use disorder (SUD). In this article, we present the mission, the results of finished studies, and the current and future research projects of ICASA.Methods: During the past 10 years, 3 cross-sectional studies were conducted: two International ADHD in Substance use disorders Prevalence (IASP-1 and IASP-2) studies, directed at the screening, diagnosis, and the prevalence of adult ADHD in treatment-seeking patients with SUD, and the Continuous performance test for ADHD in SUD Patients (CASP) study, testing a novel continuous performance test in SUD patients with and without adult ADHD. Recently, the prospective International Naturalistic Cohort Study of ADHD and Substance Use Disorders (INCAS) was initiated, directed at treatment provision and treatment outcome in SUD patients with adult ADHD.Results: The IASP studies have shown that approximately 1 in 6 adult treatment-seeking SUD patients also have ADHD. In addition, those SUD patients with adult ADHD compared to SUD patients without ADHD report more childhood trauma exposure, slower infant development, greater problems controlling their temperament, and lower educational attainment. Comorbid patients also reported more risk-taking behavior, and a higher rate of other psychiatric disorders compared to SUD patients without ADHD. Screening, diagnosis, and treatment of this patient group are possible even before abstinence has been achieved. The results of the CASP study are reported separately in this special issue.Conclusions: The ICASA research to date has demonstrated a high prevalence of comorbid ADHD and SUD, associated with elevated rates of additional comorbidities and risk factors for adverse outcomes. More research is needed to find the best way to treat these patients, which is the main topic of the ongoing INCAS study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]