Symposia
Addictive Behaviors
Caroline Scherzer, B.S. (she/her/hers)
Graduate Student
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Julia D. Buckner, Ph.D. (she/her/hers)
Professor
Louisiana State University
Baton Rogue, Louisiana
Kathleen A. Crapanzano, M.D.
Psychiatrist
Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Paige E. Morris, B.A.
Clinical Psychology Doctoral Student
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Background: Opioid misuse is a significant public health concern, yet few people seek treatment for this condition. Hospitals may be one opportunity to identify those with opioid misuse and to teach them skills to help manage their opioid misuse upon discharge. Yet, patients often present at hospitals for reasons other than opioid misuse, suggesting that motivation to seek treatment for opioid misuse may be low. However, no known studies have examined whether patients with opioid misuse admitted to inpatient psychiatry units are motivated to change their misuse and, if so, whether they find motivation enhancement therapy combined with cognitive behavioral therapy (MET-CBT) for substance use disorder (SUD) helpful during inpatient psychiatry hospitalization.
Methods: We assessed the relationship between opioid misuse status and motivation to change substance use among 419 patients admitted to an inpatient psychiatric unit with an SUD who attended at least 1 group session of MET-CBT for SUD, of whom 86 (20.5%) evinced opioid misuse (62.5% male, Mage = 35.0 years, 57.7% non-Hispanic/Latin White).
Results: Opioid misuse was associated with greater importance (d = .12) and confidence (d = .13) to change substance use and with attending more MET-CBT sessions (d = .13). Patients with opioid misuse rated sessions as highly helpful, and these ratings did not differ from patients who used other substances.
Conclusion: Inpatient psychiatry hospitalizations may provide an opportunity to identify patients with opioid misuse and introduce these patients to MET-CBT to learn skills to manage opioid misuse upon discharge.