Substance Use Disorder News and Research

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Suicide attempts common in young bipolar patients

Suicidal behavior is common among young people with bipolar disorder, with around one in five attempting to take their own lives, researchers report.

10 Jul 2012

Hot weather increases death risk in psychosis patients

Hot weather is associated with increased mortality rates among patients with psychosis, dementia, or substance use disorder, UK research shows.

13 Jun 2012

Fifth edition of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders to be published in 2013

Every new edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders stirs up a host of questions and controversies, and the next DSM-the DSM-5, to be published in 2013-is no exception.

7 Jun 2012

Physicians advised to use caution in prescribing sedatives for patients taking opioids

Adverse events associated with taking opioid pain medications increase in patients who concurrently use sedatives and alcohol. A study in The Journal of Pain, published by the American Pain Society, advises physicians to use caution in prescribing sedatives for patients taking opioids, even if there is no history of substance abuse.

30 Mar 2012

Silver Hill Hospital announces opening of Chronic Pain and Addiction Center

Silver Hill Hospital, the nationally recognized psychiatric hospital in New Canaan, CT, announces the opening of the Chronic Pain and Addiction Center, an intensive residential treatment program for patients with pain who have become addicted to opioid medications.

28 Feb 2012

Link between NRXN3 gene and impulsivity

Being impulsive can lead us to say things we regret, buy things we really don't need, engage in behaviors that are risky and even develop troublesome addictions. But are different kinds of hastiness and rashness embedded in our DNA? A new study suggests the answer is yes -- especially if you're a man.

17 Nov 2011

BGS journal highlights lack of designated service provision for older addicts

There is an increasing prevalence of substance problems in older people but a lack of designated service provision to help treat older addicts highlights an editorial published today in Age & Ageing, the official journal of the British Geriatrics Society.

18 Oct 2011

Coalition calls for affordable and flexible essential health benefits package

The newly-formed Essential Health Benefits Coalition today urged the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to hold the cost and affordability of the essential health benefits package paramount as recommended by the Institute of Medicine (IOM).

7 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

Gender-based violence may increase lifetime prevalence of mental disorders in women

Women who reported experiencing gender-based violence, such as rape, sexual assault, intimate partner violence and stalking, had an associated higher lifetime prevalence of mental health disorders, dysfunction and disability, according to a study in the August 3 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on violence and human rights.

3 Aug 2011

Roundup: Vt. House vote on universal health care could come today; Calif. group warns of rising costs of retiree health care and pensions

The House is slated Thursday to take up a conference committee report on a bill designed to put the state on the path to universal health care by 2017 if not sooner. The bill sets up a new Green Mountain Care Board to design a system to provide health insurance to every Vermont resident.

6 May 2011

Veterans with mental illness show increased rates of substance use disorders

A new study published in The American Journal on Addictions reveals that Veterans who suffer from mental health disorders also have high rates of substance use disorders.

21 Apr 2011

High rates of substance use disorders among veterans with mental illness

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19 Apr 2011

ASAM issues white paper to halt medical marijuana use

Citing the dangers of marijuana, the lack of clinical research on a controlled substance with a high potential for abuse, and the physician's oath to "first, do no harm," the American Society of Addiction Medicine today issued a white paper recommending a halt to using the weed as a medicine in states where it has been declared legal.

24 Mar 2011

SAMHSA: 4.8% U.S. adults suffer from serious mental illness

According to new results from a national survey, 19.9 percent of American adults in the United States (45.1 million) have experienced mental illness over the past year. The survey conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) indicates that 11 million adults (4.8 percent) in the U.S. suffered serious mental illness in the past year a diagnosable mental disorder has substantially interfered with, or limited one or more major life activities.

19 Nov 2010

Many antisocial boys may have malfunctioning brains

Antisocial boys who abuse drugs, break laws, and act recklessly are not just "bad" kids. Many of these boys may have malfunctioning brains, according to a new study by researchers at the University of Colorado School of Medicine.

24 Sep 2010

Lawmakers urge health insurers to enforce new Mental Parity Act

The Hill: "Health plans that say mental illnesses can't be treated like physical ailments are relying on an 'outdated argument' without merit that does not reflect 'three decades of scientific research,' 52 House members wrote in a recent letter to regulators. The comments come as a landmark law requiring parity in how health plans cover physical and mental illness went into effect Thursday.

3 Jul 2010

Veterans with substance use disorders utilize violent means to commit suicide: Study

Veterans with substance use disorders who die by suicide are more likely to use violent means (such as a firearm) rather than nonviolent means (such as a drug overdose), new research suggests.

22 Jun 2010

Study finds anxiety/panic disorder as most-disabling psychiatric disorder associated with TS

An assessment of patients with adult Tourette syndrome (TS) to identify clinical factors that contribute to psychosocial and occupational disabilities resulting from the vocal or motor tics that define TS found that anxiety/panic disorder may be the most disabling psychiatric condition associated with the disorder.

18 Jun 2010

SOA provides clarity regarding law's consequences on existing health insurance plans, benefits

With the approaching national implementation of The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act on July 1, 2010, members of the Society of Actuaries are providing clarity regarding the law's potential unintended consequences on consumers' existing health insurance plans and benefits. While the law is intended to provide non-discriminatory mental health coverage, members of the SOA are helping consumers and large and small employers understand what effects the law will have on current health plan offerings, and what individuals can do to help avoid higher out-of-pocket costs.

16 Jun 2010