Disparities in substance use behaviors and disorders among adult sexual minorities by age, gender, and sexual identity
Individuals who identify as gay, lesbian, or bisexual experience significantly elevated rates of substance use and substance use disorders (SUD) relative to heterosexuals. Disparities are present at initiation, as sexual minority (SM) youth report younger ages of first use than heterosexual youth (Institute of Medicine, 2011). A meta-analysis of 18 school-based surveys reported that US SM youth had nearly three times the odds of any substance use relative to heterosexual youth, smoking rates 2-3 times higher those of heterosexuals and approximately 1.5 times the odds of marijuana use (Marshall et al., 2008). (Source: Drug ...
Source: Drug and Alcohol Dependence - June 19, 2018 Category: Addiction Authors: Megan S. Schuler, Cara E. Rice, Rebecca J. Evans-Polce, Rebecca L. Collins Source Type: research
Internet searches for opioids predict future emergency department heroin admissions
Opioid-related emergency department (ED) admissions and deaths have rapidly increased in the United States during the past decade (Rudd et al., 2016). In particular, heroin-related deaths have more than quintupled from 2000 to 2014, as some people have shifted from taking prescription opioids to heroin (Compton et al., 2016; Jones et al., 2015; Martins et al., 2017). For a number of fiscal and practical reasons, data on the status and evolution of heroin use have been of poor quality, which has hampered the ability to halt the epidemic (Humphreys, 2017; Kilmer and Caulkins, 2014; Ruhm, 2017). (Source: Drug and Alcohol Dependence)
Source: Drug and Alcohol Dependence - June 19, 2018 Category: Addiction Authors: Sean D. Young, Kai Zheng, Larry F. Chu, Keith Humphreys Tags: Short communication Source Type: research
Tapering off and returning to buprenorphine maintenance in a primary care Office Based Addiction Treatment (OBAT) program
Buprenorphine is an effective treatment for opioid use disorder and guidelines recommend long term or even life-long treatment (Kraus et al., 2011); however, a majority of patients are interested in eventually tapering off buprenorphine (Kleber, 2007; Winstock et al., 2011). Some patients avoid starting medications altogether due to concern about their ability to eventually taper off (Appel et al., 2004; Peterson et al., 2010). Currently, physicians lack sufficient evidence to answer common patient questions about the frequency and feasibility of discontinuing buprenorphine for stable patients without causing relapse (Amat...
Source: Drug and Alcohol Dependence - June 19, 2018 Category: Addiction Authors: Zoe M. Weinstein, Gabriela Gryczynski, Debbie M. Cheng, Emily Quinn, David Hui, Hyunjoong W. Kim, Colleen Labelle, Jeffrey H. Samet Tags: Full length article Source Type: research
The impact of co-occurring opioid misuse and PTSD on response inhibition
Individuals who misuse opioids experience potentially traumatic events (PTEs) at a markedly high rate (Dore et al., 2012; Mills et al., 2012). Exposure to such events is associated with increased risk for psychopathology including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (Kilpatrick et al., 2013). Indeed, studies examining psychopathology across samples of individuals who report using multiple substances have reported PTSD as the most prevalent disorder (Cottler et al., 1992; Mills et al., 2006), and similar findings have found that opioid misuse is elevated in trauma-exposed samples (McCauley et al., 2009; McCauley et al., 20...
Source: Drug and Alcohol Dependence - June 19, 2018 Category: Addiction Authors: Matthew Price, Zoe M.F. Brier, Rebecca Mirhashem, Holley C. Allen Tags: Full length article Source Type: research
Sociodemographic factors, prescription history and opioid overdose deaths: a statewide analysis using linked PDMP and mortality data
Drug overdose deaths in the US have been increasing since 1999, with an age-adjusted rate of 6.1 per 100,000 in 1999 and 16.3 per 100,000 in 2015 (Hedegaard et al., 2017; Rudd et al., 2016). Increases in all drug overdose deaths have occurred across all age groups, with the highest rates among ages 45-54 years (Hedegaard et al., 2017). Opioid overdose deaths have also increased, with substantial elevations since 2013 for heroin and synthetic opioids (excluding methadone) regardless of sex, age, and race/ethnicity (Rudd et al., 2016). (Source: Drug and Alcohol Dependence)
Source: Drug and Alcohol Dependence - June 13, 2018 Category: Addiction Authors: Sarah J. Nechuta, Benjamin D. Tyndall, Sutapa Mukhopadhyay, Melissa L. McPheeters Tags: Full length article Source Type: research
Substance use, recovery, and linguistics: the impact of word choice on explicit and implicit bias
Substance use disorder (SUD) is a major public health concern in the United States, with over 21 million individuals aged 12 and older having a diagnosable SUD, yet fewer than 3.8 million of these individuals receive treatment each year (Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, 2017). An estimated 28% of the individuals who do not receive treatment but perceive a need for treatment, report reasons related to stigma for not accessing or engaging in care (Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, 2017). (Source: Drug and Alcohol Dependence)
Source: Drug and Alcohol Dependence - June 13, 2018 Category: Addiction Authors: Robert D. Ashford, Austin M. Brown, Brenda Curtis Tags: Full length article Source Type: research
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Source: Drug and Alcohol Dependence - June 10, 2018 Category: Addiction Source Type: research
Association between injection in public places and HIV/HCV risk behavior among people who use drugs in Ukraine
In Eastern Europe and Central Asia (EECA) new HIV infections occur at a high rate among people who inject drugs (PWID) (UNAIDS, 2016), with 51% of new infections being registered among PWID. Moreover, PWID account for most hepatitis C (HCV) cases in EECA (Degenhardt et al., 2016). In Ukraine, a country of 42 million people (StateStatisticsService, 2017), there are estimated 347,000 PWID (Berleva and Sazonova, 2017), with 1.1% estimated prevalence of injection drug use among the adult population (UNODC, 2017). (Source: Drug and Alcohol Dependence)
Source: Drug and Alcohol Dependence - June 8, 2018 Category: Addiction Authors: Alyona Mazhnaya, Karin E. Tobin, Jill Owczarzak Tags: Full length article Source Type: research
Dating violence victimization and substance use: The role of a serotonin transporter gene polymorphism (5HTTLPR)
Adolescent dating violence (ADV) is defined as physical, sexual, psychological, stalking, or emotional violence within a teen or adolescent dating relationship (Black et al., 2011). ADV is a widespread issue that requires nationwide cognizance. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has found that 7% of females and 4% of males who ever experienced rape, physical violence, or stalking by an intimate partner first experienced partner violence younger than the age of 18 (Vagi et al., 2015). Further, ADV victimization can lead to various negative outcomes. (Source: Drug and Alcohol Dependence)
Source: Drug and Alcohol Dependence - June 7, 2018 Category: Addiction Authors: Alexis Yohros, Jason Ford, Melanie Hinojosa Tags: Full length article Source Type: research
Beyond the walls: Risk factors for overdose mortality following release from the Philadelphia Department of Prisons
Globally, substance use disorders are highly prevalent in criminal justice populations with the leading cause of death among previously incarcerated individuals being unintentional drug overdose, especially in the time period immediately following release (Binswanger et al., 2011a; Binswanger et al., 2013; Binswanger et al., 2007; Bukten et al., 2017; Farrell and Marsden, 2008; Fazel et al., 2006; Kariminia et al., 2007; Krinsky et al., 2009; Park et al., 2015). This risk may be explained by decreases in physiological drug tolerance as a result of abstinence during incarceration, and therefore subsequent return to drug use...
Source: Drug and Alcohol Dependence - June 5, 2018 Category: Addiction Authors: Lia N. Pizzicato, Rebecca Drake, Reed Domer-Shank, Caroline C. Johnson, Kendra M. Viner Tags: Full length article Source Type: research
Not just heroin: Extensive polysubstance use among US high school seniors who currently use heroin
Heroin use has risen in the United States (US), with the prevalence of past-year use having more than doubled between 2002 and 2016 (Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, 2017). This increase has been rather marked in recent years despite a decrease in the nonmedical use of prescription opioids (Dart et al., 2015). In 2016, an estimated half-million Americans aged 12 or older were current heroin users (defined as having used in the past month) (Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, 2017), and over 15,000 heroin-related deaths were reported —a five-fold increase since 2010 (Centers for Diseas...
Source: Drug and Alcohol Dependence - June 4, 2018 Category: Addiction Authors: Joseph J. Palamar, Austin Le, Pedro Mateu-Gelabert Tags: Full length article Source Type: research
Systemic barriers in substance use disorder treatment: A prospective qualitative study of professionals in the field
The United States (US) is currently in the midst of one of the largest public health crises in recent history. In 2016, the US experienced over 63,000 drug poisoning (i.e., overdose) deaths. This was an increase of 21% from the year before and a 350% increase from 1999 rates (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017). Loss of life is not the only concern regarding the current crisis, however. The 2016 U.S. Surgeon General ’s Report on Alcohol and Other Drug Use projected that behavioral health disorders cost the United States over $420 billion dollars annually (US Department of Health and Human Services, 2016). (...
Source: Drug and Alcohol Dependence - June 2, 2018 Category: Addiction Authors: Robert D. Ashford, Austin M. Brown, Brenda Curtis Tags: Full length article Source Type: research
Measurement invariance of the alcohol use disorders identification test: Establishing its factor structure in different settings and across gender
The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) was developed by the World Health Organization as a screening questionnaire of alcohol use disorders (Babor et al., 2001; Saunders et al., 1993). The self-administered 10-item questionnaire consists of three items assessing alcohol consumption and seven items assessing problems related to alcohol use disorders. Although the AUDIT is internationally established and has been used in diverse settings and populations (Cassidy et al., 2008; Rumpf et al., 2002; Shields et al., 2004), there are two essential gaps in the literature. (Source: Drug and Alcohol Dependence)
Source: Drug and Alcohol Dependence - May 31, 2018 Category: Addiction Authors: Anne Moehring, Kristian Krause, Diana Guertler, Gallus Bischof, Ulfert Hapke, Jennis Freyer-Adam, Sophie Baumann, Anil Batra, Hans-Juergen Rumpf, Sabina Ulbricht, Ulrich John, Christian Meyer Tags: Full length article Source Type: research
Review: Adjunctive pharmacologic approaches for benzodiazepine tapers
Benzodiazepines exhibit their effects through the central nervous system and treat a range of conditions through their anxiolytic, anticonvulsant, and hypnotic properties. Long-term benzodiazepine use remains controversial (Voshaar et al., 2006a); many patients require discontinuation due to a reduction in drug efficacy over time, the development of a sedative use disorder, or unwanted side effects. Observed adverse effects may include disinhibition, aggressiveness (Jones et al., 2011), and overdose, particularly when benzodiazepines are combined with alcohol or other drugs (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Admin...
Source: Drug and Alcohol Dependence - May 31, 2018 Category: Addiction Authors: Justine W. Welsh, Valeria Tretyak, R. Kathryn McHugh, Roger D. Weiss, Olivera Bogunovic Tags: Review Source Type: research
Improved treatment-retention for patients receiving methadone dosing within the clinic providing physician and other health services (onsite) versus dosing at community (offsite) pharmacies
Opioid-substance use disorder is a major health issue across North America. Opioid-related overdose is the primary cause of death for people age 18-35 years in North America (Gomes et al., 2014; Park and Bloch, 2016), and several treatment options exist (e.g., treatment centers (TCs), extended release naltrexone, or extended release buprenorphine). Opioid agonist therapy, including methadone maintenance treatment (MMT), is one of the most common treatment options, and it is the standard of care for patients with opioid substance use disorder in Ontario, Canada (Ball and Ross, 1991; Bart, 2012; Luce and Strike, 2011). (Sour...
Source: Drug and Alcohol Dependence - May 31, 2018 Category: Addiction Authors: Graham Gauthier, Joseph K. Eibl, David C. Marsh Tags: Full length article Source Type: research
