The American journal of drug and alcohol abuse
-
Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse · Jan 2007
Comparative StudyQuality of life among heroin users on buprenorphine versus methadone maintenance.
To assess the quality of life (QoL) of heroin users starting and following 4 and 8 months of maintenance treatment program using buprenorphine vs. methadone. ⋯ The results show the beneficial effects of the maintenance treatment programs using both buprenorphine and methadone with regard to satisfaction with QoL and all specific life domains among heroin-dependent outpatients, with methadone having an earlier onset than buprenorphine. Further studies are needed to identify the factors linked to these benefits and their time course.
-
Nonmedical prescription (Rx) drug use has recently increased, particularly among young adults. Using time-space sampling to generate a probability-based sample of club-going young adults (18-29), 400 subjects provided data on Rx drug misuse. Club-going young adults misuse Rx drugs at high rates. ⋯ Variations by gender and sexuality exist in this population. Young lesbian/bisexual women emerged as the group most likely to abuse Rx drugs. Research into the contexts influencing these patterns is imperative.
-
Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse · Jan 2007
Physical and mental health functioning of urban HIV-infected and uninfected mothers with problem drinking.
Problem drinking is of great concern for mothers, especially those who are HIV-infected. We compared background characteristics, co-occurring drug use, and physical and mental health functioning of urban HIV-infected and uninfected mothers with problem drinking who were raising adolescents. ⋯ Health outcomes for mothers with problem drinking do not appear to be exacerbated by HIV status. Implications for intervention efforts with mothers and their adolescent children are discussed.
-
Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse · Jan 2006
Alcohol use, mental health status and psychological well-being 2 years after the World Trade Center attacks in New York City.
Over the past 30 years, studies have shown that survivors of community-wide disasters suffer from a variety of physical and mental health problems. Researchers also have documented increased substance use in the aftermath of these disasters. In the present study, we examined the relationship between alcohol use and mental health status within the context of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City (NYC). ⋯ In particular, binge drinking was related to partial PTSD, while alcohol dependence was associated subsyndromal PTSD, severity of PTSD, depression, BSI-18 global severity, and SF-12 poor mental health status. Increased post-disaster drinking was positively associated with subsyndromal PTSD and negatively associated with SF-12 physical health. We discuss reasons for these results and the negative consequences that heavy alcohol use may have on the postdisaster recovery process.
-
Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse · Jan 2005
Comparative StudyThe role of alcohol use and depression in intimate partner violence among black and Hispanic patients in an urban emergency department.
The primary objective of this study was to assess the role of alcohol use and depression in intimate partner violence (IPV) victimization and perpetration among Blacks and Hispanics in an underserved urban emergency department population. ⋯ The prevalence of IPV victimization among Blacks and Hispanics were similar (14% and 10%, respectively) but blacks were nearly twice as likely to report IPV perpetration (17% vs. 9%, respectively). Predictors of IPV perpetration were Black race, married or living with a partner, heavy drinking, illicit drug use, and current depression. Depression, but not substance use, also predicted IPV victimization, in addition to Black race, married or living with a partner, and younger age. Screening for substance abuse and depression in an inner city emergency department population may help to identify individuals at high risk of IPV, particularly IPV perpetration.