306135
Will a needle help me quit? Auricular acupuncture's correlation with inpatient treatment completion in women receiving substance abuse treatment
METHODS: A retrospective chart review identified nearly 300 female patients receiving inpatient substance abuse treatment at an urban treatment facility. Electronic and paper records were abstracted to capture psychiatric diagnoses, substances used, suggested and actual length of stay, comorbidities, and auricular acupuncture use. An active auricular acupuncture client attended at least three sessions during their inpatient stay. Log-binomial modeling was used to estimate relative risk.
RESULTS: Active auricular acupuncture clients did not differ from the study population by age (μ=37.6 years), race (White=53%) or education attained (high school/equivalent=58.8%). Almost 80% participated in auricular acupuncture at least once during the 10-month study period. Of those that participated, only 57.8% were active participants (representing 42.4% of the total sample). Treatment completion was 70.7% for the sample. Women who actively participated in auricular acupuncture had a significantly better SA treatment completion (93.9%) compared to women who did not actively participate (54.1%) [Χ2 (1, N=276)=51.44, p< .0001]. Controlling for age, race and co-occurring disorders, women who actively participated in auricular acupuncture still maintained a significantly improved treatment outcome compared to non-active participants (RR=1.74, 95%CI: 1.49-2.02)
DISCUSSION: Alternative therapies improve treatment outcomes when combined with traditional treatments. Auricular acupuncture improved inpatient SA treatment completion and health behaviors. SA treatment success is a critical part of long-term abstinence. This therapy offers a promising benefit to traditional therapies in improving treatment outcomes in women.
Learning Areas:
Public health or related researchLearning Objectives:
Describe the patient more likely to actively participate in auricular acupuncture.
Evaluate the association of complimentary auricular acupuncture on inpatient completion by demographic factors as predictors of participation.
Keyword(s): Drug Abuse Treatment, Alternative and Complementary Health
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been working towards my public health degree for past two years focusing on epidemiology. During this time, I've gained a theoretical understanding of the subject matter as well as a practical one through hands on experience. My scientific interests include the improvement of treatment completion for inpatient drug users, and evaluation of both traditional and alternative treatment programs.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.