Search

Aims: Most research exploring the link between traumatic events and psychotic experiences has focused on either Australia, Europe or North America. In this study, we expand the existing knowledge to Thailand and investigate the impact of the type and the number of traumatic events on psychotic experiences in Thailand. Methods: We used data from the nationally representative 2013 Thai National Mental Health Survey (TNMHS), including questions on traumatic events and psychotic experiences. We regressed the lifetime experience of hallucinations or delusions against the following independent variables: the experience of any traumatic event during lifetime (dichotomous; hypothesis 1); the experience of either no traumatic event, one interpersonal, one unintentional or both interpersonal and unintentional traumatic events (categorical; hypothesis 2) and the number of traumatic events experienced during lifetime (categorical; hypothesis 3). We adjusted the regression models for sociodemographic indicators and psychiatric disorders, and considered survey weights. Results: About 6% (95% confidence interval: 4.9–7.0) of the respondents stated that they had either hallucinatory or delusional experiences during their lifetime. The risk of reporting such experiences was more than doubled as high among respondents who had experienced at least one traumatic event during their lifetime than among those who had not yet experienced one, with higher risks for interpersonal or multiple traumatic events. Our results further indicated an increase in the risk of psychotic experiences as the number of traumatic events increased, with up to an eight-fold higher risk for people exposed to five or more traumatic events in their lifetime, compared to those with no traumatic events. Conclusions: Individuals reporting interpersonal or multiple traumatic events face much higher risk of psychotic experiences. Effective and widely accessible secondary prevention programmes for people having experienced interpersonal or multiple traumatic events constitute a key intervention option. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Binge drinking, an extreme drinking pattern and the most common form of hazardous alcohol consumption among university students, has remained a public health concern with physical, psychological, academic, and social problems. Tracking multiple factors is needed to find ways to deal with such hazardous drinking patterns and their adverse consequences. In Thailand, the particular factors leading to binge drinking patterns among university students are still not recognized. Four hundred thirteen university students in Northern Thailand self-administered a Web-based survey about the causal factors. The survey was based on a hypothesized model from the Social Ecological Model and from empirical studies. There were four factors that were hypothesized to directly increase binge drinking behavior: attitudes toward drinking, peer influence, physical environments of drinking, and alcohol advertisements. However, there were another four factors that were hypothesized to directly decrease binge drinking behavior: drinking refusal self-efficacy, university alcohol regulations, alcohol public policies, and knowledge. Through testing of the hypothesized model by Structural Equation Modeling, the causal model of binge drinking among Thai university students revealed "binge drinking refusal self-efficacy" (β = -.22, p < .001) and "peer influence" (β = -.14, p < .05) as significant negative factors and "physical environments" (β = .18, p < .001) as a positive predictor regarding binge drinking. The study shows how healthcare providers may be able to lessen binge drinking by designing effective prevention programs centering on an intrapersonal factor (binge drinking refusal self-efficacy), an interpersonal factor (peer influence), and a community factor (physical environments).

Introduction: Although underage drinking is a global concern, little is known about the relationship between age at first drink and development of various psychiatric comorbidities., Methods: A secondary data analysis was done among 2928 lifetime drinkers from the Thai National Mental Health Survey 2013. Age at first drink, and onset of related psychiatric outcomes were inquired. Survival analysis using Cox regression was performed to estimate the risk over time for psychiatric problems across age ranges at first drink., Results: Two-thirds of male and one-third of female drinkers were considered underage at drinking onset. Substance use and abuse developed earlier (<5 years) than alcohol use disorders (AUDs) and other outcomes (mostly >10 years). Those who started drinking before age 15 years were more likely to develop use of cannabis (HR=4.75; 95% CI 2.73, 8.24), club drugs (HR=2.88; 95% CI 1.46, 5.71) and inhalants (HR=6.46; 95% CI% 1.64, 25.37), compared to those who were 20 years or older at drinking onset. Using age as an alternative time-scale, those aged <15years at drinking onset were significantly more likely to experience AUDs, psychotic symptoms, intermittent explosive disorder and panic disorder. However, the early onset drinkers were less likely to develop depression compared to those who started at age 20 years and over., Conclusion: Premature alcohol consumption tends to be a gateway to various serious consequences. Efforts of such drinking age policy and interventions are needed to address vulnerable young populations., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background and aims To estimate the prevalence of problem and pathological gambling, gender and age-group differences in gambling types, and comorbidities with other psychiatric disorders among the Thai general population. Methods Analysis was conducted on 4,727 participants of Thailand's 2013 National Mental Health Survey, a multistage stratified cluster survey, using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Diagnoses of problem and pathological gambling and other psychiatric disorders were based on the DSM-IV-TR criteria with the following additional criteria for gamblers: more than 10 lifetime gambling episodes and a single year loss of at least 365 USD from gambling. Results The estimated lifetime prevalence rates of pathological and problem gambling were 0.90% [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.51-1.29] and 1.14% (95% CI: 0.58-1.70), respectively. The most popular type of gambling was playing lotteries [69.5%, standard error (SE) = 1.9], the prevalence of which was significantly higher among females and older age groups. The most common psychiatric disorders seen among pathological gamblers were alcohol abuse (57.4%), nicotine dependence (49.5%), and any drug use disorder (16.2%). Pathological gambling was highly prevalent among those who ever experienced major depressive episodes (5.5%), any drug dependence (5.1%), and intermittent explosive disorder (4.8%). The association between pathological gambling was strongest with a history of major depressive episode [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 10.4, 95% CI: 2.80-38.4]. Conclusion The study confirms the recognition of gambling disorders as a public health concern in Thailand and suggests a need for culturally specific preventive measures for pathological gamblers and those with a history of substance use disorders or major depression.

Background: Hair analysis for chronic excessive alcohol (ethanol) use has focused on ethyl glucuronide (EtG), a minor metabolite of ethanol. Preferred methods have involved high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) combined with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) in line with an electrospray ionization (ESI) source. EtG analysis in hair has not yet been introduced to Thailand, Objective: To validate an in-house HPLC-ESI-MS/MS hair analysis protocol for EtG and to apply it to a field sample of alcohol drinkers to assess different risk levels of alcohol consumption as measured by the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT)., Material and Method: Validation procedures followed guidelines of the US Food and Drug Administration, the European Medicines Agency, and the Scientific Working Group for Forensic Toxicology. One hundred twenty subjects reported consuming alcohol during a 3-month period prior to enrollment. After taking the Thai-language version of AUDIT, subjects were divided on the basis of test scores into low, medium, and high-risk groups for chronic excessive alcohol use., Results: The protocol satisfied the international standards for selectivity, specificity, accuracy, precision, and calibration curve. There was no significant matrix effect. Limits of detection and quantification (LOD/LOQ) were set at 15 pg of EtG per mg of hair. The protocol was not able to detect EtG in low-risk subjects (n = 38). Detection rates for medium-risk (n = 42) and high-risk subjects (n = 40) were 14.3% and 85%, respectively. The median of EtG concentration between these two groups were significantly different. Sensitivity and specificity were both more than 90% when EtG concentrations of high-risk subjects were compared with the 30 pg/mg cutoff recommended by the Society of Hair Testing (SoHT) for diagnosing chronic excessive alcohol consumption, based on an average ethanol daily intake greater than 60 g., Conclusion: The in-house protocol for EtG analysis in hair was validated according to international standards. The protocol is a useful tool for evaluating risk for chronic excessive drinking as defined by AUDIT scores. It strongly predicted the highest level of risk, although it was inadequate for assessing lower levels of risk.

Little is known about the risks of mood and anxiety disorders among Asians with alcohol use disorders and the effect of illicit drug use in this population. All participants from the 2008 Thai National Mental Health survey (N=17,140) were assessed for current major depressive disorder, anxiety disorders, and alcohol use disorders by using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) and were interviewed for illicit drug use within one year prior to their assessment. Logistic regression modeling was used to determine (a) whether alcohol use disorders were associated with major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders and (b) whether the use of illicit drugs increased these associations. Sex, age, marital status, region, and educational level were found to be significantly associated with major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders and were taken into account in the regression analysis. Compared with the general population, individuals with alcohol use disorders alone had significantly increased risks of major depressive disorder (OR 2.49, 95%CI 1.76-3.53 in men and OR 4.09, 95%CI 2.31-7.26 in women) and anxiety disorders (OR 2.21, 95%CI 1.46-3.36 in men and OR 4.34, 95%CI 2.35-8.03 in women). The risks became higher among individuals with both alcohol use disorders and illicit drug use (OR 3.62, 95% CI 1.64-8.01 in men and OR 11.53, 95%CI 1.32-100.65 in women for major depressive disorder, and OR 3.20, 95%CI 1.36-7.51 in men and OR 13.10, 95%CI 1.48-115.60 in women for anxiety disorders). In conclusion, alcohol use disorders were significantly associated with major depressive disorder and anxiety disorders. Illicit drug use was an important factor in increasing these associations, especially in women. Screening for depression, anxiety, and illicit drug use should be done in individuals with alcohol use disorders., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction and Aims: As a consequence of the methamphetamine epidemic in Thailand, the occurrence of methamphetamine psychosis (MAP) dramatically increased. This study aimed to examine the long-term outcomes of MAP patients following their first presentation to a psychiatric hospital., Design and Methods: Methamphetamine psychosis patients who were first hospitalised in Suan Prung psychiatric hospital Thailand in 2000-2001 were identified through a review of the hospital database. Eligible participants were scheduled for visits by trained field researchers in 2007. For those giving consent, a structured face-to-face interview was conducted. Outcomes were collected from both medical records and interviews., Results: A total of 1116 participants were included in the study. Ninety-two (8.2%) participants had died from suicide, accident or AIDS. Due to relocation, only 449 (40.2%) individuals were interviewed. Most of the participants were male (90.6%) with a mean age of 33.3 years (SD = 8.0). The medical records showed that 263 had revisited the hospital in the interim. Of those, 39.2% were re-hospitalised and 38% were given a diagnosis of schizophrenia due to persistent psychosis. The outreach interview found that more than half (55.7%) had experienced psychosis relapse. Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview revealed the following current conditions: psychotic disorders (15.8%), alcohol use disorders (52.1%) and suicidality (22.3%). Participants who did not have a diagnosis of current methamphetamine abuse could be divided into those with a single episode psychosis (52.6%) and those with chronic course of psychosis (38.8%)., Discussion and Conclusions: Individuals with MAP are likely to have poor outcomes, in terms of premature death, several relapses of psychotic symptoms, chronic psychotic manifestation, and very rates of alcohol use disorder and suicidality. Therefore, those individuals with MAP require long-term monitoring and psychiatric care.

Background: The ease of synthesis from inexpensive and readily available chemicals makes possible the wide spread of amphetamine dependence and abuse. Amphetamine use is of concern because it causes a variety of devastating health consequences, including physical and neurological disorders due to amphetamines, amphetamine-induced mental disorders, health consequences of amphetamine use and social consequences of amphetamine use., Objectives: To search and determine risks, benefits and costs of a variety treatments for amphetamine dependence or abuse., Search Strategy: Electronic searches of MEDLINE (1966 - December 2000), EMBASE (1980 - February 2001), CINAHL (1982 - January 2001) and Cochrane Controlled Trials Register (Cochrane Library 2000 issue 4) were undertaken. References to the articles obtained by any means were searched., Selection Criteria: All relevant randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and clinical controlled trials (CCTs) were included. Participants were people with amphetamine dependence or abuse, diagnosed by any set of criteria. Any kinds of biological and psychological treatment both alone and combined were examined. A variety of outcomes, for example, number of treatment responders, score changes, were considered., Data Collection and Analysis: Two reviewers evaluated and extracted the data independently. The dichotomous data were extracted on an intention-to-treat basis in which the dropouts were assigned as participants with the worst outcomes. The Relative Risk (RR) with the 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was used to assess the dichotomous data. The Weighted Mean Difference (WMD) with 95% CI was used to assessed the continuous data., Main Results: Fluoxetine, amlodipine, imipramine and desipramine have been investigated in four randomised-controlled trials. In comparison to placebo, short-term treatment of fluoxetine (40 mg/day) significantly decreased craving. In comparison to imipramine 10 mg/day, medium-term treatment of imipramine 150 mg/day significantly increased the duration of adherence to treatment. All four drugs had no benefits on a variety of outcomes, including amphetamine use., Reviewer's Conclusions: The evidence about the treatment for amphetamine dependence and abuse is very limited. It shows that fluoxetine, amlodipine, imipramine and desipramine have very limited benefits for amphetamine dependence and abuse. Fluoxetine may decrease craving in short-term treatment. Imipramine may increase duration of adherence to treatment in medium-term treatment. Apart from these, no other benefits, in particular proximal benefits, can be found. This limited evidence suggests that no treatment has been demonstrated to be effective for the treatment of amphetamine dependence and abuse. Although there is a large number of people with amphetamine dependence and abuse worldwide, very few controlled trials in this issue have been conducted. As the previous treatment trials show no promising result, other treatments, both biological and psychosocial, should be further investigated. However, the results of neurotoxic studies of amphetamines are also crucial for the study designs appropriate for further treatment studies for amphetamine dependence and abuse.

Background: Amphetamine withdrawal has been less studied although it is a common problem with a prevalent rate of 87% among amphetamine users. Its symptoms, in particular intense craving, may be a critical factor leading to relapse of amphetamine use. In clinical practice, treatment for cocaine withdrawal has been recommended for the management of amphetamine withdrawal although the pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties of these two substances are not the same., Objectives: To search and determine risks, benefits, and costs of a variety of treatments for the management of amphetamine withdrawal., Search Strategy: Electronic searches of MEDLINE (1966 - December 2000), EMBASE (1980 - February 2001), CINAHL (1982 - January 2001) and Cochrane Controlled Trials Register (Cochrane Library 2000 issue 4) were undertaken. References to the articles obtained by any means were searched., Selection Criteria: All relevant randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and controlled clinical trials (CCTs) were included. Participants were people with amphetamine withdrawal, diagnosed by any set of criteria. Any kinds of biological and psychological treatments both alone and combined were examined. A variety of outcomes, for example, number of treatment responders, score changes, were considered., Data Collection and Analysis: Two reviewers evaluated and extracted the data independently. The dichotomous data were extracted on an intention-to-treat basis in which the dropouts were assigned as participants with the worst outcomes. The Relative Risk (RR) with the 95% confidence interval (95% CI) was used to assess the dichotomous data. The Weighted Mean Difference (WMD) with 95% CI was used to assessed the continuous data., Main Results: The results of two studies have shown some benefits of amineptine in the treatment of amphetamine withdrawal. Those benefits can be seen in the respects of discontinuation rate and global state, as measured by Clinical Global Impression Scale. However, no direct benefit of amineptine on amphetamine withdrawal symptoms or craving was shown., Reviewer's Conclusions: The evidence about the treatment for amphetamine withdrawal is very limited. Amineptine has limited benefits on some amphetamine withdrawal symptoms. Due to a number of reports of amineptine abuse, it has been withdrawn from the market for a few years. At present, no available treatment has been demonstrated to be effective in the treatment of amphetamine withdrawal. The medications that should be considered for further treatment studies may be those with the propensities to increase dopamine, norepinephrine and/or serotonin activities of the brain. Naturalistic studies of amphetamine withdrawal symptoms and course are also crucial for the development of study designs appropriate for further treatment studies of amphetamine withdrawal.