Bente Weimand

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Verified

Bente verified their affiliation via an institutional email.

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• Doctor of Philosophy
• Professor (Full) at Akershus universitetssykehus

Background. Disrupted reward processing is a core component in neurobiological theories of addictions, including opioid use disorder (OUD). While acute opioid agonist and antagonist administration can modulate reward behavior and experiences, it remains unclear how typical long-term OUD treatment with these medications impact patients’ sensitivity...

Purpose To examine whether reported pain intensity over time is related to the single nucleotide polymorphisms of the catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT rs4680) and mu-opioid receptor (OPRM1 rs1799971) in patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) choosing treatment with extended-release naltrexone (XR-NTX) or opioid agonist treatment (OAT). Patients...

Background. Disrupted reward processing is a core component in neurobiological theories of addictions, including opioid use disorder (OUD). While acute opioid agonist and antagonist administration can modulate reward behavior and experiences, it remains unclear how typical long-term OUD treatment with these medications impact patients’ sensitivity...

Introduction: The treatment efficacy of extended-release naltrexone (XR-NTX) for opioid use disorder (OUD) has been demonstrated in several studies, but not in naturalistic settings where opioid agonist treatment (OAT) is freely accessible. This study aimed to examine the different treatment outcomes of XR-NTX in a setting where the participants f...

Introduction This paper describes the process of implementing a family focused model, The Family Model, in child and adolescent and adult mental health services in Sweden. Additionally, it describes a service development project carried out in both services within a defined geographical area of Region Stockholm. The Family Model is a communication...

Not only people suffering from severe mental illness (SMI) but also their family members experience stigma. Relatives are met with negative attitudes from healthcare professionals, which adds to the problem. This Swedish study employed a qualitative inductive explorative design in the analysis of written free-text responses from 65 persons who comp...

Background and aims: Recovery from substance use disorders (SUD) has traditionally been equated with abstinence. "Personal recovery" however emphasizes recovery as a unique and personal process, supported by changes in connectedness, hope, identity, meaning and empowerment. This study aimed to examine personal recovery in people receiving extended...

Background: Opioid dependency is a risk factor for several negative life events and conditions. The opioid receptor inhibitor extended-release naltrexone (XR-NTX) is safe and effective in reducing illicit substance use. Here, we report results of a naturalistic, multicentre, open-label trial of XR-NTX for 24 weeks, with an optional 28-week treatmen...

Background In 2010, changes were made to the Norwegian Health Personnel Act. This led to all health personnel being obliged to support the patients’ children and families. The aims of this study were to investigate whether health personnel contacted or referred the patients’ children to family/friends or public services. We also investigated if the...

Introduction Family interventions constitute effective treatment for persons with psychotic disorders. However, the active ingredients and beneficial processes of these interventions are insufficiently examined, and qualitative explorations of patients` experiences are lacking. This study was nested in a cluster randomised trial that implemented na...

Background The user and carer movements have come a long way in becoming embedded in mainstream mental health services for individuals with serious mental illness. However, implementing recovery-oriented practice continues to be plagued by an individualistic clinical focus. The carers do not feel integrated despite policies and best intentions. The...

Family involvement is part of the evidence-based treatment for persons with psychotic disorders, yet is under-implemented despite guideline recommendations. This study assessed whether an implementation support programme increased the adherence to guidelines on family involvement, compared to guideline/manual only. In a cluster randomised design, c...

Background Despite evidence on the significant potential value of family involvement during the treatment of patients with severe mental illness, research has shown that family involvement is largely underused. The duty of confidentiality is reported to be a key barrier to family involvement. To develop more insight into this barrier, this scoping...

Background Family involvement during severe mental illness is still poorly implemented, contrary to evidence-based recommendations. Confidentiality issues are among the most prominent barriers, with mental health professionals facing complex ethical, legal, and practical challenges. However, research focusing on this barrier is very sparse. Nested...

Government policies recommend, and all stakeholders benefit, when mental health services meaningfully engage with carers and family. However, health service engagement with carers is inadequate, and often non-existent with children whose parents are service users. There are seven fundamental ways that carers and families want to be integrated with...

Background The opioid antagonist extended-release naltrexone (XR-NTX) in the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD) is effective in terms of safety, abstinence from opioid use and retention in treatment. However, it is unclear how patients experience and adjust to losing the possibility of achieving an opioid effect. This qualitative study is the f...

Background In 2010 the Norwegian Parliament introduced amendments to the Health Personnel Act requiring all health personnel to inform and offer help to their patients’ children and families. We evaluated whether health personnel adhered to their obligations outlined in the Act and investigated whether family and health services characteristics wer...

Background The uptake of family involvement in health care services for patients with psychotic disorders is poor, despite a clear evidence base, socio-economic and moral justifications, policy, and guideline recommendations. To respond to this knowledge-practice gap, we established the cluster randomised controlled trial: Implementation of guideli...

Previous studies have indicated elevated levels of impulsivity, hyperactivity, and inattention (IHI) among opioid-dependent patients seeking outpatient treatment with extended-release naltrexone (XR-NTX). This led us to hypothesize that IHI may be associated with a higher discon-tinuation rate for XR-NTX treatment. In a group of 162 patients with o...

Abstract Background: Family involvement for persons with psychotic disorders is under-implemented in mental health care, despite its firm scientific, economic, legal and moral basis. This appears to be the case in Norway, despite the presence of national guidelines providing both general recommendations on family involvement and support in the heal...

Substance misuse can have a negative impact on parenting. For children, having a parent who misuses substances can lead to physical, mental health and social challenges. Parents who use methamphetamine are less likely to have co-resident children than parents who use other substances so it is important to consider how we support these parents, part...

Background Crisis resolution team (CRT) care in adult mental health services is intended to provide accessible and flexible short-term, intensive crisis intervention to service users experiencing a mental health crisis and involve their carers (next of kin). Research on users’ and especially carers’ experiences with CRT care is scarce and is mostly...

This perspective article defines and discusses the concept of the “village” when working with families who are experiencing multiple adversities. The article starts with a discussion on what is meant generally by a village approach, followed by a historical overview of how families living in adversity have been defined and positioned. The need to m...

Background Translating evidence-based practice to routine care is known to take significant time and effort. While many evidenced-based family-focused practices have been developed and piloted in the last 30 years, there is little evidence of sustained practice in Adult Mental Health Services. Moreover, many barriers have been identified at both th...

Purpose Support from family and other social network elements can be important in helping patients to cope with practical and emotional consequences of diseases. The aim of the study was to examine perception of family and social support and quality of life (QoL) in patients undergoing treatment for substance use disorders (SUDs). We compared them...

Background Extended-release naltrexone (XR-NTX), an opioid antagonist, has demonstrated equal treatment outcomes, in terms of safety, opioid use, and retention, to the recommended OMT medication buprenorphine. However, premature discontinuation of XR-NTX treatment is still common and poorly understood. Research on patient experiences of XR-NTX trea...

Background Substantial and important benefits flow to all stakeholders, including the service user, when mental health services meaningfully engage with carers and family members. Government policies around the world clearly supports inclusiveness however health service engagement with family and carers remains sporadic, possibly because how best t...

The level of impulsivity, hyperactivity, and inattention (IHI) is higher among patients with substance use disorder (SUD) than in the general population. However, the prevalence of such symptoms in patients seeking treatment with an opioid antagonist, such as extended-release naltrexone (XR-NTX), is unknown. We screened 162 patients with opioid use...

Children whose parents have mental illnesses are among the most vulnerable in our communities. There is however, much that can be done to prevent or mitigate the impact of a parent’s illness on children. Notwithstanding the availability of several evidence‐based interventions, efforts to support these children have been limited by a lack of adequat...

The aim of this exploratory cross-sectional study was to investigate the experiences of relatives of individuals with severe mental illness with and without participation in patient-appointed Resource Group Assertive Community Treatment (RACT). A total of 139 relatives (79 with and 60 without RACT) completed the Family Involvement and Alienation Qu...

Although the Capability Approach (CA) has been applied in research about children, the extent of this is unclear. Developing knowledge about the CA applied to childhood is important to facilitate support that may benefit children’s well-being. To identify and synthesise the literature on this topic, we used a scoping review methodology with the gui...

Opioid-dependence is a comprehensive, relapsing disorder with negative individual, - family, - and societal consequences. Recovery is difficult to achieve. Research has shown reduced substance use and improved health- and psychosocial factors with extended-release naltrexone (XR-NTX) treatment. Pharmacological treatment should include psychosocial...

Background A considerable body of research has explored implications of severe parental illness on children. However, less is known about what children and adolescents with a severely ill parent experience as the most challenging. Aims To describe what children with a severely ill parent experience as their most difficult challenge. Methods A qua...

Background: Family involvement for persons with psychotic disorders is under-implemented in mental health care, despite its firm scientific, economic, legal and moral basis. This appears to be the case in Norway, despite the presence of national guidelines providing both general recommendations on family involvement and support in the health- and...

Background Coercion can cause harm to both the patient and the patient’s family. Few studies have examined how the coercive treatment of a close relative might affect young next-of-kin. Research questions We aimed to investigate the views and experiences of health professionals being responsible for supporting young next-of-kin to patients in ment...

Background: While effective interventions have been developed to support families where a parent has a mental illness in Adult Mental Health Services, embedding and sustaining them is challenging resulting in families not having access to support. This study developed an explanatory model of influencers that had enabled sustainability of the Let's...

Sustainability is a desired outcome of implementation. Understanding how organizations support new practices after implementation is important for sustainability. Let’s Talk about Children (hereby referred to as ‘Let’s Talk’), a family‐focused intervention with parents with a mental illness, improves family, parent, and child outcomes. Little is un...

Background Relatives often provide extensive support to their next of kin suffering from psychotic disorders. However, they often experience lack of support from psychiatric services. While cooperation with relatives is a central component in Resource Group Assertive Community Treatment (RACT), little is known about relatives’ experiences of RACT....

Background There have been inconsistent findings from studies examining factors associated with quality of life (QoL) for children affected by parental illness. Aim The aim of this study was to explore factors associated with self‐reported QoL in children affected by parental illness or parental substance abuse. Design A cross‐sectional multicent...

Family‐focused interventions can improve outcomes for families where a parent has a mental illness. One such intervention, Let’s Talk about Children (Let’s Talk), is a series of parent–practitioner conversations in adult mental health with demonstrated improved outcomes for child, parent, and family well‐being. This study used a questionnaire to un...

Living with a partner with substance abuse problems may induce strains in an individual’s everyday life, including poor health, disrupted family life, and social isolation; this may lead to dropping out of education or work, a lack of safety and support, and facing various dilemmas and stigma. Aim The purpose of this study was to explore these par...

Introduction: Different stakeholder's perspectives are needed to understand challenges and opportunities in implementing and sustaining evidence-based practices (EBP) in real-world settings. Aim/ question: To identify leadership perspectives on key elements influencing the process of implementation of Let's Talk about Children (Let's Talk), a fa...

Substance‐related disorders can adversely impact quality of life. This study assessed a 12 step program on health‐related quality of life for Iranian individuals seeking to recover from substance use. The study used a quasi‐experimental, two group, three stage, pre‐ and post‐test design and collected data at baseline, and at 1 and 3 months’ post‐in...

Background: Health professionals in Norway are required by law to help safeguard information and follow-up with children of parents with mental or physical illness, or who have substance abuse problems, to reduce their higher risk of psychosocial problems. Knowledge is lacking regarding whether organisation and/or worker-related factors can explai...

This study explores how partners of persons with gambling problems experience the family's everyday life, focusing on family relations and parenting. Problem gambling creates a serious impact on household finances, social life and health, emotional and relational issues. Between 6 and 10 persons are directly affected by a person's gambling problems...

Background: A strong connection exists between parental mental illness and lifetime mental health risk for their children. Thus, it is important to determine, when parents attend for treatment for their illness, the prevalence and characteristics of parents with a mental illness and identify referral actions for their children. Previous studies ind...

Background Young next of kin to patients with mental health problems are faced with many challenges. It is important to focus on the special needs of children and adolescents as next of kin to ensure their welfare and prevent harm. Research questions We aimed to investigate young next of kin’s need for information and involvement, to examine the w...

Objective To examine the existing body of knowledge on quality of life (QoL) in partners of people with substance use problems (PP-SUPs) to provide a synthesized summary of the evidence and identify gaps in our knowledge on the QoL of PP-SUPs. Methods A systematic scoping review was performed. Publications indexed in EMBASE, Medline, PsycINFO, CIN...

Quantitative studies of children’s caring activities during parental illness have increased in the past 10 years. However, the various outcomes for these children have been investigated less frequently. In the present study, we investigate whether the children have different outcomes when the parent has a severe physical illness, mental illness, or...

This paper provides a framework for essential family‐focused practices (EASE: Engage, Assess, Support, Educate) for clinicians to support parents with mental illness in the context of their family. The framework is underpinned by relational recovery as the parent/consumer's recovery is considered within the context of their relationships, including...

International research shows that relatives of people with mental illness are rarely involved by mental health services. Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) has been recently implemented in Norway. The experience of relatives of ACT users is largely unknown. The aim of this study was to explore relatives’ experience with ACT-teams in Norway. Data w...

Background Relatives often take on great responsibility for helping the patient in his or her daily life, and many relatives experience lack of support from health care services. Cooperation with relatives is a central component in Resource groups Assertive Community Treatment (R-ACT). This person-centered model has been found to decrease symptoms,...

Evaluation of a project with three pilot projects, and Proposal for a national model for the interaction of better health care in child care institutions from mental health care for children and adolescents

We discuss Norwegian service users' experiences with community mental health treatment in general, and the interprofessional Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) model in particular. To gain the right to treatment, service users have to accept certain limitations, such as medication and community treatment orders (CTOs). Seventy participants respond...

Children as next of kin - results from a multicenter study, Report for The Directorate of Health Norway

Rationale: Previous studies have shown that children may take on higher extents of caring activities if their parents are affected by severe illness or disability, especially when their parents lack access to formal and informal care. Aims and objectives: This study examined the extent and nature of caring activities done by patients' children;...

Background This study explores (1) differences in socio-demographic, social/familial, and health variables and perceived quality of life (QoL) among partners of patients with somatic illness, mental illness, or substance use disorder (SUD); and (2) identifies factors associated with QoL. Methods Participants (N = 213) in this cross-sectional study...

I T.Ruud., & A. Landheim. Utprøving av ACT-team i Norge: Hva viser resultatene? Nasjonal kompetansetjeneste for samtidig rusmisbruk og psykisk lidelse, Sykehuset Innlandet HF.

Relatives of persons with severe mental illness face a straining life situation and need support. Exclusion of relatives in mental health care has long been reported. The aim of this study was to describe conceptions of nurses in mental health care about supporting relatives of persons with severe mental illness. Focus group interviews with nurses...

Background: Supportive environments contribute to the mental health of individuals, local and global communities. Ways of thinking “critically” about what we know and ways of accomplishing mental health promotion work have a more contested history however. A critical perspective demands subjective awareness, and an openness to view the world from m...

Aim: The overall aim of this thesis was to illuminate experiences of relatives of persons with severe mental illness, and their need for support from formal care. Furthermore, to illuminate nursing support of relatives of persons with severe mental illness. Methods: A mixed methods design was used. In study I, data was collected with a questionnai...

Scand J Caring Sci; 2013; 27; 99–107 Life-sharing experiences of relatives of persons with severe mental illness – a phenomenographic study Relatives of those suffering from severe mental illness experience multiple challenges and a complex life situation. The aim of this study was to describe life-sharing experiences from the perspective of rela...

Relatives of persons with severe mental illness experience burden and straining changes in their lives that put their health at risk. Consequently, they need support from health professionals. The aim of this study was to describe experiences from encounters with mental health services as seen from the point of view of relatives of persons with sev...

This study describes and investigates burden to and health of relatives of persons with severe mental illness in relation to background variables, everyday life with the mentally ill person, and sense of coherence. A cross-sectional design was used. The respondents were 226 relatives from the Norwegian National Association for Families of Mentally...