Purpose: To investigate the ability of case managers, working in ambulatory treatment settings specialized in addiction care, to clinically judge demoralization in substance-dependent patients.
Design and methods: In a cross-sectional study, clinical judgments of case managers were compared with the patients' scores on the Demoralization Scale, by calculating the sensitivity and specificity scores.
Findings: Case managers identified demoralization in 85% of the cases (sensitivity), the specificity of 62% suggests that demoralization was overestimated by case managers.
Practice implications: Demoralization is a frequently occurring phenomenon in patients. Methods should be developed that allow professionals and patients to identify demoralization collaboratively, and to develop tailored interventions to prevent demoralization and its negative consequences.
Keywords: Flexible Assertive Community Treatment; Substance Use Disorders (SUD); case manager; clinical judgement; demoralization.
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