Substance Abuse News and Research

RSS

New set of strategies could improve U.S. health care system for vulnerable populations

A new set of strategies released today by the Commonwealth Fund Commission on a High Performance Health System could dramatically improve how the U.S. health care system serves vulnerable populations-those in the U.S. who are uninsured, low-income, or members of racial and ethnic minority groups.

7 Oct 2011

Cannabidiol could prevent onset of pain associated with chemotherapy drugs

A chemical component of the marijuana plant could prevent the onset of pain associated with drugs used in chemo therapy, particularly in breast cancer patients, according to researchers at Temple University's School of Pharmacy.

7 Oct 2011

SAMHSA announces new grant program, Behavioral Health Treatment Court Collaboratives

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) today announced $13 million in new grants to help state and local courts offer treatment and recovery support instead of incarceration for individuals who are in a court system due to mental health or substance use disorders.

4 Oct 2011

IF/The Florida Family Partnership announce new contest for 26th annual Red Ribbon Week

Informed Families (IF) /The Florida Family Partnership announced the new contest for its 26th annual Red Ribbon Week, October 23-31: "It's Up to Me to be Drug Free."

1 Oct 2011

Cocaine use linked to increased risk of open-angle glaucoma

A study of the 5.3 million men and women seen in Department of Veterans Affairs outpatient clinics in a one-year period found that use of cocaine is predictive of open-angle glaucoma, the most common type of glaucoma.

30 Sep 2011

New report finds little evidence to support off-label use of atypical antipsychotics

There is little evidence to support the use of atypical antipsychotic drugs for some treatments other than their officially approved purposes, even though many clinicians continue to commonly prescribe these drugs for so-called "off label" uses, according to a new report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

29 Sep 2011

UCSF neuroscientist wins PECASE award for research into addiction

Linda Wilbrecht, PhD, a neuroscientist at the Ernest Gallo Clinic and Research Center at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), is one of 94 researchers named today by President Obama as a recipient of the Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE).

28 Sep 2011

Benefits and harms vary among atypical antipsychotics for off-label use

A review of previous studies suggests that even though atypical antipsychotic medications are commonly used for off-label conditions such as behavioral symptoms of dementia, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder, these medications are effective for only a few off-label conditions, and that the benefits and harms of these medications for these uses vary, according to an article in the September 28 issue of JAMA.

28 Sep 2011

Roundup: Patient dies after medical error during Calif. nurses strike; grocery workers ratify contract that had partially hinged on health care

Veteran nurses locked out of Alta Bates Summit Medical Center in Oakland said Sunday that the death of a patient due to a medical error by a replacement worker wouldn't have happened if they had been allowed to do their jobs. The hospital's management countered that it was a freak accident that could have happened at any time -- with or without the replacement nurses. At the center of the dispute is a cancer patient, a woman who has not been identified but whose tragic death on Saturday has inflamed an already tense labor dispute.

27 Sep 2011

SAMHSA announces new grants to support expansion of health information technology

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is announcing up to $13.2 million in new grants to support the expansion of health information technology (HIT) in health care settings that serve people with mental and substance use disorders.

26 Sep 2011

SAMHSA announces 20 new grants to help reduce chronic homelessness

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) announced today 20 new grants totaling up to $27.7 million, over three years, to local organizations working to reduce chronic homelessness in their communities.

26 Sep 2011

Roundup: Texas House Dems ask CMS to reject Medicaid waiver request; Jobs lost as Ariz. mental health Medicaid cuts kick in

The nine House Democrats from Texas want the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services to reject their state's request that Medicaid beneficiaries get their prescription drugs through managed care plans.

23 Sep 2011

SAMHSA selects 11 organizations to receive 2011 Science and Service Awards

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has selected 11 organizations to receive the agency's 2011 Science and Service Awards. These awards recognize exemplary implementation of evidence-based interventions shown to prevent and/or treat mental illnesses and substance abuse.

22 Sep 2011

New report finds lower rates of substance abuse disorders among probationers, parolees

A new report found significantly lower rates of substance abuse disorders among probationers and parolees in 2009 compared to previous years. At the same time, the percentage of parolees who received substance abuse treatment increased.

19 Sep 2011

Study reveals correlation between suicide risk and number of convictions

"The association is clear, even when controlling for risk factors such as substance abuse and mental illness," says Emma Björkenstam of the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare and Doctoral Student at the medical university Karolinska Institutet.

15 Sep 2011

Smoking cessation improves overall personality: Study

University of Missouri researchers have found evidence that shows those who quit smoking show improvements in their overall personality.

14 Sep 2011

Parents of teens underestimate own teens' substance use

The latest C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health from the University of Michigan finds that few parents (10 percent) believe their own teens, ages 13 to 17 years old, have used alcohol in the last year and even fewer (5 percent) believe their own teens have used marijuana in the last year.

12 Sep 2011

UB transgenic mouse model of Timothy Syndrome improves understanding of autism

The first transgenic mouse model of a rare and severe type of autism called Timothy Syndrome is improving the scientific understanding of autism spectrum disorder in general and may help researchers design more targeted interventions and treatments.

12 Sep 2011

Transcendental Meditation practice reduces health care costs

According to a study published this week in the September/October 2011 issue of the American Journal of Health Promotion, people with consistently high health care costs experienced a 28 percent cumulative decrease in physician fees after an average of five years practicing the stress-reducing Transcendental Meditation technique compared with their baseline.

12 Sep 2011

Drug use among young adults on the rise in U.S.

Nearly one in 10 Americans report regularly using illegal drugs, including marijuana, cocaine, heroin, hallucinogens, inhalants or prescription drugs used recreationally, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health made public today. The survey, sponsored by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), collects the data from interviews with 67,500 randomly selected people 12 years or older.

12 Sep 2011

Substance Abuse News and Research

New set of strategies could improve U.S. health care system for vulnerable populations

Cannabidiol could prevent onset of pain associated with chemotherapy drugs

SAMHSA announces new grant program, Behavioral Health Treatment Court Collaboratives

IF/The Florida Family Partnership announce new contest for 26th annual Red Ribbon Week

Cocaine use linked to increased risk of open-angle glaucoma

New report finds little evidence to support off-label use of atypical antipsychotics

UCSF neuroscientist wins PECASE award for research into addiction

Benefits and harms vary among atypical antipsychotics for off-label use

Roundup: Patient dies after medical error during Calif. nurses strike; grocery workers ratify contract that had partially hinged on health care

SAMHSA announces new grants to support expansion of health information technology

SAMHSA announces 20 new grants to help reduce chronic homelessness

Roundup: Texas House Dems ask CMS to reject Medicaid waiver request; Jobs lost as Ariz. mental health Medicaid cuts kick in

SAMHSA selects 11 organizations to receive 2011 Science and Service Awards

New report finds lower rates of substance abuse disorders among probationers, parolees

Study reveals correlation between suicide risk and number of convictions

Smoking cessation improves overall personality: Study

Parents of teens underestimate own teens' substance use

UB transgenic mouse model of Timothy Syndrome improves understanding of autism

Transcendental Meditation practice reduces health care costs

Drug use among young adults on the rise in U.S.

Discover how SciY empowers scientists

Why use light scattering to analyze proteins and viral vectors?

Changing the landscape of R&D to build clinical success from the ground up

Latest News