Substance Abuse News and Research

RSS

World's largest conference on addiction, mental health and criminal justice system

About 3,500 attendees are expected to convene at the world's largest conference on addiction, mental health and the criminal justice system July 17-20, when the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP) hosts the 17th Annual Drug Court Training Conference at Gaylord National Hotel and Convention Center in National Harbor, MD.

16 Jul 2011

Viewpoints: Partisanship, debt ceiling talks and Medicare; health cost frustration; praising Betty Ford

After initially endorsing the idea of an ambitious deficit deal, House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) retreated over the weekend, calling for only about $2 trillion in savings. ... That position rules out a deal that would make real progress on the deficit while also achieving some top GOP goals, including curbing the growth of Medicare and Medicaid and simplifying the tax code with lower rates and a broader base.

13 Jul 2011

Conference to explore interface between medicine, arts and humanities

The University of Leicester is hosting a conference to be addressed by Jed Mercurio, author of Bodies and creator of the TV series Cardiac Arrest.

7 Jul 2011

Grim truth about underage drinking during July 4 weekend

Hospital emergency department visits involving underage drinking double for males during the Fourth of July holiday weekend according to a new study by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

2 Jul 2011

Obama administration turns bright spotlight on prescription painkiller abuse

The Obama administration turned a bright spotlight on prescription painkiller abuse in April when the Office of National Drug Control Policy released a national action plan and a statement from Vice President Joe Biden.

2 Jul 2011

Longer looks: A Medicare compromise; improving mental health policies

Sen. Joe Lieberman has found an ally for the middle-of-the-road Medicare reform proposal he laid out a few weeks ago. On Tuesday, the independent Senator from Connecticut and conservative Republican Tom Coburn unveiled a tweaked version of Lieberman's plan.

1 Jul 2011

Automated screening system helps identify cases of unexpected drug diversions

Electronic data from automated drug dispensing carts can help to identify drug diversion by anesthesia care providers, according to a report in the July issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society.

24 Jun 2011

New IOM report: Decades-old health laws need to be revised

Because strong evidence indicates that policies beyond the health sector have substantial effects on people's health, all levels of U.S. government should adopt a structured approach to considering the health effects of any major legislation or regulation, says a new report by the Institute of Medicine.

23 Jun 2011

Sexual minority youths more likely to experience bullying, physical abuse from peers

Young people who identify themselves as gay, lesbian or bisexual, experience same-sex attractions or engage in same-sex sexual behaviors are more likely to experience sexual abuse, parental physical abuse and bullying from peers than other youth, according to a University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health study.

23 Jun 2011

Study shows increase in emergency department visits for drug-related suicide attempts among men

A new national study shows that from 2005 to 2009 there was a 55 percent increase in emergency department visits for drug related suicide attempts by men aged 21 to 34 -- from 19,024 visits in 2005 to 29,407 visits in 2009. In 2009, there were a total of 77,971 emergency department visits for drug-related suicide attempts among males of all ages.

18 Jun 2011

Screening can help overcome barriers to mental health care among African-American youth

Mental health screening has been demonstrated to successfully connect African-American middle school students from a predominantly low-income area with school-based mental health services, according to results of a new study led by the TeenScreen National Center for Mental Health Checkups at Columbia University. The study was published in a recent online early edition of the Community Mental Health Journal.

16 Jun 2011

Young fathers more willing to ask for parenting help

Men are sometimes criticized for being unwilling to ask for directions when they travel, but they can benefit from looking for help as they begin their journeys as fathers, according to a researcher on fatherhood at the University of Chicago.

16 Jun 2011

Sleep-targeted intervention can help prevent suicidal thoughts

Treating sleep problems with cognitive-behavioral therapy for insomnia can reduce suicidal ideation, suggests a research abstract that will be presented Tuesday, June 14, in Minneapolis, Minn., at SLEEP 2011, the 25th Anniversary Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies LLC.

14 Jun 2011

Risky behavior, psychiatric disorders and substance abuse contribute to opioid overdose

Deaths related to prescription opioid therapy are under intense scrutiny, prompting those in pain medicine-clinicians, patient advocates, and regulators-to understand the causes behind avoidable mortality in legitimately treated patients.

13 Jun 2011

Walden University's School of Psychology offers two new new online degree programs

Professionals or aspiring professionals in the field of psychology want to help people cope in trying times, maintain their sense of well-being or even promote productivity and performance in the workplace. Two new online degree programs in Walden University's School of Psychology are designed to prepare students to meet the needs of individuals, groups and organizations in today's sometimes challenging world.

10 Jun 2011

Scripps Research receives $2.2M NIH grant to develop novel therapeutics for substance abuse

The Scripps Research Institute has been awarded a $2.2 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop novel therapeutics for the treatment of addiction to multiple substances in a national effort with the University of Kansas.

10 Jun 2011

Leadership Reads Initiative to minimize teen alcohol consumption and drug use

The incidence of alcohol poisoning, alcohol-related violence, and alcohol-impaired driving is increasing at an alarming rate among teens. If teens start to drink early, they are six times more likely to develop alcohol dependence.

9 Jun 2011

Ameritox launches Rx Guardian CD, next-generation pain-medication monitoring solution

Ameritox, the leader in pain-medication monitoring, today announced the launch of Rx Guardian CD, its next-generation pain-medication monitoring solution and part of the patented Rx Guardian process.

9 Jun 2011

Homelessness and mental illness link explored in RMIT study

In a new study by the RMIT University, Victoria researchers looked at cases of 4,291 people using homelessness services in the city. Dr Guy Johnson and Professor Chris Chamberlain found almost half of them - 46 per cent - lost their homes after a family breakdown. This is contrary to the long held belief that most homeless people are mentally unstable.

7 Jun 2011

Alcohol dependency increases as severity of mental illness increases: SAMHSA report

A new report shows that alcohol dependence is four times more likely to occur among adults with mental illness than among adults with no mental illness (9.6-percent versus 2.2-percent).

4 Jun 2011