T
TuaBui
Guest
SINGAPORE: The National Addictions Management Service (NAMS) is roping in primary care physicians to help detect early and treat addictions.
It has rolled out two new initiatives to PCPs like general practitioners and family physicians to detect, provide brief intervention and refer people with addiction problems for further help.
The first initiative is a toolkit for PCPs to identify and provide advice to patients who may have symptoms of alcohol use disorders and gambling addiction.
The toolkit, in the form of an information brochure, uses a simple three-step approach.
It lists the warning signs of possible alcohol use disorders and gambling addiction, guides PCPs to use a simple screening tool for the addiction and shows them how they can advise and assist their patient, based on the results of the screening.
Associate Professor Wong Kim Eng, Clinical Director of NAMS, said: "Early intervention is important in recovering from an addiction. Often, addicts are reluctant to seek help from a mental health facility, or do so only at a very late stage when the addiction has become rather severe. PCPs are well-placed to pick up cases of alcohol use disorders and gambling addiction and refer their patients to NAMS or other treatment agencies, if there is a need."
The Singapore Mental Health Study (SMHS) has found that a small percentage of Singaporeans develop alcohol problems, with a lifetime prevalence of 3.1 per cent for alcohol abuse and 0.5 per cent for alcohol dependence in the overall population which is 18 years and above.
But 96.2 per cent of those affected do not seek help.
As for gambling, the proportion of respondents classified as probable pathological gamblers is 1.4 per cent.
The less severe category of probable problem gamblers was at 1.2 per cent.
"Although the nationwide rates of these two problems may seem small, they are worth tackling at this stage. We wanted to raise greater awareness of these two types of addictions among PCPs, particularly since the warning signs of these addictions tend to be subtle at the early stage. We hope to engage them to be the ears and eyes on the ground, in a combined effort to reach out to more people with addictions, and extend the network of care," said Prof Wong.
The toolkit will be mailed out to PCPs island-wide by October.
The second initiative is to hold periodic training sessions for medical doctors on various addictions and how to refer those affected for help.
PCPs who attend these sessions are awarded Continuing Medical Education points by the Singapore Medical Council.
The first session, which was on alcohol use disorders, was held on 6 September.
Over the last four years from FY07 to FY11, NAMS has treated about 5,400 new outpatients.
The top three addictions treated were for drug abuse, alcohol abuse and gambling addiction.
- CNA/de
It has rolled out two new initiatives to PCPs like general practitioners and family physicians to detect, provide brief intervention and refer people with addiction problems for further help.
The first initiative is a toolkit for PCPs to identify and provide advice to patients who may have symptoms of alcohol use disorders and gambling addiction.
The toolkit, in the form of an information brochure, uses a simple three-step approach.
It lists the warning signs of possible alcohol use disorders and gambling addiction, guides PCPs to use a simple screening tool for the addiction and shows them how they can advise and assist their patient, based on the results of the screening.
Associate Professor Wong Kim Eng, Clinical Director of NAMS, said: "Early intervention is important in recovering from an addiction. Often, addicts are reluctant to seek help from a mental health facility, or do so only at a very late stage when the addiction has become rather severe. PCPs are well-placed to pick up cases of alcohol use disorders and gambling addiction and refer their patients to NAMS or other treatment agencies, if there is a need."
The Singapore Mental Health Study (SMHS) has found that a small percentage of Singaporeans develop alcohol problems, with a lifetime prevalence of 3.1 per cent for alcohol abuse and 0.5 per cent for alcohol dependence in the overall population which is 18 years and above.
But 96.2 per cent of those affected do not seek help.
As for gambling, the proportion of respondents classified as probable pathological gamblers is 1.4 per cent.
The less severe category of probable problem gamblers was at 1.2 per cent.
"Although the nationwide rates of these two problems may seem small, they are worth tackling at this stage. We wanted to raise greater awareness of these two types of addictions among PCPs, particularly since the warning signs of these addictions tend to be subtle at the early stage. We hope to engage them to be the ears and eyes on the ground, in a combined effort to reach out to more people with addictions, and extend the network of care," said Prof Wong.
The toolkit will be mailed out to PCPs island-wide by October.
The second initiative is to hold periodic training sessions for medical doctors on various addictions and how to refer those affected for help.
PCPs who attend these sessions are awarded Continuing Medical Education points by the Singapore Medical Council.
The first session, which was on alcohol use disorders, was held on 6 September.
Over the last four years from FY07 to FY11, NAMS has treated about 5,400 new outpatients.
The top three addictions treated were for drug abuse, alcohol abuse and gambling addiction.
- CNA/de
