New psychoactive substances in Australia: patterns and characteristics of use, adverse effects, and interventions to reduce harm
Purpose of review
To summarize the most recent peer-review literature on new psychoactive substances (NPS) within Australia.
Recent findings
NPS use among the general Australian population is low, yet more pervasive among specific subpopulations. There is considerable heterogeneity among people who use NPS, however, overall, they are not unique from those who use more established illicit drugs. NPS have been shown to be highly adulterated, used as contaminants, variable in dose, and changeable as to the specific substances available over time. Further, analyses of coroners’ cases highlight the importance of consumer...
Source: Current Opinion in Psychiatry - May 28, 2020 Category: Psychiatry Tags: ADDICTIVE DISORDERS: Edited by John B. Saunders and Linda B. Cottler Source Type: research
Machine-learning approaches to substance-abuse research: emerging trends and their implications
Purpose of review
To provide an accessible overview of some of the most recent trends in the application of machine learning to the field of substance use disorders and their implications for future research and practice.
Recent findings
Machine-learning (ML) techniques have recently been applied to substance use disorder (SUD) data for multiple predictive applications including detecting current abuse, assessing future risk and predicting treatment success. These models cover a wide range of machine-learning techniques and data types including physiological measures, longitudinal surveys, treatment outcomes, national...
Source: Current Opinion in Psychiatry - May 28, 2020 Category: Psychiatry Tags: ADDICTIVE DISORDERS: Edited by John B. Saunders and Linda B. Cottler Source Type: research
Advances in prescription drug monitoring program research: a literature synthesis (June 2018 to December 2019)
Purpose of review
Nearly every U.S. state operates a prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) to monitor dispensing of controlled substances. These programs are often considered key policy levers in the ongoing polydrug epidemic. Recent years have seen rapid growth of peer-reviewed literature examining PDMP consultation and the impacts of these programs on diverse patient populations and health outcomes. This literature synthesis presents a review of studies published from June 2018 to December 2019 and provides relevant updates from the perspective of three researchers in this field.
Recent findings
The analyzed s...
Source: Current Opinion in Psychiatry - May 28, 2020 Category: Psychiatry Tags: ADDICTIVE DISORDERS: Edited by John B. Saunders and Linda B. Cottler Source Type: research
Introducing the National Drug Early Warning System
This article provides an overview of four primary NDEWS components: core staff; an approach to detecting and monitoring emerging drug trends including community-based epidemiologists and national databases; small rapid follow-up studies; and innovative multimedia approaches for disseminating information.
Recent findings
The cornerstones for detecting and monitoring are the 1700+ member NDEWS Network and a coalition of local epidemiologists. Follow-up studies are designed with local researchers, practitioners, and policymakers to focus on local trends. Among NDEWS accomplishments are developing protocols for expanded uri...
Source: Current Opinion in Psychiatry - May 28, 2020 Category: Psychiatry Tags: ADDICTIVE DISORDERS: Edited by John B. Saunders and Linda B. Cottler Source Type: research
Kratom (Mitragyna speciosa): worldwide issues
Purpose of review
To inform readers about the increasingly popular Western dietary supplement, kratom (Mitragyna speciosa) and how the products are available in the Western world compared with traditional Southeast Asian use. Kratom has been traditionally used for increasing stamina of outdoor laborers (farmers), mood enhancement, pain, and opium addiction. Interestingly, kratom has been reported to have a paradoxical effect in that stimulant feelings, and sedative feelings can be obtained depending on the amount utilized. There are several biologically active alkaloids present in kratom.
Recent findings
Recent studie...
Source: Current Opinion in Psychiatry - May 28, 2020 Category: Psychiatry Tags: ADDICTIVE DISORDERS: Edited by John B. Saunders and Linda B. Cottler Source Type: research
New psychoactive substances in Taiwan: challenges and strategies
Purpose of review
Abuse of new psychoactive substances (NPS) has been a new global concern. So far, there has been no international consensus on legislative control of NPS. Scrutiny of Taiwan's illegal drug use history reveals that legislation and policy play an important role in tackling the drug issues.
Recent findings
Since the early 2000s, use of club drugs (mostly NPS) has become popular in local rave parties and dance clubs in Taiwan. Some NPS, such as ketamine, synthetic cathinones, and para-methoxymethamphetamine, have posed a risk to public health and a challenge to drug policy.
Summary
The illegal drug us...
Source: Current Opinion in Psychiatry - May 28, 2020 Category: Psychiatry Tags: ADDICTIVE DISORDERS: Edited by John B. Saunders and Linda B. Cottler Source Type: research
Drug checking to detect fentanyl and new psychoactive substances
Purpose of review
Drug checking services invite drug consumers to anonymously submit drug samples for chemical analysis and provide feedback of results. Drugs are tested for strength/dose and/or presence of adulterants. Drug checking appears to be more common in recent years in response to increases in fentanyl-related deaths and the proliferation of new psychoactive substances (NPS). We aim to provide information regarding the current state of drug checking in relation to analysis methods, adulteration rates, and behavioral responses to results.
Recent findings
Various technologies are being used to detect the presen...
Source: Current Opinion in Psychiatry - May 28, 2020 Category: Psychiatry Tags: ADDICTIVE DISORDERS: Edited by John B. Saunders and Linda B. Cottler Source Type: research
Global strategy for New Psychoactive Substances: an update
Purpose of review
The aim of this review is to provide an update on recent trends of New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) and the current global strategies implemented to manage them.
Recent findings
The number of NPS has increased from 166 in 2009 to 892 in 2018, with about 36% having stimulant effects. Such trend revels some unprecedented patterns. The decline in the emergence of new synthetic cannabinoids has coincided with rising deaths due to overdose of fentanyl and non-fentanyl compounds in North America and Europe. The detection of new stimulant NPS has stabilized since 2015. Although the level of seizures of mep...
Source: Current Opinion in Psychiatry - May 28, 2020 Category: Psychiatry Tags: ADDICTIVE DISORDERS: Edited by John B. Saunders and Linda B. Cottler Source Type: research
Editorial introductions
No abstract available (Source: Current Opinion in Psychiatry)
Source: Current Opinion in Psychiatry - May 28, 2020 Category: Psychiatry Tags: EDITORIAL INTRODUCTIONS Source Type: research
The journal Current Opinion in Psychiatry and its impact on mental health in China
No abstract available (Source: Current Opinion in Psychiatry)
Source: Current Opinion in Psychiatry - April 7, 2020 Category: Psychiatry Tags: COMMENTARY Source Type: research
Passive antiamyloid immunotherapy for Alzheimer's disease
Purpose of review
Antiamyloid therapy of Alzheimer's disease tackles the overproduction and clearance of the amyloid-beta peptide (Aβ). Immunotherapeutic compounds were tested in large-scale trials. We revisit the recent literature focusing on randomized-controlled trials (RCT) using monoclonal anti-Aβ antibodies.
Recent findings
Forty-three articles on anti-Aβ passive immunotherapy for Alzheimer's disease were published between January 2016 and October 2019 regarding 17 RCTs: 13 phase III trials using the monoclonal antibodies bapineuzumab, solanezumab, gantenerumab, crenezumab, and aducanumab; three phase II with...
Source: Current Opinion in Psychiatry - April 7, 2020 Category: Psychiatry Tags: GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY Source Type: research
Down syndrome and dementia: advances in the field
Purpose of review
People with Down syndrome represent the world's largest population with a genetic risk for Alzheimer's disease. This review will provide a short summary of what is known and will include recent findings from the field.
Recent findings
There has been an increasing focus on biomarker research in this population, with a number of studies presenting findings on promising new markers – Neurofilament Light (NfL) appears to be one such promising marker that has emerged. Imaging studies have increased our knowledge on the progression of Alzheimer's disease in this population.
Summary
The inclusion of pe...
Source: Current Opinion in Psychiatry - April 7, 2020 Category: Psychiatry Tags: GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY Source Type: research
The importance of faith-based mental healthcare in African urbanized sites
Purpose of review
This review highlights what current research says about how local beliefs and norms can facilitate expansion of mental healthcare to meet the large unmet need for services in Africa.
Recent findings
In contemporary Africa, religious beliefs exert important influences on mental health as well as the way people with mental illnesses are viewed and cared for. Mental healthcare practices based on traditional and other religious beliefs, and offered by complementary and alternative health providers (CAPs), reflect the people's culture and are often preferentially sought by a majority of the population. De...
Source: Current Opinion in Psychiatry - April 7, 2020 Category: Psychiatry Tags: THE IMPACT OF URBANISATION ON MENTAL HEALTH: Edited by Jair Mari Source Type: research
Internet society, internet addiction, and pathological social withdrawal: the chicken and egg dilemma for internet addiction and hikikomori
Purpose of review
Internet society has made our daily life more convenient, while its negative consequences especially internet, smartphone, and gaming addiction are emerging. At the same time, the phenomenon of pathological social withdrawal called ‘hikikomori’ has been increasingly highlighted as a problematic behavior in Japan. Now hikikomori is becoming a global mental health issue. The interaction between internet society, internet addiction, and hikikomori has not been well clarified.
Recent findings
A case vignette survey among psychiatrists suggested that hikikomori cases could be comorbid with internet ad...
Source: Current Opinion in Psychiatry - April 7, 2020 Category: Psychiatry Tags: THE IMPACT OF URBANISATION ON MENTAL HEALTH: Edited by Jair Mari Source Type: research
How can schools be integrated in promoting well-being, preventing mental health problems and averting substance-use disorders in urban populations?
Purpose of review
Mental health and substance use problems are among the most prevalent and challenging problems faced by both high-income and low-income countries worldwide. This review will focus on summarizing scattered evidence of school-based interventions to promote well-being and prevent mental health problems and substance use disorders in children and adolescents.
Recent findings
We focus on two main areas of research: promotion of healthy school climate and prevention of bullying. Choosing among available interventions might be challenging, both because of the difficulties in assessing their efficacy and tai...
Source: Current Opinion in Psychiatry - April 7, 2020 Category: Psychiatry Tags: THE IMPACT OF URBANISATION ON MENTAL HEALTH: Edited by Jair Mari Source Type: research
