Substance Abuse News and Research

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Health Reform news: Grandfather clause could mean some lose benefits

Kaiser Health News: Millions of people could end up losing some benefits of the new health law because of the interpretation of "grandfathered."

11 May 2010

Majority of Iraq and Afghanistan veterans experience multi-symptom pain disorders

Dr. Gallagher further noted the VA's pain care challenge is magnified by a 90 percent injury survivor rate from these conflicts compared with only 40 percent in the Vietnam War. VA clinicians are now challenged to manage pain in blast survivors with one or several other consequences of blast, such as head injuries causing mild to severe TBI, physical disfigurement and social stigma, emotional trauma, and often post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

10 May 2010

Mother’s depression and smoking habits can influence smoking among adolescents

A new study reveals that adolescents aged 12 to 17 living with mothers who are current smokers or who have had a major depressive episode in the past year are far more likely to smoke than adolescents not living under these circumstances.

10 May 2010

SAMHSA highlights importance of promoting children's mental health from birth

To highlight the importance of promoting children's mental health from birth, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and more than 80 public and private collaborating organizations and federal programs and agencies - including new supporters, such as the Office of Head Start at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Endowment for the Arts, and the American Legion Auxiliary - today joined in a nationwide celebration of National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day (May 6).

7 May 2010

New techniques to help women make decisions, increase safety during IPV

A new research study to be conducted by Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing associate professor Nancy Glass will help women plan for their personal safety when ending an abusive relationship.

6 May 2010

New classification of depressive subtypes of depression proposed

Lichtenberg and Belmaker propose a new classification of depressive subtypes of depression in the current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics. They argue that a simple diagnosis is no longer sufficient to guide treatment.

3 May 2010

ONDCP launches new anti-meth ad campaign for Indian Country

White House Office of National Drug Control Policy Director Gil Kerlikowske today unveiled a new anti-methamphetamine ad campaign tailored for Indian Country, launched in New Mexico and in 14 other states with the largest Native American populations.

29 Apr 2010

Distinct gender differences underlying risks for abuse of prescription pain drugs: Study

There are distinct gender differences underlying the risks for abuse of prescription pain drugs, according to a Harvard study published in The Journal of Pain, the peer review journal of the American Pain Society, www.ampainsoc.org and www.jpain.org.

28 Apr 2010

Springfield community members support treatment services provided by Gateway Alcohol and Drug Rehab

Members of the Springfield community turned out in force to support the comprehensive treatment services provided to adults and teens by Gateway Foundation's Alcohol and Drug Rehab's Springfield Treatment Center at an April 14 Open House.

24 Apr 2010

New multi-faceted treatment program for young adults addicted to opioid drugs

A multi-faceted treatment program for young adults addicted to opioid drugs was unveiled today at the National Institute on Drug Abuse's Blending Conference in Albuquerque, N.M. This eighth meeting in the series brings together researchers and clinicians so their latest findings can be immediately applied to the needs of patients and their families dealing with addictive disorders.

23 Apr 2010

Cognitive behavior therapy works better as couples therapy for alcohol-dependent women

Barbara McCrady and Elizabeth Epstein wanted to know whether cognitive behavior therapy worked better for alcohol-dependent women when delivered as couples therapy than when delivered as individual therapy. They reported recently that both treatment methods worked well, but women treated in couples therapy maintained their gains a bit better than those in individual therapy. Also, women suffering from depression in addition to alcohol-dependence did better in couples therapy. Their paper appeared recently in the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology.

22 Apr 2010

Florida House approves expanding Medicaid managed care; Kansas weighs proposal to raise nursing home fees

Calling the current system 'broken' and warning of long-term financial problems, the state House today approved a proposal that would gradually shift almost all Medicaid recipients into managed-care plans. The votes on two bills set the stage for the House and Senate to try to reach agreement on a Medicaid overhaul before the annual legislative session ends April 30.

21 Apr 2010

AHRQ report shows highest hospital readmission rates among Medicaid patients

One of every 10 adult Medicaid patients who were hospitalized in 2007 for a medical condition other than childbirth had to be readmitted at least once within 30 days of their initial hospital stay that year, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

20 Apr 2010

Research roundup: Revamping NCI Clinical Trials, reducing malpractice suits, health disparities persist

A National Cancer Clinical Trials System For The 21st Century: Reinvigorating The NCI Cooperative Group Program - The "system for conducting cancer clinical trials in the United States is approaching a state of crisis," according to this report on inefficiencies and funding issues faced by the NCI's Clinical Trials Cooperative Group Program - which comprises 10 groups, more than 3,100 institutions, 14,000 investigators and more than 25,000 patients in clinical trials each year.

17 Apr 2010

Spare the rod – kids spanked more likely to be aggressive

As the saying goes, “spare the rod and spoil the child”. Many organizations including American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Psychological Association have found that this is a wrong statement and spanking a child may do more harm than good.

13 Apr 2010

Adolescent inhalant misuse can lead to deadly consequences

Approximately 143,000 young people aged 12 to 17 used inhalants in the past year while dealing with a condition like pneumonia, bronchitis, asthma, or sinusitis, according to a new study sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The study determined that the rate of use was 4.4 percent among adolescents who had at least one of the aforementioned respiratory conditions, similar to the rate among adolescents overall (4.1 percent).

8 Apr 2010

Prescription drug abuse reaches epidemic proportions

Poisoning is now the second leading cause of unintentional injury death in the U.S. While several recent high-profile Hollywood celebrity cases have brought the problem to public attention, the rates of unintentional poisoning deaths have been on the rise for more than 15 years.

6 Apr 2010