Substance Use Disorder News and Research

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Early childhood intervention guide can help prevent substance use disorders

An online guide about interventions in early childhood that can help prevent drug use and other unhealthy behaviors was launched today by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, part of the National Institutes of Health.

10 Mar 2016

Better quality of care may reduce mortality risk in patients treated with opioid therapy for pain

Better quality of care may reduce the risk of death for patients who are prescribed opioid painkillers for chronic pain, say Yale researchers. Their study, published Feb. 4 in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, offers evidence that supports recommendations from clinical practice guidelines encouraging physicians to engage patients with mental health services and substance abuse treatment, as well as to avoid co-prescriptions for sedatives.

5 Feb 2016

New nursing competencies may help improve veterans' health care needs

As the daughter of a 27-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force, and herself an intensive care nurse for more than 20 years, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing Professor Jacqueline Moss, Ph.D., is familiar with the U.S. military and caring for its veterans.

13 Jan 2016

New data shows opioid overdose deaths hit record levels in 2014

From 2000 to 2014 nearly half a million Americans died from drug overdoses. Opioid overdose deaths, including both opioid pain relievers and heroin, hit record levels in 2014, with an alarming 14 percent increase in just one year, according to new data published today in CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

20 Dec 2015

Tobacco cessation program needs to be more widely used for teens with substance abuse issues: Study

Substance abuse treatments that target main issues such as serious drug and alcohol addiction are not frequently being used to also wean adolescents from tobacco, a University of Georgia study finds.

4 Nov 2015

BMC partners with RIH, CVS to support pharmacy-based naloxone rescue kits to help combat opioid addiction, overdose

Boston Medical Center has received a $1.3 million grant from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality to support a demonstration project of pharmacy-based naloxone rescue kits to help reduce opioid addiction and overdose death in two New England States: Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

7 Aug 2015

Study measures patient-initiated workplace violence in substance abuse treatment centers

More than four out of five counselors who treat patients for substance abuse have experienced some form of patient-initiated workplace violence according to the first national study to examine the issue, led by Georgia State University Professor Brian E. Bride.

24 Jun 2015

Addiction history indicates bipolar conversion risk from precursor disorders

Substance use and the presence of subthreshold affective symptoms may predict future bipolar disorder in young people with precursor conditions such as depression, research suggests.

27 May 2015

New study finds high mortality risks from alcohol and drug abuse among ex-prisoners

Alcohol and drug misuse are responsible for around a third of all deaths in former male prisoners and half in female ex-prisoners, a new study of almost 48000 ex-prisoners published in The Lancet Psychiatry journal has found. Moreover, the research shows that a substantial proportion of these deaths are from preventable causes, including accidents and suicide (42% in men and 70% in women).

24 Apr 2015

UTHealth study focuses on new cognitive behavioral therapy to treat PTSD, substance use disorders

A new cognitive behavioral therapy designed to treat both post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorders is the focus of research at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Medical School.

3 Mar 2015

ADHD linked to premature death risk

Patients with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder have a significantly increased mortality rate, especially if they are diagnosed in adulthood, a study published in The Lancet shows.

27 Feb 2015

Extremely low birth weight babies at increased risk for psychiatric disorders

The good news is that people born as extremely low birth weight babies are less likely than others to have alcohol or substance use disorders as adults. The less encouraging news is that they may have a higher risk of other types of psychiatric problems.

9 Feb 2015

Psychopathology persists in ultra-high-risk psychosis patients

Patients at ultra-high-risk for psychosis frequently have nonpsychotic disorders and often continue to experience attenuated psychotic symptoms, even if they do not transition to clinical psychosis, a study shows.

27 Nov 2014

Psychotherapies offer options for treating bipolar disorder

Interpersonal and social rhythm therapy and specialist supportive care appear to be equally effective in reducing the symptoms of bipolar disorder in adolescents and young adults with the condition, study findings indicate.

30 Oct 2014

Early detection, increased public awareness can prevent suicide among youth

Although progress has been made in recent years, the matter of youth suicide in Quebec still needs to be more effectively addressed.

17 Oct 2014

Online learning module for medical residents can improve care of substance use disorder patients

Online learning interventions and small group debriefings can improve medical residents' attitudes and communication skills toward patients with substance use disorders, and may result in improved care for these patients, according to a new study from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University College of Medicine published online in Academic Medicine.

9 Oct 2014

Survey of veterans receiving mental health services finds general satisfaction

A survey of U.S. veterans receiving mental health services from the Veterans Health Administration finds general satisfaction, but also significant room for improvement among all areas studied.

21 Aug 2014

Medical advisory panel recommends new pneumonia vaccine for seniors

The experts expressed concern, however, that Medicare rules may hamper some people from getting the new vaccine if they have already had an older version. Also in drug issues, some patient advocates report that insurers are balking at paying for a costly drug to treat hepatitis C if the patients are in drug treatment programs.

15 Aug 2014

First Edition: August 14, 2014

Today's headlines include a report about an uptick in VA referrals to private physicians. Kaiser Health News staff writer Julie Appleby reports: "Some hospitals in New York, Florida and Wisconsin are exploring ways to help individuals and families pay their share of the costs of government-subsidized policies purchased though the health law's marketplaces – at least partly to guarantee the hospitals get paid when the consumers seek care.

14 Aug 2014

Seven Pennsylvania health centers receive federal funding to establish behavioral health services

Department of Public Welfare Secretary Beverly Mackereth today announced that seven Pennsylvania health centers will share $1.75 million in federal funding to establish or expand behavioral health services.

8 Aug 2014