Substance Abuse News and Research

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YES workshop for adolescents to manage stress and control impulsive behavior

In May 2013, the Los Angeles school board voted to ban suspensions of students for "willful defiance" and directed school officials to use alternative disciplinary practices. The decision was controversial, and the question remains: How do you discipline rowdy students and keep them in the classroom while still being fair to other kids who want to learn?

11 Jul 2013

Acetaminophen overdose survivors have lower overall health following acute liver failure

Spontaneous survivors of acetaminophen overdose have significantly lower overall health compared to survivors or transplant recipients following acute liver failure caused by non-drug induced liver injury according to a new study published online in Liver Transplantation, a journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases and the International Liver Transplantation Society.

10 Jul 2013

New study provides data that could help break the cycle of gun violence

They're young. They've been injured in an assault - so badly they went to the emergency room. And nearly one in four of them has a gun, probably an illegal one. What happens next?

8 Jul 2013

New resource guide to tackle prescription drug abuse among youth

To help tackle the serious problem of youth prescription drug abuse, high school teachers will have free access to a new resource guide, Rx for Understanding: Preventing Prescription Drug Abuse.

28 Jun 2013

Improving care for depression in low-income communities provides greater benefits: Study

Improving care for depression in low-income communities -- places where such help is frequently unavailable or hard to find -- provides greater benefits to those in need when community groups such as churches and even barber shops help lead the planning process, according to a new study.

26 Jun 2013

Many states missing out on Medicaid money for prisoners

Only a dozen states have taken advantage of a long-standing option to stick the federal government with at least half the cost of hospitalizations and nursing home stays of state prison inmates. The other states have left tens of millions of federal dollars on the table, either because they didn't know about a federal rule dating to 1997 or they were unable to write the laws and administrative processes to take advantage of it. States and localities have a constitutional obligation to provide adequate health care to prisoners, and they must pay for it out of their own budgets (Vestal, 6/25).

26 Jun 2013

Study suggests adolescents use social networking sites to express suicidal thoughts

Teens and young adults are making use of social networking sites and mobile technology to express suicidal thoughts and intentions as well as to reach out for help, two studies suggest.

25 Jun 2013

New study points to potential strategy for erasing memory of addiction

A new study by researchers at the Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center at UC San Francisco offers encouraging findings that researchers hope may one day lead to a treatment option for people who suffer from alcohol abuse disorders and other addictions.

25 Jun 2013

Weill Cornell public health study sheds light on hidden cost of terrorism

The 9/11 attacks on America appear to have caused about one million former smokers across the country to take up the habit again and maintain it, according to a Weill Cornell Medical College public health study.

21 Jun 2013

Study reveals surprising patterns of racial disparities for successful drug treatment

A University of Iowa study reveals significant disparities between minority and white clients in success rates for completing substance abuse treatment programs. Moreover, these disparities vary widely from state to state.

20 Jun 2013

Study says public health strategies can be applied to prevent bullying and suicide

Recent studies linking bullying and depression, coupled with extensive media coverage of bullying-related suicide among young people, led the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to assemble an expert panel to focus on these issues. This panel synthesized the latest research about the complex relationship between youth involvement in bullying and suicide-related behaviors.

19 Jun 2013

Distress Helpline 1-800-985-5990 responds to people who need crisis counseling after experiencing tragedy or disaster

A disaster or tragedy is unexpected and often brings out strong emotions. The Disaster Distress Helpline 1-800-985-5990 can provide immediate counseling to anyone who needs help in dealing with the severe storms making their way through Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, Maryland, D.C., Kentucky and Virginia.

15 Jun 2013

SLU professor to study treatment services offered to young mothers and children

Through a $300,000 grant from Administration of Children and Families, part of Department of Health and Human Services, Debra Zand, Ph.D., associate professor of pediatrics at Saint Louis University, will study treatment services offered by a local community provider to St. Louis area women who abuse illegal substances, and for their infants and toddlers.

14 Jun 2013

African-Americans have much greater decrease in their sense of smell, study finds

The ability to distinguish between odors declines steadily with age, but a new study shows that African-Americans have a much greater decrease in their sense of smell than Caucasians.

13 Jun 2013

Teenage victims of cyberbullying at higher risk for psychological, behavior health problems

Teenage victims of cyberbullying, defined as the use of the internet or cell phones to send hurtful and harassing messages, are more likely to develop symptoms of depression, substance abuse and internet addiction, reports a new study in the Journal of Adolescent Health.

13 Jun 2013

Study shows abused women suffering from PTSD do not receive adequate mental health services

Although many abused women suffer from Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and/or depression, they are not receiving needed mental health services, a University of Missouri researcher found.

11 Jun 2013

New approach for reducing drug abuse

Critics of the "war on drugs" point to the limited success of current strategies for reducing drug abuse and argue that a new approach is needed. Such an approach may now be on the horizon within the covers of a new book by New York Times best-selling author David Sheff. Clean: Overcoming Addiction and Ending America's Greatest Tragedy was published in April 2013 and is quickly gaining attention. The book confronts the traditional views on addiction and highlights scientific approaches that work.

11 Jun 2013

Large study of deep brain stimulation underway for Alzheimer's disease treatment

Together, Butler Hospital and Rhode Island Hospital are participating in The ADvance Study, a clinical trial investigating the use of deep brain stimulation as a treatment for patients with Alzheimer's disease.

10 Jun 2013

Health law provisions spur business partnerships, new opportunities

The New York Times reports that the Betty Ford Center and the Hazeldon Foundation are pursuing an alliance while Kaiser Health News reports on how hospitals are sometimes caught in the middle of competing incentives.

7 Jun 2013

First Edition: June 6, 2013

Today's headlines include a report about a new poll showing public uneasiness is increasing in regard to the health law. At the same time, the White House is stepping up its efforts encourage people to enroll in the health coverage the will be available as a result of the overhaul.

6 Jun 2013