Substance Abuse News and Research

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Number of specialty behavioral health establishments have increased but more work needs to be done

The number of specialty behavioral health establishments, their workforce and their wages have increased steadily between 2011 and 2019, according to a new study by Indiana University and University of Michigan researchers.

2 Jun 2021

Methamphetamine users more susceptible to have medical, mental, and substance use issues

People who use methamphetamine are nearly twice as likely to have medical multimorbidity, and over three times as likely to have a mental illness.

2 Jun 2021

Opioids like ‘lean’ permeate hip-hop culture, but dangers are downplayed

Nykerrius Williams knows about the close relationship between hip-hop and opioid use. Williams, 27, an independent rapper from Gibsland, Louisiana, who goes by the name Young Nyke, took oxycodone pills for the first time when he was 16 and has continued patterns of misuse of those pills, as well as Lortabs, Xanax and codeine cough syrups, until recently. To him, it's part of the business.

28 May 2021

Popular television shows can bolster teenagers' mental health

Popular television shows and movies can bolster teenagers' mental health and help them cope with bullying, sexual assault, suicidal thoughts, substance abuse and depression when these issues are depicted with empathy and appropriate resources are provided, a report published by UCLA's Center for Scholars and Storytellers shows.

26 May 2021

Connecticut's MAT programs have higher-than-average patient retention rates

Medication-assisted treatment, or MAT, is an important tool in the ongoing fight against opioid use dependence in the United States.

19 May 2021

Novel CBD analog alleviates pain in mouse model of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy

For patients with chronic pain, ineffective treatments, lowered work productivity, and other factors often coalesce, fueling feelings of hopelessness and anxiety and setting the stage for even bigger problems, including substance use disorders.

5 May 2021

Juvenile incarceration does not reduce the probability of future convictions

Harsh prison sentences for juvenile crimes do not reduce the probability of conviction for violent crimes as an adult, and actually increase the propensity for conviction of drug-related crimes, finds a new study by economists at UC Riverside and the University of Louisiana.

5 May 2021

A multipronged approach to mitigate childhood adversity and build resiliency

A hot topic symposia session during the Pediatric Academic Societies 2021 Virtual Meeting will discuss a multipronged approach to addressing childhood adversity and promoting resilience - at the clinical, systems, community and educational levels.

4 May 2021

Researchers improve HIV care using mobile gaming application

Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Duke University improved HIV care by gamifying it with a mobile gaming application.

4 May 2021

Mental health services wane as insurers appear to skirt parity rules during pandemic

Therapists and other behavioral health care providers cut hours, reduced staffs and turned away patients during the pandemic as more Americans experienced depression symptoms and drug overdoses, according to a new report from the Government Accountability Office.

30 Apr 2021

Study finds higher risk of overdose in patients treated with opioids to reduce dental pain

When they go to the dentist to get a tooth pulled or another procedure, patients might not think that the prescription they receive to ease their pain could put them or their family at risk of an opioid overdose.

29 Apr 2021

Study finds factors contributing to drug abuse among disadvantaged, rural youth

Having grown up poor in a rural village in Zimbabwe, Wilson Majee saw firsthand as a child the lack of educational opportunities that were easily accessible and how that impacted the youth in his village.

27 Apr 2021

COVID-19 survivors have increased risk of death for at least six months

As the COVID-19 pandemic has progressed, it has become clear that many survivors -; even those who had mild cases -; continue to manage a variety of health problems long after the initial infection should have resolved.

23 Apr 2021

Opioid use is linked with other forms of substance misuse, mental health problems

Opioid use has dramatically increased in the 21st century, especially among young adults. A new study from the University of Illinois provides insights on usage patterns among Illinois high school students to help inform prevention and treatment strategies.

19 Mar 2021

Habitual gamblers use already proven strategies to maximize rewards

In their pursuit of maximum reward, people suffering from gambling disorder rely less on exploring new but potentially better strategies, and more on proven courses of action that have already led to success in the past.

18 Mar 2021

Study examines effects of problematic internet use on older adolescents

Most teenagers don't remember life before the internet. They have grown up in a connected world, and being online has become one of their main sources of learning, entertaining and socializing.

9 Mar 2021

Study shows potential benefits from meditation-based teacher development program

Teachers who participated in a meditation-based teacher development program utilizing the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique for four months, had significant improvements in emotional exhaustion (the leading factor in burnout), resilience, perceived stress, fatigue, and depression according to a new randomized controlled trial published today in Frontiers in Education.

5 Mar 2021

COVID-19 lockdown has significantly increased loneliness, social issues among women

Social distancing guidelines have reduced the spread of COVID-19, but lockdowns and isolation also have created or aggravated other well-being concerns, reports new research.

4 Mar 2021

Regular screening and early intervention needed to prevent pediatric diabetes

Type 2 diabetes, once considered an adult disease, is increasingly causing health complications among American youth.

2 Mar 2021

UNH receives $2.97 million in grants to investigate the effectiveness of wilderness therapy

The University of New Hampshire's Outdoor Behavioral Healthcare Center receives $2.97 million in grants to conduct a first-of-its-kind randomized study looking at the effectiveness of outdoor behavioral health (OBH), or wilderness therapy, a prescriptive treatment for teens struggling with depression, anxiety and substance use disorders.

26 Feb 2021