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”.