Substance Use Disorder News and Research

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Understanding substantial challenges caused by substance use, misuse and dependence

This week sees publication of the first research papers that will form part of PLOS Medicine’s latest Special Issue, which is devoted to understanding the substantial challenges caused by substance use and misuse and seeking to inform responses in the health sector and beyond.

8 Nov 2019

Rural seasonal workers worry about Montana Medicaid’s work requirements

People on Medicaid who work rural seasonal jobs in Montana are wondering about the future of their access to health coverage. Montana recently passed a law that, if it gains federal approval and goes into effect as planned in January, would require many Medicaid recipients to prove they work a set number of hours each month.

7 Nov 2019

Medical providers often miss the complex social needs of frequent ED users, say researchers

Frequent visitors to emergency departments often have complex social needs, such as homelessness, substance abuse, unemployment and mental illness, yet both medical providers and policy makers tend to focus on their immediate or recent medical issues without examining such other factors.

6 Nov 2019

First-in-the-U.S. clinical trial uses deep brain stimulation to tackle opioid addiction

The West Virginia University Rockefeller Neuroscience Institute and WVU Medicine, today (Nov. 5) announced the launch of a first-in-the-U.S. clinical trial using deep brain stimulation for patients suffering from treatment-resistant opioid use disorder.

5 Nov 2019

Grief grew into a mental health crisis and a $21,634 hospital bill

Arline Feilen lost her husband to suicide in 2013. Three years later, she lost her dad to cancer. And this February, she lost her 89-year-old mom to a cascade of health problems.

31 Oct 2019

Behavioral, social, and biomedical strategies essential to end HIV epidemic in the US

To end the HIV epidemic in the United States, the use of behavioral and social science research-;combined with biomedical strategies-;is essential, according to a series of new papers in the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes (JAIDS).

30 Oct 2019

Washington State law on behavioral care balances parental rights, teens’ autonomy

When Ben Packard met with the 16-year-old girl a little over a year ago, she was a patient at Seattle Children's Hospital, where she'd been admitted after trying to kill herself. Her parents were distraught.

24 Oct 2019

Substance use disorder can complicate postoperative valvular heart disease, shows study

Patients who suffer from infective endocarditis (IE) and struggle with substance use disorder (SUD) have a 240% increased risk of dying within 6 months to 5 years after valve surgery compared to other IE patients, according to a study published online today in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.

17 Oct 2019

CANDO drug discovery platform focuses on finding new medications for mental illnesses

An estimated 46.6 million U.S. adults struggle with mental illnesses, such as anxiety disorder, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. About half of millennials and 75% of Gen-Zers report having quit jobs for mental health reasons.

15 Oct 2019

Study shows health, work benefits of Medicaid expansion for adults with behavioral health disorders

Expanding Medicaid to more low-income adults helped many of them feel healthier, and do a better job at work or a job search, in just one year after they got their new health coverage, a University of Michigan study finds.

25 Sep 2019

Pre-existing mental health or substance abuse issues linked to fewer complications in diabetes

A new study has found that people with mental health or substance abuse disorders who are diagnosed with diabetes may experience less severe health complications.

25 Sep 2019

Doctors and nurses with addictions often denied a crucial recovery option

Dr. Wesley Boyd, an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard, has spent years working with state programs that help doctors, nurses and other health care workers who have become addicted to opioids get back on their feet professionally.

19 Sep 2019

Reducing opioid overdose risk in incarcerated women after prison release

More than 75 percent of incarcerated women in Oregon's state prison system require treatment for a substance use disorder.

11 Sep 2019

An overview about emerging prevalence of post opioid-overdose interventions in the U.S.

Opioid-related deaths continue to take the lives of thousands in the U.S. each year, with non-fatal opioid overdoses as a significant risk factor for a subsequent fatal overdose.

30 Aug 2019

New core curriculum designed to educate primary care providers on substance use disorders

Dr. Michelle Lofwall, professor of behavioral science and psychiatry in the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, is one of three national addiction physician experts who led a team of healthcare professionals in developing a new core curriculum designed to educate primary care providers on the prevention, assessment and treatment of substance use disorders throughout the continuum of care.

3 Aug 2019

Binge drinking trends among senior citizens between 2015 and 2017

A new study has been published which focuses on binge drinking behavior among senior citizens and has revealed some interesting facts.

1 Aug 2019

Gene mutation in the brain of autism patients alters behaviors in mice

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has a wide range of possible causes, including genetics and environmental factors. Now, a new study suggests that a brain protein mutation may shed light on the mechanism of neurological and developmental illness.

23 Jul 2019

New analysis quantifies how stimulant treatment reduces serious outcomes of ADHD

An analysis of three previous studies of children and young adults with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder quantifies for the first time the extent to which stimulant treatment reduces the development of mood disorders, school problems, conduct disorders, substance use disorders and other problems.

23 Jul 2019

Adolescents using multiple sources for prescription drugs at high risk for substance use disorders

Roughly 11% of high school seniors reported prescription drug misuse during the past year, and of those, 44% used multiple supply sources, according to a pair of University of Michigan studies.

18 Jul 2019

University of Kentucky wins grants to study decision-making processes behind drug use disorders

Faculty from the University of Kentucky Department of Psychology in the College of Arts and Sciences and the Department of Behavioral Science in the College of Medicine have received two, five-year Research Project Grants (R01) from the National Institutes of Health to study neurobehavioral processes involved in drug use disorders.

11 Jul 2019