Authors (including presenting author) :
Law HY(1), Wong KY(1), Fung MLE(1), Chan CYK(1), Lee PY(1), Chan F(2), Wong WT(3), Sheung WH(2), IP CK(3), Choi KW(4), Wong WY(2), Wong TY(2), Leung KY(1)
Affiliation :
(1)Occupational Therapy Department, Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital, (2)Department of Psychiatry, North District Hospital, (3)Department of Psychiatry, Tai Po Hospital, (4)Department of Psychiatry, Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital
Keyword 1: :
Substance use disorder
Keyword 2: :
Multidisciplinary
Keyword 3: :
Hospital-social collaboration
Keyword 4: :
Occupational functioning
Keyword 5: :
Community reintegration
Keyword 6: :
Dual Diagnosed
Introduction :
Substance Use Disorder (SUD) is characterized by pervasive occupational and psychosocial impairment, which undermines recovery and contributes to high relapse rates. To strengthen motivation and improve detoxification outcomes, Hospital-Social Multidisciplinary Collaboration Service (HSMC), supported by the Beat Drugs Fund, was established for individuals with dual diagnoses. With advice from medical officers, occupational therapists provide lifestyle redesign, metacognitive therapy, cognitive and vocational rehabilitation to rebuild daily functioning. Psychiatric nurses monitor mental state, treatment adherence, harm reduction, and relapse prevention. Social workers deliver family interventions, enhance motivation, and provide group programs targeting emotional regulation, interpersonal skills, and coping strategies. This multidisciplinary collaboration promotes holistic care for substance abusers from in-patient detoxification to community reintegration.
Objectives :
The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of this HSMC program in improving substance use behaviors, occupational functioning and psychological well-being.
Methodology :
A single-arm, pre-post intervention study was conducted. A cohort of 201 individuals with SUD under care by the Department of Psychiatry of New Territories East Cluster was recruited from 1 August 2022 to 31 July 2025, with 188 completers. Outcomes were measured pre- and post-intervention using the Contemplation Ladder, self-reported drug use frequency, Life Functioning Assessment Inventory (L-FAI), Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS), and the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 Items (DASS-21). Data were analyzed using Wilcoxon signed-rank tests.
Result & Outcome :
The average interval between pre- and post-assessment was 1-1.5 years. Readiness to change (Contemplation Ladder) increased in 98.4% of participants (Pre: 4.36, Post: 8.35, p< 0.001), and 88.8% of participants reported a significant reduction in drug use frequency (Pre: 127.93 days, Post: 18.59 days, p< 0.001). Occupational functioning in home-maker, worker, social and leisure aspects (L-FAI) improved in 73.9% of participants (Pre: 19.69, Post: 21.29, p< 0.001). Psychiatric symptoms (BPRS) reduced in 77.7% of participants (Pre: 24.41, Post: 19.20, p< 0.001), and psychological distress (DASS-21) decreased in 91.0% of participants (Pre: 30.29, Post: 7.05, p< 0.001). The results provide robust evidence that this closely collaborated multidisciplinary program is highly effective in improving the functional and psychological outcomes critical to SUD recovery.
