The purpose of this scoping review is to summarize literature which has addressed sex/gender differences in relation to the confluence of OUD and chronic pain. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Research designed to establish alcohol and other drug (AOD) mechanisms of behavioral change (MOBC) has centered on what variables mediate the relation between AOD treatment and outcomes. The purpose of this paper was to review this research evidence to identify empirically supported mediators of alcohol and other drug use and related outcomes and then to evaluate their potential as being AOD treatment MOBC. Open access article - no login required.
Patients with alcohol use disorder (AUD) tend to selectively approach alcohol cues in the environment, demonstrating an alcohol-approach bias. Alcohol-approach-bias modification (Alcohol-ApBM) effectively increases abstinence rates in patients with AUD when added to abstinence-focused treatment, but the evidence for its proposed working mechanism is limited. This study examined whether changes in approach-avoidance tendencies over the course of Alcohol-ApBM would predict abstinence after inpatient treatment. Open access article - no login required.
This review discusses the clinical outcomes, biobehavioural mechanisms and implementation considerations for a novel, evidence-based intervention for chronic pain, opioid use and OUD called Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement (MORE). To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Several instruments have been developed to measure craving, without a recognized gold standard. The patient's perspective appears critical to determine the relevance of the numerous existing tools. This study assessed the contribution of patients to the development of these instruments. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
This study investigates the relationship between antidepressant medication and changes in depression symptoms and alcohol use in AUD patients. Open access article - no login required.
Clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of PTSD/SUD are discussed, along with evidence-based psychotherapies and emerging interventions. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
We conducted a process-level, secondary analysis of the Hepatitis C-Alcohol Reduction Treatment (HepART) trial to investigate the association between change in psychological processes posited by the Integrated Behavioral Model (IBM) and change in World Health Organization (WHO) drinking risk levels. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of distress intolerance, anhedonia, impulsivity and smoking metacognitions on the urge to smoke, withdrawal symptoms and dependency in men who are dependent on smoking. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
What does the paper add to existing knowledge?
- Mental health nurses have positive attitudes towards consumers with dual diagnosis.
- A positive attitude at work is influenced by various factors, including feeling that one's role is appropriate and legitimate. This also includes receiving support in that role, being motivated to work, having confidence in completing tasks and feeling satisfied with one's job.
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This review aims to illustrate how the study of memory suppression may enhance our understanding of substance use disorders by unveiling the underlying cognitive and neural mechanisms involved, which could have important implications for addiction treatment. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
This study, from Sweden, finds adult children of parents with AUD have a raised risk of mood and anxiety disorders even after adjustment for sociodemographic factors and parental mood or anxiety disorder. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Implications for practice and research:
-There is scope for public health to consider non-alcoholic beverages as a potential strategy to reduce alcohol consumption in adults who drink excessively.
-Future research should explore whether non-alcoholic beverages can reduce alcohol consumption in a wider range of countries and in different population groups, such as individuals with a diagnosis of alcohol dependence.
To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
As cannabis policies become more permissive, there is a reasonable concern that this may increase rates of CUD and contribute further to the incidence of other mental health disorders. However, several strategies can be implemented to offset these harms.
The co-occurrence of unhealthy alcohol use and opioid misuse is high and associated with increased rates of overdose, emergency health care utilization, and death. The current study examined whether receipt of an alcohol-related brief intervention is associated with reduced risk of negative downstream opioid-related outcomes. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Defining Discontinuation for Buprenorphine Treatment: Implications for Quality Measurement. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
This review provides an overview of glial modulators as a novel treatment approach for comorbid pain and OUD. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
The study aim was to explore experiences of alcohol use and harm within the following four Gypsy/Traveller communities: Irish Travellers, Boaters, Gypsies, and Slovakian Roma. Open access article - no login required
This study concludes that psychoeducation can increase patients' knowledge about sAUD, but it does not increase the likelihood of abstinence or controlled low consumption after discharge. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
The present systematic review aimed to evaluate support for the unique and complementary roles of self-compassion and self-forgiveness in alcohol outcomes. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
This study adds epidemiological weight to the implementation of health maintenance strategies and risk management procedures to reduce the risk of violent outcomes in individuals with mental health disorders (specifically, substance use disorder, psychosis, and ‘personality disorders’). The findings highlight how experiences of victimisation and perpetration are more often comorbid, with experiences of both victimisation and perpetration more common than an experience of only one of the outcomes.
This investigation represents the first systematic review and meta-analysis of alcohol's effects on affiliative language. The authors test the hypothesis that alcohol increases affiliative verbal approach behaviors and discuss future research directions. Open access article - no login required.
This narrative review explores the effects of simultaneous alcohol and cannabis (SAM) use on subjective drug effects. Open access article - no login required.
This critical review introduces methodological advances capable of enhancing causal inference from observational research, and presents and evaluates recent research applying these methods. Open access article - no login required.
...the present study: (1) examined whether self-report scales assessing intrapersonal motives (i.e., relieving negative emotions, enhancing positive emotions, punishing oneself) and interpersonal motives (i.e., bonding with others, conforming with others, communicating distress, communicating strength, reducing demands) have invariant factor structures across SDBs; and (2) compared the salience of these motives across SDBs. Open access article - no login required
Stress and alcohol cue reactivity are associated with poor treatment outcomes in alcohol use disorder (AUD), but sex-specific neural correlates of stress and alcohol cue–induced craving compared with neutral cue–induced craving and of heavy drinking outcomes in AUD have not been examined. Thus, this study prospectively examined these associations... To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
The authors sought to examine the comparative effectiveness of topiramate and naltrexone in improving outcomes in AUD and to examine the role of the rs2832407 and rs1799971 polymorphisms, respectively, on response to these medications. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
This narrative review discusses the intricate relationship between AUD and chronic pain. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Assessing pain among people with OUD is challenging, because ongoing opioid use brings changes in pain responses and most pain assessment tools have not been validated for this population. In this narrative review, we discuss the fundamentals of pain assessment for populations with OUD. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
This study evaluates the time course of pain and craving and objective experience of pain as a function of the last methadone dose. Preliminary findings highlight the potential for increased risks after even a short delay in receiving a methadone dose. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
This study compares by occurrence-era and age-group how opioid-related deaths (ORDs) and their counterpart evolved in Scotland versus England and Wales during 2006-2020. Open access article - no login required.
This systematic review investigates behaviour change techniques in interventions promoting physical activity for young people aged 12–25 years at heightened risk of problematic substance use, and the effect of these techniques on physical activity participation and substance use outcomes.
A strong cooperative bond between the patient and provider (“therapeutic alliance”) is robustly associated with better alcohol use disorder (AUD) treatment outcomes. Although digital treatments for AUD have significant potential, the function of the alliance during digital programs is unclear. We compared the validity of patient-reported measures of the alliance with a digital treatment (“digital alliance”) for AUD and the alliance with their clinician (“clinician alliance”). To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) improves treatment retention and reduces illicit opioid use. A-CHESS is an evidence-based smartphone intervention shown to improve addiction-related behaviors. The authors tested the efficacy of MOUD alone versus MOUD plus A-CHESS to determine whether the combination further improved outcomes. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
The clear implication for practice from this research is that when it comes to retaining individuals in treatment, methadone has the edge over buprenorphine. However, time alone is not enough. It is just as important to consider client rather than clinician preference as to which they would like.
Effective pharmacologic treatments for comorbid alcohol use disorder (AUD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are lacking. Kappa (κ) opioid receptor antagonists may address this unmet need. Buprenorphine is a κ-opioid antagonist and a partial agonist of mu (μ) opioid receptors, and naltrexone blocks all μ-mediated effects, thus, yielding a pharmacological net effect of a κ-opioid receptor antagonist. This combination was tested in this proof-of-concept study since no specific κ-opioid receptor antagonist was available. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Concerns regarding symptom severity and the risk of relapse among people seeking recovery from alcohol use disorder (AUD) have been raised since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Owing to preventive measures implemented during the pandemic (social distancing or lockdown), self-help group (SHG) meetings were restricted. However, the impact of deprivation of onsite recovery meetings on drinking behavior and risk among SHG members with AUD remains unclear. We aimed to identify the proportion of SHG members who reported drinking and their reasons for drinking during the early stages of the pandemic and to examine the effect of non-attendance at onsite recovery meetings on drinking behavior during the early pandemic period, stratified by gender. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Alcohol is regularly consumed throughout most of the world, including by nearly half the U.S. population age 12 or older. Heavy drinking, which is also common, contributes to multiple adverse medical, psychiatric, and social outcomes and more than 140,000 deaths annually in the United States. It is the major risk factor for alcohol use disorder (AUD), whose current U.S. prevalence is 11%. However, AUD is undertreated, with less than 15% of individuals with a lifetime diagnosis receiving any treatment. Risk of AUD is nearly equally genetic and environmental. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Cannabis has been associated with poorer mental health, but little is known of the effect of synthetic cannabinoids or cannabidiol (often referred to as CBD). To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Recently, early maladaptive schemas have been increasingly focused as the underlying factor of several psychopathologies. The primary objective is to systematically review and meta-analytically analyse the evidence on the relationship between early maladaptive schemas and types of addictive behaviours. Additionally, the secondary objective was to examine potential moderators of the effect sizes. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Youth ages 12–24 account for approximately 20% of overdoses and yet are poorly reached by opioid agonist treatment (OAT), the most widely recommended treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD). This study contributes to understanding this critical gap by describing youths' patterns of OAT engagement at a novel integrated youth-specific OAT program.
Chronic heavy alcohol use impacts all major neurotransmitter systems and is associated with multiple medical, psychiatric, and social problems. Available evidence-based medications to treat alcohol use disorder (AUD) are underutilized in clinical practice. These medications promote abstinence or reduce alcohol consumption, though there are questions regarding their optimal dosage, length of treatment, and utility in combination with one another. Pharmacogenetic approaches, which use a patient's genetic make-up to inform medication selection, have garnered great interest but have yet to yield results robust enough to incorporate them in routine clinical care. This narrative review summarizes the evidence both for medications approved by the Food and Drug Administration (disulfiram, oral naltrexone, acamprosate, and extended-release naltrexone) and those commonly used off-label (e.g., gabapentin, baclofen, and topiramate) for AUD treatment. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
One obvious piece of intelligence for practice is the clear link between social deprivation and risky alcohol consumption. As with other aspects of health, it is those that have the least that pay the greatest price including mortality. Knowing that alcohol consumption is elevated in this group could help target resources locally as practitioners and teams will have the knowledge of where these individuals are and aim to make access to treatment as easy as possible. However, given the continuing real-term decrease in treatment budgets, that could prove to be an ambition rather than the reality.
To examine the association between alcohol consumption and mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
While clinical consequences of thiamine deficiency in alcohol use disorder (AUD) are severe, evidence-based recommendations on dosage, type of administration and duration of thiamine substitution (TS), and its’ target levels remain sparse. This study aimed to compare the effect of two best practice TS regimens on thiamine blood levels (i.e. thiamine pyrophosphate, TPP) and cognitive function. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Alcohol withdrawal syndrome (AWS) is a frequent and potentially life-threatening condition experienced in alcohol use disorder. Since hypomagnesemia is involved in AWS’s severity, we conducted a multicenter double-blind randomized placebo-controlled trial to examine the efficacy of oral magnesium supplementation as an adjuvant therapy of AWS. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Over the past decade, psychedelic compounds have emerged as potentially transformative therapeutics for a variety of intractable neuropsychiatric conditions. However, historically most of the basic science has utilized these compounds as probes to interrogate various endogenous neurotransmitter systems—mainly the serotonin 5-HT2A receptor. With the renewed interest in utilizing these compounds as therapeutics and the explosion in clinical trials, psychedelics have been purported to treat many neuropsychiatric disorders, including depression, cluster headaches, migraines, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. It is therefore imperative to understand the biology and pharmacology behind their therapeutic mechanisms as well as expose any potential pitfalls in their widespread use as treatments. This review covers the latest advances in understanding the biological mechanisms, the newest efforts in drug discovery, and potential pitfalls when it comes to utilizing this class of compounds as emerging therapeutics. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Given the high rates of mental health comorbidity among opioid users, and increasing rates of opioid prescription for chronic pain, psychiatrists and mental health clinicians are likely to treat patients who are dependent on opioids. Among such patients, many will have histories of opioid overdose or suicide attempts. It is tempting to assume that these are related behaviours and that ‘accidental’ overdoses are actually suicide attempts. We provide evidence here to demonstrate that while some overdoses are intentional, most are not. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Overdose risk during a course of treatment with medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) has not been clearly delineated. The authors sought to address this gap by leveraging a new data set from three large pragmatic clinical trials of MOUD. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Alcohol use typically begins in adolescence, and the risk of later alcohol use disorders increases with earlier age of onset. Emotion dysregulation in adolescence has been linked to alcohol use. The present study seeks to extend previous findings by examining whether gender moderates the association between emotion regulation strategies (suppression and cognitive reappraisal) and alcohol-related problems in a longitudinal sample of adolescents. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Alcohol-related cirrhosis is a frequent and difficult-to-treat disease. Despite the low hepatic metabolism of baclofen, data on its use in this subgroup are scarce. The French multicenter Observatory of patients treated with Baclofen for Alcohol DEpendence real-life cohort assessed: (a) prescription modalities of baclofen in liver units; (b) safety profile of baclofen; and (c) declared alcohol intake, biological markers of excessive alcohol intake and hepatic function at 12 months. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
The amount and pattern of cigarette and alcohol consumption are highly associated with cardiovascular risk. The aim of the present study was the assessment of changes in arterial stiffness and classical risk factors for cardiovascular disease after alcohol withdrawal and detoxification in persons with alcohol use disorder. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
To identify the distinguishing characteristics of alcohol dependent patients who confuse alcohol cravings with pre-meal hunger. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Substance use disorders co-occurring with other mental health disorders are common and harmful. Clinical guidelines often recommend substance use screening and brief intervention though evidence about screening practice in mental health services is limited. This systematic review of routine clinical practice in adult mental health services aims to identify (a) proportions of screening and brief intervention, (b) how they are practised and (c) their outcomes. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Concurrent Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Substance Use Disorders Using Prolonged Exposure (i.e., COPE) is an efficacious, integrated, psychotherapy that attends to PTSD and substance use disorders simultaneously. No study has examined how therapeutic alliance functions during the provision of COPE and how this compares to non-integrated treatments, such as Relapse Prevention (RP) for substance use disorders. Understanding the role of alliance in COPE versus RP could inform treatment refinement and ways to enhance treatment outcomes. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Treatment efficacy for co-occurring posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorders is well established, yet direct evidence for comparative effectiveness across treatments is lacking. The present study compared the effectiveness of several behavioral and pharmacological therapies for adults with co-occurring PTSD and alcohol or other drug use disorders. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
This study tested the effectiveness of schema therapy (ST) for borderline personality disorder (BPD) and comorbid alcohol dependence (AD). Twenty patients participated in a case series study with multiple baselines. The baseline phase consisted of treatment as usual. It was followed by a case conceptualization phase, an experiential techniques phase and a behavioural change phase. Patients showed a significant decrease in BPD and AD symptoms; change was mainly accomplished in the experiential techniques phase, with medium to large effect sizes.
The findings of the study suggest that most heavy drinkers who experience negative life events in late mid-life tend to continue with this pattern of alcohol consumption whilst going through these events. Therefore, mental health practitioners may wish to consider asking about and/or assessing alcohol consumption in individuals reporting mid-life events such as divorce and severe illness or death of a family member. This is especially pertinent given that the “constant heavy drinking” group in the study was also shown to be more vulnerable to depression, suggesting a co-morbidity between alcohol use and mental health problems in this group.
The objective of this research was to explore how gay men use drugs in their sex lives, colloquially called “chemsex”. This paper reports on a sub-theme within the research about support, care and peer support. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Federally certified opioid treatment programs (OTPs) provide psychosocial counselling in addition to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUDs) using a patient-centered approach in providing substance use disorder treatment. This study explored factors associated with patients' adherence to counselling while receiving MOUD at an OTP. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
There is some limited evidence of an association between technology addictions and emergence of pre-psychotic symptoms, high psychoticism, psychotic like experiences and high schizotypy among young non-clinical adults. These addictions and their subsequent distress are likely to contribute to transition to psychosis in individuals at risk. We aimed to compare smartphone, Internet and Facebook addictions between low and high schizotypal individuals; and to explore the association between these addictions and distress in the high schizotypy group. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Substance use is highly prevalent among people with mood disorders. Effective treatment for these people requires a better understanding of the relationship between both mood and substance use from the perspectives of those with lived experience.
The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists’ (RANZCP) 2018 position statement supports increased, regulated availability of e-cigarettes (ECs) as a harm-reduction measure and recommends further research into their use. Aligned with this recommendation, we aimed to critically evaluate the RANZCP’s stance on this issue through a literature review focused on the areas identified in the position statement as requiring further investigation: (1) the adverse health effects attributable to ECs; (2) use of ECs for smoking cessation (particularly for people living with severe mental illness); and (3) EC-associated risks for nicotine naïve young people. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
This issue of the Journal is primarily focused on new advances in the diagnosis and treatment of opioid use disorder. The issue begins with an overview by Drs. Cecilia Bergeria and Eric Strain from Johns Hopkins University (1) that discusses the prevalence of opiate use disorder and associated lethal overdoses as well as current pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic treatment approaches. Elsewhere in the issue, making the diagnosis of prescription-related opiate use disorder (POUD) can be challenging and in this regard a paper explores the impacts of modifying current criteria for POUD on prevalence rates. Another paper assesses the efficacy of buprenorphine/naloxone, primarily taken at home, for treating POUD. Also related to treatment, another paper characterizes the effects of COVID-19 telehealth policy changes related to buprenorphine treatment on VA patients with opiate use disorder. We also present papers in this issue that address the prevalence of cannabis use disorder in the VA population and the possibility of using a mindfulness-based intervention as a nonpharmacologic treatment for pain. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Approximately 50% of individuals with first-episode psychosis meet criteria for a substance use disorder and these concurrent disorders are associated with worse long-term outcomes. Psychosocial interventions, including motivational interviewing as well as cognitive and behavioural therapies, have shown some evidence for effective treatment in substance use disorders; however, there is a paucity of existing studies that have successfully examined these interventions in first-episode psychosis. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Rates of cannabis use are elevated in early psychosis populations, rendering it difficult to determine if an episode of psychosis is related to cannabis use (e.g., cannabis-induced psychosis), or if substance use is co-occurring with a primary psychotic disorder (e.g., schizophrenia). Clinical presentations of these disorders are often indistinguishable, hindering assessment and treatment. Despite substantial research identifying cognitive deficits, eye movement abnormalities and speech impairment associated with primary psychotic disorders, these neuropsychological features have not been explored as targets for diagnostic differentiation in early psychosis. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
The aim of the current scoping review is to provide a broad overview by systematically examining and mapping the literature on peer-led interventions for preventing risky alcohol consumption by college students. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Although trauma exposure is a recognized risk factor for alcohol use, research on military populations has emphasized combat exposure, with minimal consideration of exposure to other potentially traumatic events (PTEs). We aimed to (a) identify, characterize, and quantify subgroups of service members based on PTE patterns; (b) examine associations between trauma exposure subgroups and alcohol use; and (c) examine these associations longitudinally. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
In the United States, adult cannabis use has increased over time, but less information is available on time trends in cannabis use disorder. The authors used Veterans Health Administration (VHA) data to examine change over time in cannabis use disorder diagnoses among veterans, an important population subgroup, and whether such trends differ by age group (<35 years, 35–64 years, ≥65 years), sex, or race/ethnicity. To read the full article, choose Open Athens “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
To assess the effectiveness of multicomponent tobacco dependence interventions for low socioeconomic status populations and create a checklist tool examining multicomponent interventions. To read the full article, choose “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Desire thinking is an emerging construct in the addictive behaviours literature. No research, to date, has investigated its contribution to problematic alcohol use and nicotine dependence in patient samples when accounting for established predictors of addictive behaviours. The present study sought to clarify, in patient samples, the relative contribution of desire thinking in the associations between negative affect, impulsivity and thought suppression on the one hand and craving, problematic alcohol use and nicotine dependence on the other. To read the full article, where necessary, choose “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
Ketamine and dextromethorphan are widely abused psychoactive substances. Inhibition of N-methyl-d-aspartate receptors (NMDARs) results in neurobehavioral effects including hallucinations, “out of body” sensations, and dissociative effects. However, little is known about a possible extended addictive class-effect linked to pharmacologically-related amino-adamantane derivatives (e.g. amantadine and memantine). To read the full article, choose “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”.
The study aim was to assess the abuse/misuse potential of second-generation antipsychotics (SGAPs) using VigiBaseTM data. The abuse/misuse potential is confirmed for quetiapine and olanzapine and highlighted for the first time for ziprasidone. To read the full article, choose “Institutional Login” and search for “Midlands Partnership”
The primary aim was to compare concentrations of psychoactive substances in blood in non-fatal and fatal opioid overdoses. The secondary aim was to assess the concentration levels of naloxone in blood in non-fatal overdoses and the association between naloxone findings and concomitantly detected drugs. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
The gabapentinoids were reclassified as Schedule II medications and Class C drugs in the UK in 2019 due to their misuse potential. In this study we examined deaths following gabapentinoid use in England reported to the National Programme on Substance Abuse Deaths. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
The new drugs strategy for England shows the government is serious about righting the wrong of nearly a decade of disinvestment and political neglect. £533 million has been committed over the next three years to community treatment and recovery services, with additional funding for prisons.
Understanding the effectiveness of medication treatment for opioid use disorder to decrease the risk of suicide mortality may inform clinical and policy decisions. The authors sought to describe the effect of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) on risk of suicide mortality. To read the full article, log in using your MPFT NHS OpenAthens details.
The objective of this study was to characterize changes in alcohol use during lockdown in Ireland and associations with drinking motives and psychopathological symptoms.
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José M Menchon and Susana Jimenez Murcia discuss gambling disorder in the UK, key research priorities and the urgent need for independent research funding.
To examine the longitudinal trajectories of alcohol consumption prior to and following the diagnosis of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
The primary aim of this study was to determine factors which may be associated with a negative qualitative urine drug screen for buprenorphine in OAT patients. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
This research assessed the impact of COVID-19 on staff working at harm reduction and alcohol and other drug (AOD) services in Australia in the first 9 months of the pandemic. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
People who experience negative life events report more heavy alcohol consumption compared with people without these experiences, but little is known about patterns of change within this group. This study aims to identify trajectories of heavy alcohol consumption before and after experiencing either divorce, or severe illness or death in the family. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
Cognitive deficits are a core feature of schizophrenia, and comorbid substance use may be a contributory factor. Methamphetamine use has been associated with cognitive impairment in schizophrenia, while associations with cannabis use are less clear-cut. This study aimed to investigate the associations of cannabis and methamphetamine use with cognitive performance in first-episode schizophrenia spectrum disorders over the first 2 years of treatment. To read the full article, log in using your MPFT NHS OpenAthens details.
Early evidence suggests that ketamine may be an effective treatment to sustain abstinence from alcohol. The authors investigated the safety and efficacy of ketamine compared with placebo in increasing abstinence in patients with alcohol use disorder. To read the full article, log in using your MPFT NHS OpenAthens details.
This research suggests that contrary to popular opinion delaying exposure to cannabis does not appear to reduce the chances of using more of the drug as an older teenager. However, it does suggest that there does not appear to be a strong relationship between developing psychosis as a trigger to stop using cannabis. Again, this won’t come as a surprise to those working with this age group in the mental health or drug field as they will have witnessed this with the young people they encounter as part of their work.
Methamphetamine (MA) use among individuals who experience homelessness has tripled in recent years. This is a problematic trend given the harmful impacts of this substance on health and social well-being. While there is a large body of literature on the relationship between substance use and trauma, little is known about the scope of existing empirical literature exploring this topic related to MA use. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
The purpose of this study is to present a summary of research surrounding prison-based harm reduction programs. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
This study investigated prescription opioid misuse in community pharmacy patients and the factors potentially associated with high Prescription Opioid Misuse Index (POMI) scores. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
The contribution of increasing numbers of deaths from suicide, alcohol-related and drug-related causes to changes in overall mortality rates has been highlighted in various countries. The aim here was to compare mortality rates for different birth cohorts between Scotland and England and Wales (E&W), including key cities. Open access article - no login required.
The review claims that questions currently included in the criteria for diagnosing cannabis dependency such as 'have you ever been intoxicated while driving a truck or operating machinery’ are an example of a bias towards identifying and treating men with the problem.
The UK government has announced a summit focused on tackling problem drug use that will bring together a variety of experts from across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The announcement was made by Minister for Crime, Policing and the Fire Service Kit Malthouse today at a meeting of the Scottish Affairs Select Committee. The summit will be held in Glasgow, and the intention is for it to take place before Christmas. It will provide an update on Dame Carol Black’s review of drugs, which is due to report later this year.
PHE is working in partnership with the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland governments, to produce UK-wide clinical guidelines for alcohol treatment to provide support for alcohol treatment practice.