The objective of this study was to evaluate the extent of gabapentin misuse in a dually diagnosed correctional population, and to evaluate if this abuse is specific to the presence of an opioid use disorder (OUD). Two-hundred and fifty former inmates, living in a correctional community center, who were referred for a psychiatric evaluation, were asked, through a brief written questionnaire, whether or not they used the following drugs for non-medical use in the past: opiates, gabapentin, buproprion, quetiapine, and fluoxetine. The average age of this population was 37.2 ± 12.1 years (n = 250). Sixty-four percent were male, 72 % were white, 27 % were black, and 1 % was Hispanic. All patients had substance use disorders, the large majority (72 %) to more than one substance. Fifty-eight percent had an opioid use disorder, again mostly in combination with other drugs and/or alcohol. Depressive disorders and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder were the most common psychiatric conditions. Sixty-two percent of patients reported prescription drug misuse of any kind. As expected, a high percent (55 %) reported opiate misuse. No patient reported fluoxetine misuse. Sixteen percent reported having misused gabapentin in the past. Of patients with an opioid use disorder (OUD: n = 145), 26 % endorsed gabapentin abuse while only 4 % of patients without an OUD (n = 105) endorsed the non-medical use of gabapentin. This difference was highly statistically significant (Chi square χ = 21.6, p < 0.0001). A growing concern about gabapentin misuse was supported in this study: 26 percent of opiate addicted patients reported illegally obtaining, overusing, or malingering problems to obtain gabapentin. This study highlights the fact that gabapentin abuse appears specific to an opioid addicted population.

The DSM-5 Self-Rated Level 1 Cross-Cutting Symptom Measure was developed to aid clinicians with a dimensional assessment of psychopathology; however, this measure resembles a screening tool for several symptomatic domains. The objective of the current study was to examine the basic parameters of sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive power of the measure as a screening tool. One hundred and fifty patients in a correctional community center filled out the measure prior to a psychiatric evaluation, including the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview screen. The above parameters were calculated for the domains of depression, mania, anxiety, and psychosis. The results showed that the sensitivity and positive predictive power of the studied domains was poor because of a high rate of false positive answers on the measure. However, when the lowest threshold on the Cross-Cutting Symptom Measure was used, the sensitivity of the anxiety and psychosis domains and the negative predictive values for mania, anxiety and psychosis were good. In conclusion, while it is foreseeable that some clinicians may use the DSM-5 Self-Rated Level 1 Cross-Cutting Symptom Measure as a screening tool, it should not be relied on to identify positive findings. It functioned well in the negative prediction of mania, anxiety and psychosis symptoms.

Both atomoxetine and stimulants led to a modest increase in quality of life in this community clinic ADHD population.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the specificity and sensitivity of the RAFFT, a brief screening tool, in adult patients with substance use disorders (SUD) when presenting to a psychiatric emergency room. A total of 215 patients were evaluated with the RAFFT, the CAGE, the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview, and urine drug screens. The RAFFT performed well in adults with SUD and was not influenced by factors such as gender, race, socioeconomic status, or the co-existence of psychiatric disorders. In alcohol use disorders, the CAGE performed better than the RAFFT, due to the lower specificity (or more false positive answers) of the latter.

No abstract