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Impulsivity in bipolar disorder unrelated to substance abuse

Trait impulsivity is elevated and neurocognitive functioning is impaired in patients with bipolar disorder irrespective of whether they have a substance abuse history, research shows.

20 Sep 2013

Only few service providers are available to help young gay black men, say researchers

Physical, sexual and emotional abuse among young gay black men is a pervasive problem, yet there remains a lack of social services and resources available to help them, a Michigan State University scholar argues in a new study.

19 Sep 2013

Doctoral thesis sheds light on phenomenon of war rape in DRC

Rape in war cannot be addressed in isolation. It is deeply embedded in both the local context and that of global proportions. This is one of the conclusions made in a doctoral thesis about eastern Democratic Republic of Congo presented at Uppsala University, Sweden, on 19th September.

18 Sep 2013

Emotional stress, cognitive impairment linked to early hospital readmission of heart patients

Heart patients' mental state and thinking abilities may help predict whether costly and potentially dangerous early hospital readmission will follow their release after treatment, according to the results of a significant new study by Henry Ford Hospital researchers.

18 Sep 2013

Smoking-cessation in HIV-positive individuals: an interview with Dr Ellen R. Gritz, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

In the general population, current smoking prevalence is 18%. Persons living with HIV/AIDS smoke at a rate 2 to 3 times higher, up to almost 70% in some studies.

16 Sep 2013

IFHF dedicates new $11 million centre to provide crucial treatment of TBI and PTS to returning veterans

Since September 11, 2001, more than 2.5 million U.S. troops have been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, and hundreds of thousands of service members have been diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries, due to IEDs, combat related incidents and training activities.

12 Sep 2013

Big changes for addiction treatment predicted under Obamacare

An estimated 40 million people could enter treatment because the health law recognizes drug addiction and alcoholism as chronic diseases that must be covered by insurance plans, according to the California Health Report.

12 Sep 2013

Gender warns of bipolar I disorder risks

Researchers have confirmed several features that differ between men and women with bipolar disorder, which may impact on the course and treatment of the condition.

11 Sep 2013

Engaging in antisocial texting can predict deviant behavior, say researchers

For American teenagers, most text messaging is as harmless as passing notes, but University of Texas at Dallas researchers have discovered that engaging in antisocial texting can actually predict deviant behavior.

10 Sep 2013

New pilot program for parents whose children are struggling with drug and alcohol problems

The Partnership at Drugfree.org, the nation's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to finding evidence-based solutions to adolescent substance use disorders, has announced a new, pioneering pilot program specifically for parents whose children are struggling with drug and alcohol problems.

7 Sep 2013

Problem gambling, substance abuse problems are correlated, finds new study

Problem gamblers are a hidden population among people with mental health or substance abuse issues who often don't get the treatment they need, a new study shows.

5 Sep 2013

Report sheds light on adolescents using illegal substances on an average day

On an average day, 881,684 teenagers aged 12 to 17 smoked cigarettes, according to a report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The report also says that on an average day 646,707 adolescents smoked marijuana and 457,672 drank alcohol.

30 Aug 2013

Synar program made remarkable strides in lowering levels of illegal tobacco sales to minors

A new report on the Synar Amendment program - a federal and state partnership aimed at ending illegal tobacco sales to minors - shows that all the states and the District of Columbia have continued to meet their goals of curtailing sales of tobacco to underage youth (those under 18).

29 Aug 2013

Reformulated OxyContin®: an interview with Dr. Paul Coplan, Executive Director, Risk Management and Epidemiology, Purdue Pharma

OxyContin contains oxycodone, which is an opioid agonist. It is used for the management of moderate to severe pain when a constant opioid analgesic is needed for a prolonged period of time.

29 Aug 2013

Cannabis affects addiction processes in adolescent brain

The nature of the teenage brain makes users of cannabis amongst this population particularly at risk of developing addictive behaviors and suffering other long-term negative effects, according to researchers at the University of Montreal and New York's Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.

27 Aug 2013

Report shows nonmedical use of pain relievers may increase risk of using heroin later

A new report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) shows that people aged 12 to 49 who had used prescription pain relievers nonmedically were 19 times more likely to have initiated heroin use recently (within the past 12 months of being interviewed) than others in that age group (0.39 percent versus 0.02 percent).

23 Aug 2013

Viewpoints: George will assails 'illegal' delay of employer mandate; Cohn reminds conservatives that subsidies will be important

Barack Obama's increasingly grandiose claims for presidential power are inversely proportional to his shriveling presidency. Desperation fuels arrogance as, barely 200 days into the 1,462 days of his second term, his pantry of excuses for failure is bare, his domestic agenda is nonexistent and his foreign policy of empty rhetorical deadlines and redlines is floundering. And at last week's news conference he offered inconvenience as a justification for illegality.

16 Aug 2013

Few physicians receive adequate training to help patients with chronic pain

Pain is the most common reason a patient sees a physician but few physicians have received adequate training to help their patients, according to a Henry Ford Hospital article published in the Journal of American Osteopathic Association.

13 Aug 2013

State highlights: Accusations of fraud or abuse in disabled, rehabilitation clinics in N.Y., Mich. and Calif.

Two and a half years ago, The New York Times published an article about abusive employees who worked for the state, detailing how few employees were fired, even after the state recommended that they lose their jobs, because of weaknesses in the arbitration process, the permissive attitude of state officials and the aggressive stance of public sector labor unions -- particularly the Civil Service Employees Association. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo promised to change all this.

12 Aug 2013

Drug-related emergency department visits increase among younger adults

A new report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration shows that some drug-related emergency department visits increased by 300 percent -- from 5,605 visits in 2005 to 22,949 visits in 2011. These visits, made by adults aged 18 to 34, were related to the nonmedical use of central nervous system stimulants. On average, about 30 percent of these visits also involved alcohol.

9 Aug 2013