Three Months of Text4Hope-Addiction Support Program mitigates substance craving and improves mental health.
Introduction Problematic substance use is rising, and other mental health conditions like anxiety and depression correlate with substance abuse. Diverse interventions to reduce this effect are emerging. Supportive text messages offer the prospect of improving symptoms of drug misuse and other assoc...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Cambridge University Press
2023-03-01
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| Series: | European Psychiatry |
| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933823003978/type/journal_article |
| _version_ | 1797616706940567552 |
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| author | G. Obuobi-Donkor R. Shalaby W. Vuong B. Agyapong A. Gusnowski S. Surood V. I. O. Agyapong |
| author_facet | G. Obuobi-Donkor R. Shalaby W. Vuong B. Agyapong A. Gusnowski S. Surood V. I. O. Agyapong |
| author_sort | G. Obuobi-Donkor |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Introduction
Problematic substance use is rising, and other mental health conditions like anxiety and depression correlate with substance abuse. Diverse interventions to reduce this effect are emerging. Supportive text messages offer the prospect of improving symptoms of drug misuse and other associated comorbidities.
Objectives
The study aims to evaluate the impact of the Text4Hope-Addiction program in mitigating craving, anxiety, and depression symptoms in subscribers.
Methods
Individuals self-subscribe to Text4Hope Addiction program by texting “Open2Change” to 393939 to receive daily addiction-related text messages for three months. Subscribers are invited via text message to complete online questionnaires which assess cravings, anxiety, and depressive symptoms using the Brief Substance Craving Scale, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 Scale, and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 on subscription (baseline), six weeks and three months. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25 with descriptive and inferential statistics. Satisfaction responses were used to assess various aspects of the Text4Hope- Addiction program.
Results
There was a significant difference in the mean baseline and three-month BSCS scores ( -2.17, 95% CI of -0.62 to -3.72), PHQ-9 scores (-5.08, 95% CI of -1.65 to -8.51), and the GAD-7 scores (-2.93, 95% CI of -0.48 to -5.56). Participants agreed that the supportive text messages helped them cope with addiction-related stress (89%), anxiety (81%) and depression (69%).
Conclusions
The Text4Hope-Addiction program effectively reduced cravings, anxiety, and depression among subscribers, with high satisfaction rates for the program. Healthcare practitioners and policymakers should consider implementing supportive text-based strategies to complement conventional treatments for addiction.
Disclosure of Interest
None Declared |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T07:45:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-438764a09e31443d89a586a9fa23f889 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0924-9338 1778-3585 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T07:45:06Z |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | European Psychiatry |
| spelling | doaj.art-438764a09e31443d89a586a9fa23f8892023-11-17T05:07:50ZengCambridge University PressEuropean Psychiatry0924-93381778-35852023-03-0166S162S16310.1192/j.eurpsy.2023.397Three Months of Text4Hope-Addiction Support Program mitigates substance craving and improves mental health.G. Obuobi-Donkor0R. Shalaby1W. Vuong2B. Agyapong3A. Gusnowski4S. Surood5V. I. O. Agyapong61Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Halifax2Psychiatry, University of Alberta3Psychiatry, Alberta Health Services, Edmonton, Canada2Psychiatry, University of Alberta3Psychiatry, Alberta Health Services, Edmonton, Canada3Psychiatry, Alberta Health Services, Edmonton, Canada1Psychiatry, Dalhousie University, Halifax Introduction Problematic substance use is rising, and other mental health conditions like anxiety and depression correlate with substance abuse. Diverse interventions to reduce this effect are emerging. Supportive text messages offer the prospect of improving symptoms of drug misuse and other associated comorbidities. Objectives The study aims to evaluate the impact of the Text4Hope-Addiction program in mitigating craving, anxiety, and depression symptoms in subscribers. Methods Individuals self-subscribe to Text4Hope Addiction program by texting “Open2Change” to 393939 to receive daily addiction-related text messages for three months. Subscribers are invited via text message to complete online questionnaires which assess cravings, anxiety, and depressive symptoms using the Brief Substance Craving Scale, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 Scale, and Patient Health Questionnaire-9 on subscription (baseline), six weeks and three months. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 25 with descriptive and inferential statistics. Satisfaction responses were used to assess various aspects of the Text4Hope- Addiction program. Results There was a significant difference in the mean baseline and three-month BSCS scores ( -2.17, 95% CI of -0.62 to -3.72), PHQ-9 scores (-5.08, 95% CI of -1.65 to -8.51), and the GAD-7 scores (-2.93, 95% CI of -0.48 to -5.56). Participants agreed that the supportive text messages helped them cope with addiction-related stress (89%), anxiety (81%) and depression (69%). Conclusions The Text4Hope-Addiction program effectively reduced cravings, anxiety, and depression among subscribers, with high satisfaction rates for the program. Healthcare practitioners and policymakers should consider implementing supportive text-based strategies to complement conventional treatments for addiction. Disclosure of Interest None Declaredhttps://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933823003978/type/journal_article |
| spellingShingle | G. Obuobi-Donkor R. Shalaby W. Vuong B. Agyapong A. Gusnowski S. Surood V. I. O. Agyapong Three Months of Text4Hope-Addiction Support Program mitigates substance craving and improves mental health. European Psychiatry |
| title | Three Months of Text4Hope-Addiction Support Program mitigates substance craving and improves mental health. |
| title_full | Three Months of Text4Hope-Addiction Support Program mitigates substance craving and improves mental health. |
| title_fullStr | Three Months of Text4Hope-Addiction Support Program mitigates substance craving and improves mental health. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Three Months of Text4Hope-Addiction Support Program mitigates substance craving and improves mental health. |
| title_short | Three Months of Text4Hope-Addiction Support Program mitigates substance craving and improves mental health. |
| title_sort | three months of text4hope addiction support program mitigates substance craving and improves mental health |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0924933823003978/type/journal_article |
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