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Factors Predicting Patient’s Allocation to Short- and Long-Term Therapeutic Community Treatments in the Italian VOECT Cohort Study

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Abstract

The Evaluation of Therapeutic Community Treatments and Outcomes (VOECT) study was conducted in 131 Italian Therapeutic Communities (TCs) in 2008/2009. All of the patients entering residential treatment for drug or alcohol dependence were invited to participate. Data regarding patient socio-demographic characteristics, drug and alcohol consumption, health and psychopathological status, prior treatments and outcomes, and their motivation score were collected upon enrolment onto the study. The aim of this work was to identify the factors associated with allocation to short- versus long-term programmes in drug or alcohol dependent patients entering TCs in Italy. Of the 2470 patients included in the analysis, 30.8% were allocated to short-term treatment and 69.2% to long-term treatment. Several factors were significantly associated with the allocation to short- and long-term treatments: unstable living conditions; entering the TC when not detoxified; a high Symptom Checklist-90 somatization score; prior cessation episodes; previous in-patient detoxification treatments; psychosocial treatments; entering the TC by oneself; and a low motivation score.

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Acknowledgements

The study would have not been possible without the collaboration of the patients and of the staff at the Therapeutic Communities.

Author Contributions

PPP, ET, FV-T, UK, RD, AS, LA, JG, MD and FF designed the study. PPP, FM, FV-T, RD, ET, UK, GP, AC and JG created the study instruments. AC, JG, GP, ET and FM coordinated the data collection. FV-T, FM, PPP and RD designed the strategy of analysis for this paper. FM analysed the data. FV-T and PPP drafted the paper. All of the authors contributed to the revision of the paper and approved the final version.

Funding

VOECT is a project funded by the National Ministry of Health (Ricerca Sanitaria Finalizzata 2006 Grant No. RF-SAR-2006-341958). Additional funding was provided by Regione Piemonte (201-30/11/2007).

The VOECT Study Group

Pier Paolo Pani, Emanuela Trogu, Rosangela Vacca (ASL Cagliari, Italy), Ilario Carta (General Directorate of Health and Welfare, Sardinia Region, Italy), Federica Vigna-Taglianti, Federica Mathis, Roberto Diecidue, Barbara Zunino, Fabrizio Faggiano (Piedmont Centre for Drug Addiction Epidemiology, ASLTO3, Grugliasco, Torino, Italy); Ursula Kirchmayer, Marina Davoli M, Giovanna Piras, Laura Amato (Department of Epidemiology, Lazio Regional Health Service, Rome, Italy), Joli Ghibaudi, Teresa Marzocchi, Antonella Camposeragna, (Coordinating Centre of Italian Residential Communities–CNCA, Rome, Italy); Alessio Saponaro, Mila Ferri (General Directorate of Health and Social Policies, Emilia-Romagna Region, Bologna, Italy).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Piedmont Centre for Drug Addiction Epidemiology, ASLTO3, Via Sabaudia 164, 10095, Grugliasco, TO, Italy

    F. Vigna-Taglianti, F. Mathis, R. Diecidue & F. Faggiano

  2. Department of Clinical and Biological Sciences, University of Torino, Regione Gonzole 10, 10043, Orbassano, TO, Italy

    F. Vigna-Taglianti

  3. Department of Psychiatry, ASL Cagliari, SPDC2 PO SS Trinità, Via Is Mirrionis 92, 09121, Cagliari, Italy

    E. Trogu

  4. Department of Epidemiology, Lazio Regional Health Service, Via di Santa Costanza 53, 00198, Rome, Italy

    U. Kirchmayer, G. Piras, L. Amato & M. Davoli

  5. Coordinating Centre of Italian Residential Communities (CNCA), Via di Santa Maria Maggiore, 148, 00184, Rome, Italy

    J. Ghibaudi & A. Camposeragna

  6. General Directorate of Health and Social Policies, Emilia-Romagna Region, Viale Aldo Moro 21, 40127, Bologna, Italy

    A. Saponaro

  7. Department of Translational Medicine, Avogadro University, Via Solaroli 17, 28100, Novara, Italy

    F. Faggiano

  8. Social and Health Services, ASL Cagliari, c/o Cittadella della Salute, Via Romagna 16, 09128, Cagliari, Italy

    P. P. Pani

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  1. F. Vigna-Taglianti
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  2. F. Mathis
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  3. R. Diecidue
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  4. E. Trogu
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  5. U. Kirchmayer
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  6. J. Ghibaudi
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  7. G. Piras
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  8. A. Camposeragna
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  9. A. Saponaro
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  10. L. Amato
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  11. M. Davoli
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  13. P. P. Pani
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Consortia

VOECT Study Group

  • Pier Paolo Pani
  • , Emanuela Trogu
  • , Rosangela Vacca
  • , Ilario Carta
  • , Federica Vigna-Taglianti
  • , Federica Mathis
  • , Roberto Diecidue
  • , Barbara Zunino
  • , Fabrizio Faggiano
  • , Ursula Kirchmayer
  • , M. Marina Davoli
  • , Giovanna Piras
  • , Laura Amato
  • , Teresa Marzocchi
  • , Antonella Camposeragna
  • , Alessio Saponaro
  •  & Mila Ferri

Corresponding author

Correspondence to F. Vigna-Taglianti.

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Conflict of interest

All authors declare to have no conflict of interest. All authors certify their responsibility for the present manuscript.

Ethical Approval

In accordance with the Ethical Principle of the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki, full confidentiality was obtained and anonymity was assured by assigning each patient an anonymous code. Information on the study and the contents of the forms to be completed were reviewed with the participants before the interviews.

Informed Consent

All participants signed a written, informed consent form and were informed that they could withdraw from the study at any time without any ensuing consequences.

IRB Statement

The study was not reported to an Ethical Committee as it is not required in Italy for observational studies.

Additional information

Collaborators of the VOECT Study Group are listed in “Acknowledgment”.

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Vigna-Taglianti, F., Mathis, F., Diecidue, R. et al. Factors Predicting Patient’s Allocation to Short- and Long-Term Therapeutic Community Treatments in the Italian VOECT Cohort Study. Community Ment Health J 53, 972–983 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-017-0105-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10597-017-0105-z

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