An expert in addiction and mental health reacts to the Home Office announcement that cannabis-based products can be used to treat some medical conditions from 1 November 2018.
Although prior research has established that maternal substance use disorders (SUDs) are associated with poor foster care outcomes, few earlier studies have sought to differentiate between families with maternal SUDs who reunify and those who do not reunify. This study applied the intersectional social determinants of a health framework to examine the effect of socioeconomic status (SES) risks on the likelihood of reunification for 325 mothers with SUDs and their children in foster care. Please contact the library to receive a copy of this article - http://bit.ly/1Xyazai
Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology (Sep 27, 2018). DOI:10.1037/pha0000225
Prescription opioid misuse among chronic pain patients is undergirded by self-regulatory deficits, affective distress, and opioid-cue reactivity. Dispositional mindfulness has been associated with enhanced self-regulation, lower distress, and adaptive autonomic responses following drug-cue exposure. We hypothesized that dispositional mindfulness might serve as a protective factor among opioid-treated chronic pain patients.. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
Psychology of Addictive Behaviors (Sep 27, 2018). DOI:10.1037/adb0000399
Problem gambling and gambling disorder (GD) are associated with a range of mental health concerns that extend beyond gambling behaviors alone. Prior works have consistently linked gambling disorder with symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), both cross-sectionally and over time. However, very little work has examined the specific relationships between these 2 disorders. The present work postulated that symptoms of PTSD are likely associated with unique beliefs about gambling behaviors and unique motivations to gamble.. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
Journal of Abnormal Psychology (Oct 4, 2018). DOI:10.1037/abn0000376
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with elevated risk of both alcohol use disorder (AUD) and related conduct problems, which are associated with behavioral and emotional dysregulation. We conducted an intensive longitudinal burst design study with 10 weeks of experience sampling over the course of 1.5 years with 250 veterans of recent conflicts.. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.
Open access. Cannabis use is common among people on opioid agonist treatment (OAT), causing concern for some care providers. However, there is limited and conflicting evidence on the impact of cannabis use on OAT outcomes. Given the critical role of retention in OAT in reducing opioid‐related morbidity and mortality, we aimed to estimate the association of at least daily cannabis use on the likelihood of retention in treatment among people initiating OAT. As a secondary aim we tested the impacts of less frequent cannabis use.
In smoking treatment trials comparing varenicline with transdermal nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), stratified by nicotine metabolite (3‐hydroxycotinine/cotinine) ratio (NMR), the relative benefit of varenicline is greater among normal rather than slow metabolisers. This study tested if the relative effectiveness of varenicline and NRT is associated with NMR status in a natural treatment setting. A secondary aim was to test if this relationship is moderated by behavioural support.. Please contact the library to request a copy of this article - http://bit.ly/1Xyazai
Methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) is associated with improved outcomes for children exposed to maternal opioid dependence in utero. We examined Ontario's population of pregnant women on MMT and determined the impact of timing of MMT initiation on perinatal outcomes.. Please contact the library to request a copy of this article - http://bit.ly/1Xyazai
We tested the age‐varying associations of cannabis use (CU) frequency and disorder (CUD) with psychotic, depressive, and anxiety symptoms in adolescent and adult samples. Moderating effects of early onset (≤15 years) and sex were tested.. Please contact the library to request a copy of this article - http://bit.ly/1Xyazai
Open access. Despite the link between stress and addictive behavior in adulthood, little is known about how early life stress in families predicts the early emergence of substance use in adolescence. This study tested a developmental cascade model, proposing that early stressful life events and negative parent‐child interaction covary, and both disrupt the refinement of inhibitory control, which evolves into problem behavior in middle/late childhood and subsequent substance use exploration in early adolescence.
Adults with mental health conditions (MHC) exhibit disproportionately high smoking prevalence and experience profound tobacco‐related disparities. U.S. nationally representative surveys from 2012‐2015 found relatively high usage of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS; e.g., e‐cigarettes) among adults with MHC. However, research has not examined these associations specifically among never smokers. Aims were to examine associations among MHC diagnosis, serious psychological distress (SPD), and ENDS use and to test whether associations varied by cigarette smoking status.. Please contact the library to request a copy of this article - http://bit.ly/1Xyazai
The causes of substance misuse and the solutions for tackling it are multi-factorial. It requires close working with partners, imagination and hard work. However, when we get it right it can have a tremendous impact.
As the case studies in this report show, lives are being turned around.
Natasha Clarke explores a systematic review of Whole of Community interventions to reduce population level harms arising from alcohol and other drug use.
This complex analysis suggests that cannabis use by teenagers may have an ongoing effect on their brain function, particularly in the areas of:
working memory (important for completing tasks)
perceptual reasoning (important for understanding the world)
inhibition control (important for learning to resist harmful impulses)
The main difficulty is that we still don't know with certainty whether teens who used alcohol and cannabis had worse brain function because of substance use, or whether they were more likely to use alcohol and cannabis because of their poorer brain function.
Alcohol and cannabis misuse are related to impaired cognition. When inferring causality, four nonexclusive theoretical models can account for this association: 1) a common underlying vulnerability model; 2) a neuroplasticity model in which impairment is concurrent with changes in substance use but temporary because of neuroplastic brain processes that restore function; 3) a neurotoxicity model of long-term impairment consequential to substance use; and 4) a developmental sensitivity hypothesis of age-specific effects. Using a developmentally sensitive design, the authors investigated relationships between year-to-year changes in substance use and cognitive development.. Login at top right hand side of page using your MPFT NHS OpenAthens for full text.
This article aimed to test the implementation and outcomes of a short messaging service sent to a dedicated phone. The target cohort were drug treatment clients in two sites in Northern England. To read the full article, log in using your MPFT NHS OpenAthens details.
The digital interventions included in this review are in general feasible but are not consistently effective in helping people in recovery from substance use disorder reduce their substance use or achieving other recovery goals.
Psychology of Addictive Behaviors Vol. 32, Iss. 6, (Sep 2018): 679-688. DOI:10.1037/adb0000393
Gamblers engage with a broad range of resources and strategies to limit or reduce their gambling. However, there is limited research examining the uptake and helpfulness of the full range of strategies gamblers employ. The aim of this study was to compile a comprehensive inventory of change strategies and then group these using principal component analysis based on perceived helpfulness. We also aimed to determine whether there are differences in the helpfulness of strategies by demographic, gambling severity, and readiness indicators.. To read the full article, log in using your NHS OpenAthens details.