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Many people with dual diagnosis present with social complexity that impedes service access. The role of social work support in such service navigation is poorly understood. This study aims to characterise client presentations to an Australian telephone-based social work alcohol and other drug (AOD) service navigation and linkage program, with consideration of presentation complexity compared between those clients who present with or without self-reported mental health (MH) concerns and a history of MH diagnoses, to identify differences in baseline characteristics, and linkage outcomes.

A retrospective audit was conducted of routinely collected clinical information from a six-month period, selected to capture the social and health challenges experienced during the mid-pandemic period (mid-2021) in Victoria, Australia, during which a number of lockdowns resulted in a reliance on telephone-based services. The audit focused on client and presentation characteristics, and compared clients with and without a history of co-occurring MH and AOD concerns.

It was found that three in four people accessing an Australian telephone-based AOD service navigation and linkage program presented with dual diagnosis. Individuals with dual diagnosis required more support from the service compared to those without a co-occurring MH disorder; but overall, were just as likely to achieve a successful linkage to services, when offered holistic, long-term social work support.

This study focused on the role of social workers in this service navigation program in supporting individuals with complexity. It also highlights the challenges in operationalising social complexity factors alongside clinical MH and AOD diagnoses, and points to the need for further research to guide future service development for this vulnerable client group.

3-MCPD (3-monochloropropane-1,2-diol) and glycidyl esters (GE) are process contaminants generated during thermal processing, associated with adverse health effects, including carcinogenicity and genotoxicity. This study aims to investigate the impact of the use of artificial [butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA)] and natural (nettle and olive leaf) antioxidants in palm olein oil during deep-fat frying on the levels of 3-Monochloropropan-1,2-diol (3-MCPD) and GE in French fries samples.

Artificial antioxidants BHT and BHA, along with natural antioxidants from nettle (Urtica dioica L.) and olive leaf (Olea europaea L. folium) extracts, were incorporated into palm olein oil during deep frying. Frying was conducted repeatedly over a period of three days. The 3-MCPD and GE contents of the oils collected from the French fries during the frying process were quantified using the AOCS analytical method.

The finding indicated that the levels of 3-MCPD and GE in the french fry samples from groups with both artificial and natural antioxidants were reduced compared to the control group (p < 0.001, p < 0.001; respectively). Upon examination of all data, Nettle extract exhibited the highest level of 3-MCPD ester (1.66 ± 0.01 ppm); whereas the BHT+BHA group demonstrated the lowest level (0.52 ± 0.01 ppm). The analysis of GE levels revealed a maximum of 1.59 ± 0.01 ppm in the control group and a minimum of 1.22 ± 0.34 ppm in the group treated with Nettle extract.

This study assessed the levels of 3-MCPD and GE in repeated deep-frying with palm olein supplemented with olive leaf and nettle extract, a novel investigation to date.