Articles

Drug-induced prolonged corrected QT interval in patients with methadone and opium overdose

Iran is a country with the highest rate of opioid addiction in the world. The most commonly used opioid in Iran is opium, and methadone is in second place. The trend of drug use has changed from opium to metha...

Authors: Davood Soroosh, Mahbubeh Neamatshahi, Bahram Zarmehri, Samaneh Nakhaee and Omid Mehrpour

Clinicians’ perceptions for indicating and contra-indicating integrated treatment for SUD and comorbid PTSD, a vignette study

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is more common in patients with Substance Use Disorder (SUD) than in the general population. Although international guidelines recommend integrated treatment clinicians are...

Authors: Germa Catherina Maria Nass, Leon Willem van Rens and Boukje Arnolda Gerdina Dijkstra

Higher doses of naloxone are needed in the synthetic opioid era

There has been a dramatic increase of deaths due to illicit fentanyl. We examined the pharmacology of fentanyl and reviewed data on the number of repeat doses of naloxone used to treat fentanyl overdoses. Mult...

Authors: Ronald B. Moss and Dennis J. Carlo

Factor associated with alcohol use among Lahu and Akha hill tribe youths, northern Thailand

Alcohol use impacts several dimensions, including physical health, mental health, families, and social interactions. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence and to determine the factors associated with alc...

Authors: Onnalin Singkorn, Tawatchai Apidechkul, Bukhari Putsa, Sudkhed Detpetukyon, Rachanee Sunsern, Phitnaree Thutsanti, Ratipark Tamornpark, Panupong Upala and Chadaporn Inta

Treatment gap, help-seeking, stigma and magnitude of alcohol use disorder in rural Ethiopia

Although alcohol use disorders contribute a high proportion of population disease burden, the treatment gap is large, especially in low- and middle-income countries. To narrow this gap, contextually relevant e...

Authors: Selamawit Zewdu, Charlotte Hanlon, Abebaw Fekadu, Girmay Medhin and Solomon Teferra

HIV knowledge and risk behaviors among drug users in three Vietnamese mountainous provinces

Globally, people who inject drugs are highly vulnerable to HIV transmission. Methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) programs are one of the most cost-effective mechanisms to substitute opioid use and improve th...

Authors: Tam Minh Thi Nguyen, Bach Xuan Tran, Mercedes Fleming, Manh Duc Pham, Long Thanh Nguyen, Anh Lan Thi Nguyen, Huong Thi Le, Thang Huu Nguyen, Van Hai Hoang, Xuan Thanh Thi Le, Quan Hoang Vuong, Manh Tung Ho, Van Nhue Dam, Thu Trang Vuong, Vu Nguyen, Huong Lan Thi Nguyen…

Factors associated with health-related quality of life in a large national sample of patients receiving opioid substitution treatment in Germany: A cross-sectional study

Knowledge of health-related quality of life (HRQOL) of patients receiving opioid substitution treatment (OST) is limited and fragmented. The present study examines the HRQOL of a large national sample of OST p...

Authors: Lisa Strada, Christiane Sybille Schmidt, Moritz Rosenkranz, Uwe Verthein, Norbert Scherbaum, Jens Reimer and Bernd Schulte

HIV prevention intervention for substance users: a review of the literature

Behavioral Interventions are needed to prevent HIV in substance users, which is associated with higher risk for contracting HIV via unprotected sexual intercourse or syringe-based exposure. We reviewed univers...

Authors: Adel Elkbuli, Valerie Polcz, Brianna Dowd, Mark McKenney and Guillermo Prado

Difference in long-term relapse rates between youths with ketamine use and those with stimulants use

Understanding the relapse risk among different illicit drugs is vital for developing an adequate relapse prevention policy. Therefore, the current study aims to explore the potential difference in long-term re...

Authors: Liang-Jen Wang, Mei-Yen Chen, Chin-Yin Lin, Mian-Yoon Chong, Wen-Jiun Chou, Yu-Han You, Chih-Pu Tsai, Yi-Syuan Chen and Shing-Fang Lu

Accessibility and suitability of residential alcohol treatment for older adults: a mixed method study

Whilst alcohol misuse is decreasing amongst younger adults in many countries, it is increasing in older adults. Residential rehabilitation (rehab) is a vital component of the alcohol treatment system, particul...

Authors: Sarah Wadd and Maureen Dutton

“It’s on everyone’s plate”: a qualitative study into physicians’ perceptions of responsibility for smoking cessation

Little research has investigated in-depth how physicians perceive their role in smoking cessation care. This qualitative study sought to understand physicians’ perceptions of responsibility for smoking cessation.

Authors: E. Meijer, M. Kampman, M. S. Geisler and N. H. Chavannes

Mental health care providers' suggestions for suicide prevention among people with substance use disorders in South Africa: a qualitative study

People with substance use disorders (PWSUDs) are a clearly delineated group at high risk for suicidal behaviour. Expert consensus is that suicide prevention strategies should be culturally sensitive and specif...

Authors: Daniel Goldstone, Jason Bantjes and Lisa Dannatt

Risk and protective factors for substance use among Iranian university students: a national study

Substance use is a major mental health concern among university students. It may result in behavioral and academic problems, psychiatric disorders, and infectious diseases. Thus, this study investigated the ri...

Authors: Farhad Taremian, Hamid Yaghubi, Hamid Pairavi, Seyed Ruhollah Hosseini, Masoud Zafar and Reza Moloodi

Withdrawing attempt and its related factors among Iranian substance users: a case-control study

Substance dependence is considered as an important health disorder with a wide and serious range of psychosocial effects. With regard to the large number of people with substance dependency in Iran and high fa...

Authors: Gholamhossein Shahraki, Zahra Sedaghat and Mohammad Fararouei

Impact of anti-doping education and doping control experience on anti-doping knowledge in Japanese university athletes: a cross-sectional study

This study was conducted to elucidate the anti-doping (AD) education, doping control experience, and AD knowledge according to the World Anti-doping Code (Code) of Japanese university athletes.

Authors: Yuka Murofushi, Yujiro Kawata, Akari Kamimura, Masataka Hirosawa and Nobuto Shibata

Heavy drinking and contextual risk factors among adults in South Africa: findings from the International Alcohol Control study

There is limited information about the potential individual-level and contextual drivers of heavy drinking in South Africa. This study aimed to identify risk factors for heavy drinking in Tshwane, South Africa.

Authors: Pamela J. Trangenstein, Neo K. Morojele, Carl Lombard, David H. Jernigan and Charles D. H. Parry

Smoking, alcohol consumption, and illicit substances use among adolescents in Poland

The use of alcohol, tobacco, and illicit substances typically first occurs in adolescence. The purpose of this study was to examine alcohol, cigarette, and illicit substance use among adolescents in Poland, in...

Authors: Maria Nowak, Malgorzata Papiernik, Alicja Mikulska and Bozena Czarkowska-Paczek

An age-based analysis of nonmedical prescription opioid use among people who use illegal drugs in Vancouver, Canada

Nonmedical prescription opioid use (NMPOU) is a serious public health problem in North America. At a population-level, previous research has identified differences in the prevalence and correlates of NMPOU amo...

Authors: Tessa Cheng, Will Small, Huiru Dong, Ekaterina Nosova, Kanna Hayashi and Kora DeBeck

Older adults in treatment for alcohol use disorders: service utilisation, patient characteristics and treatment outcomes

In western countries demographic changes are leading to an ageing society. Consequently, the number of older adults with alcohol use disorders (AUDs) will rise and the demand of treatment is likely to increase...

Authors: Hanna Dauber, Oliver Pogarell, Ludwig Kraus and Barbara Braun

Comorbid opioid use is undertreated among forensic patients with schizophrenia

Substance use disorders are associated with poorer clinical outcomes in patients with schizophrenia. There is no specific treatment for amphetamine or cannabis use disorder, but methadone and buprenorphine are...

Authors: Kristiina Kivimies, Eila Repo-Tiihonen, Hannu Kautiainen and Jari Tiihonen

Development and psychometric properties of the methamphetamine decisional balance scale (METH-DBS) for young adults

Drug misuse is a major problem that has an extreme negative effect on people’s health. Methamphetamine (MA) is frequently used by young adults, despite its harmful consequences. The Transtheoretical Model (TTM...

Authors: Maryam Khazaee-Pool, Leila Jahangiry, Tahereh Pashaei, Farhad Ramezani-badr, Haidar Nadrian and Koen Ponnet

Pharmacological neuroenhancement and the ability to recover from stress – a representative cross-sectional survey among the German population

Pharmacological neuroenhancement (PNE) refers to the use of psychoactive substances without doctor’s prescription to enhance cognitive performance or to improve mood. Although some studies have reported that d...

Authors: Christiana Bagusat, Angela Kunzler, Jennifer Schlecht, Andreas G. Franke, Andrea Chmitorz and Klaus Lieb

Effects of behavioural activation on substance use and depression: a systematic review

Substance use and depression co-occurrence is a frequent phenomenon and an important public health concern. Given the clinical implications and the high prevalence of both disorders, effective interventions ar...

Authors: Carmela Martínez-Vispo, Úrsula Martínez, Ana López-Durán, Elena Fernández del Río and Elisardo Becoña

Narrating the journey of sustained recovery from substance use disorder

The reported high rate of relapse in the context of an ever-increasing rate of substance abuse internationally and in South Africa together with the fact that the topic of sustained recovery from Substance Use...

Authors: Mandy Stokes, Peter Schultz and Assim Alpaslan

Universal cannabis outcomes from the Climate and Preventure (CAP) study: a cluster randomised controlled trial

The Climate and Preventure (CAP) study was the first trial to assess and demonstrate the effectiveness of a combined universal and selective approach for preventing alcohol use and related harms among adolescents...

Authors: Nicola C. Newton, Maree Teesson, Marius Mather, Katrina E. Champion, Emma L. Barrett, Lexine Stapinski, Natacha Carragher, Erin Kelly, Patricia J. Conrod and Tim Slade

Completion rates and psychosocial intervention effectiveness in an Australian substance use therapeutic community

Program attrition is a major problem in substance use treatment. It is not clear which client and treatment variables are related to successful completion. This study aimed to identify client variables associa...

Authors: Michael Harley, Sabrina Winona Pit, Trent Rees and Susan Thomas

The housing first technical assistance and training (HFTAT) implementation strategy: outcomes from a mixed methods study of three programs

This paper discusses the initial testing of the Housing First Training and Technical Assistance (HFTAT) Program, a multifaceted, distance-based strategy for the implementation of the Housing First (HF) support...

Authors: Dennis P. Watson, Emily Q. Ahonen, Valery Shuman, Molly Brown, Sam Tsemberis, Philip Huynh, Fangqian Ouyang and Huiping Xu

Adolescents, parents and teachers’ perceptions of risk and protective factors of substance use in Moroccan adolescents: a qualitative study

Substance use in adolescents is a global public health concern that continues to draw attention from academics, policy experts, and government officials. In Morocco, few studies have investigated the influenci...

Authors: Hicham El Kazdouh, Abdelghaffar El-Ammari, Siham Bouftini, Samira El Fakir and Youness El Achhab

How broad are state physician health program descriptions of physician impairment?

Physician health program websites in 23 states provide many descriptions of possible physician impairment. This study sought to determine whether these descriptions are so broad that almost everyone might pote...

Authors: Nicholas D. Lawson and J. Wesley Boyd

Assessing the validity and reliability of the Turkish versions of craving beliefs and beliefs about substance use questionnaire in patients with heroin use disorder: demonstrating valid tools to assess cognition-emotion interplay

Cognitions associated with craving and substance use are important contributors for the psychological theories of Substance use disorders (SUD), as they may affect the course and treatment. In this study, we a...

Authors: Melike Küçükkarapınar, Hale Yapici Eser, Vahap Ozan Kotan, Merve Yalcinay-Inan, Rifat Tarhan and Zehra Arikan

Change and variability in drug treatment coverage among people who inject drugs in 90 large metropolitan areas in the USA, 1993–2007

Our previous research has found low and stable mean drug treatment coverage among people who inject drugs (PWID) across 90 large US metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) during 1993–2002. This manuscript updat...

Authors: Barbara Tempalski, Charles M. Cleland, Leslie D. Williams, Hannah L. F. Cooper and Samuel R. Friedman

Use of withdrawal management services among people who use illicit drugs in Vancouver, Canada

For many individuals with substance use disorders, the entry point for addiction treatment can be through withdrawal management (e.g. detoxification) services. However, little is known about the factors that p...

Authors: Sharon Vipler, Kanna Hayashi, M.-J. Milloy, Evan Wood, Ekaterina Nosova, Thomas Kerr and Lianping Ti

Marijuana promotions on social media: adolescents’ views on prevention strategies

Youth exposure to positive marijuana messages increases their risk of marijuana use. Since Washington State legalized recreational marijuana in 2012, marijuana businesses have used social media business pages ...

Authors: Megan A. Moreno, Aubrey D. Gower, Marina C. Jenkins, Bradley Kerr and Jesse Gritton

Suspension of the National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices: the importance of adhering to the evidence

Recently the United States Assistant Secretary of Mental Health and Substance Use disclosed having suspended the National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices, stating it was so deficient in both ...

Authors: Sharon Green-Hennessy

Perceived driving safety and estimated blood alcohol concentration (BAC) the morning after drinking amongst young Australians attending a music festival: a cross-sectional survey

Alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes remain a significant and costly public health issue globally. Particularly young people are over-represented in these incidents. This study set out to explore the factors ...

Authors: Mario Fernando, Johanna Buckland, Prashina Melwani, Vanessa Tent, Philip Preston and Sabrina Winona Pit

Family management risk and protective factors for adolescent substance use in South Africa

An increasingly recognised prevention approach for substance use entails a reduction in risk factors, and the enhancement of promotive, or protective factors in individuals and the environment surrounding them...

Authors: Beatrice Wamuyu Muchiri and Monika M. L. dos Santos

Principles for managing OUD related to chronic pain in the Nordic countries based on a structured assessment of current practice

Long-term use of opioid analgesics (OA) for chronic pain may result in opioid use disorder (OUD). This is associated with adverse outcomes for individuals, families and society. Treatment needs of people with ...

Authors: Johan Kakko, Charlotte Gedeon, Mikael Sandell, Henrik Grelz, Inge Birkemose, Thomas Clausen, Valgerður Rúnarsdóttir, Kaarlo Simojoki, Richard Littlewood, Hannu Alho and Fred Nyberg

“Freshman’s week”: characteristics associated with participation and experiencing adverse effects

“Freshman’s week” (FW) is a Norwegian initiation ritual to higher education. Previous research has suggested that FW-participation is associated with better social adjustment to the student setting, as well as...

Authors: E. K. Erevik, S. Pallesen, Ø. Vedaa, C. S. Andreassen and T. Torsheim

Drug checking: a potential solution to the opioid overdose epidemic?

North America is experiencing an overdose epidemic driven in part by the proliferation of illicitly-manufactured fentanyl and related analogues. In response, communities are scaling up novel overdose preventio...

Authors: Geoff Bardwell and Thomas Kerr

Financial hardship and drug use among men who have sex with men

Little is known about the role of financial hardship as it relates to drug use, especially among men who have sex with men (MSM). As such, this study aimed to investigate potential associations between financi...

Authors: Su Hyun Park, Yazan Al-Ajlouni, Joseph J. Palamar, William C. Goedel, Anthony Estreet, Brian Elbel, Scott E. Sherman and Dustin T. Duncan

Activism and scientific research: 20 years of community action by the Vancouver area network of drug users

Over the past several decades, there have been numerous peer-reviewed articles written about people who use drugs (PWUDs) from the Downtown Eastside neighborhood of Vancouver, Canada. While individual research...

Authors: Ehsan Jozaghi, Alissa M. Greer, Hugh Lampkin and Jane A. Buxton

Pain clinic definitions in the medical literature and U.S. state laws: an integrative systematic review and comparison

In response to widespread opioid misuse, ten U.S. states have implemented regulations for facilities that primarily manage and treat chronic pain, called “pain clinics.” Whether a clinic falls into a state’s p...

Authors: Barbara Andraka-Christou, Joshua B. Rager, Brittany Brown-Podgorski, Ross D. Silverman and Dennis P. Watson

Reasons for betel quid chewing amongst dependent and non-dependent betel quid chewing adolescents: a school-based cross-sectional survey

Betel quid (BQ) chewing in children is initiated in their adolescence. It is pivotal to understand adolescents’ reasons behind chewing BQ. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the reasons for BQ chewing amongst...

Authors: Azmina Hussain, Sidra Zaheer and Kashif Shafique

Cannabis and Kratom online information in Thailand: Facebook trends 2015–2016

Our study aims to evaluate the trends in online information about cannabis and kratom on Facebook in Thailand, where there is current discussion regarding legalizing these drugs.

Authors: Kanittha Thaikla, Kanokporn Pinyopornpanish, Wichuda Jiraporncharoen and Chaisiri Angkurawaranon

Challenges in implementing opioid agonist therapy in Lebanon: a qualitative study from a user’s perspective

Opioid agonist therapy (OAT) has been implemented for the treatment of individuals with opioid use disorders in Lebanon since 2011, but has not been evaluated yet. The aim of the study is to describe the imple...

Authors: Ali Ghaddar, Sanaa Khandaqji and Zeinab Abbass

Substance use and associated factors among Debre Berhan University students, Central Ethiopia

Being a global burden of youths, substances use is unhealthy behavior that exposes youths to health and social problems. Knowledge of the prevalence and predictors of substance use behavior among university st...

Authors: Tesfay Birhane Gebremariam, Kalayu Birhane Mruts and Tedla Kutaye Neway

A comparative analysis of pharmacists’ perspectives on codeine use and misuse – a three country survey

The misuse of codeine is of increasing concern in a number of countries, particularly as this relates to over -the-counter pain and cough relief medication, and is also supplied as a prescription medicine. The...

Authors: Tara Carney, John Wells, Charles D. H. Parry, Padraig McGuinness, Richard Harris and Marie Claire Van Hout

Preventing sensationalistic science and fake news about substance use

Authors: Stephan Arndt and De Shauna Jones

Effects of substance use disorder on treatment process and outcome in a ten-session psychiatric treatment for borderline personality disorder

Dual diagnosis is common in Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), one of the most common being Substance Use Disorder (SUD). Previous studies have shown that general psychiatric management (GPM) was effective...

Authors: Louise Penzenstadler, Stéphane Kolly, Stéphane Rothen, Yasser Khazaal and Ueli Kramer

Weaved into the cultural fabric: a qualitative exploration of alcohol consumption during pregnancy among tribal women in Odisha, India

Evidence-based research has documented the association between alcohol intake during pregnancy and increased risk of miscarriage, stillbirth and congenital birth defects. Alcohol consumption is a complex behav...

Authors: Sanghamitra Pati, Abhimanyu Singh Chauhan, Pranab Mahapatra, Devraj Hansdah, Krushna Chandra Sahoo and Sandipana Pati