Addictive behaviors
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Addictive behaviors · Apr 2014
Reducing risk for illicit drug use and prescription drug misuse: High school gay-straight alliances and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth.
Previous research suggests that lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth are at elevated risk for using illicit drugs and misusing prescription drugs relative to heterosexual youth. Previous research also indicates that LGBT youth who attend high schools with a gay-straight alliance (GSA) report having fewer alcohol problems and lower levels of cigarette smoking. The present study investigates whether the absence of a GSA is associated with risk for illicit drug use and prescription drug misuse in a sample of 475 LGBT high school students (M age=16.79) who completed an online survey. ⋯ Youth without a GSA also evidenced increased risk for the misuse of ADHD medication (adjOR=2.00; 95% CI=1.02-3.92) and prescription pain medication (adjOR=2.00; 95% CI=1.10-3.65). These findings extend the research base related to GSAs and further demonstrate the importance of providing LGBT youth with opportunities for socialization and support within the school setting. Important limitations of the present study are reviewed.
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Addictive behaviors · Mar 2014
Review Meta AnalysisPrevalence of Axis-1 psychiatric (with focus on depression and anxiety) disorder and symptomatology among non-medical prescription opioid users in substance use treatment: systematic review and meta-analyses.
Non-medical prescription opioid use (NMPOU) constitutes a substantial clinical and public health concern in North America. Although there is evidence of elevated rates of mental health problems among people with NMPOU, the extent of these correlations specifically in treatment samples has not been systematically assessed. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted for Axis-1 psychiatric diagnoses and symptoms with a principal focus on depression and anxiety disorders in substance use treatment samples reporting NMPOU at admission to treatment (both criteria within past 30days). 11 unique studies (all from either the United States or Canada) met inclusion criteria and were included in the meta-analysis. ⋯ The prevalence rates of psychiatric problems (both diagnosis and symptoms), depression diagnosis and anxiety diagnosis are disproportionately high in substance use treatment samples reporting NMPOU relative to general population rates. Adequate and effective clinical strategies are needed to address co-occurring NMPOU and mental health in substance use treatment systems, especially given rising treatment demand for NMPOU. Efforts are needed to better understand the temporal and causal relationships among NMPOU, mental health problems, and treatment seeking in order to improve interventions.
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Addictive behaviors · Mar 2014
ReviewTobacco harm reduction: the need for new products that can compete with cigarettes.
Over the last 50 years, the concept of tobacco harm reduction has been well established. It is now understood that nicotine itself is not very harmful and nicotine replacement therapy products have been widely used as an aid to quit, reduce to quit or temporarily abstain from smoking for many years. ⋯ The need for more appealing, licensed nicotine products capable of competing with cigarettes sensorially, pharmacologically and behaviourally is considered by many to be the way forward. The significant positive impact on public health that could be gained from encouraging people to switch from cigarettes to licensed medicinal nicotine products cannot be ignored.
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Addictive behaviors · Mar 2014
Randomized Controlled TrialA cognitive behavioral smoking abstinence intervention for adults with chronic pain: a randomized controlled pilot trial.
Current evidence suggests it may be difficult for patients with chronic pain to quit smoking and, based on previous formative work, a 7-session individual and group-based cognitive behavioral (CB) intervention was developed. The primary aim of this randomized controlled pilot trial was to test the hypothesis that abstinence at month 6 would be greater among patients with chronic pain who received the CB intervention compared to a control condition. Upon admission to a 3-week interdisciplinary pain treatment (IPT) program, patients were randomized to receive the CB intervention (n=30) or the control condition (n=30). ⋯ At week 3, a significant group by time interaction effect was found where the CB patients experienced greater improvements in self-efficacy from baseline compared to the control group (P=.002). A greater proportion of patients randomized to the CB group completed the IPT program (P=.052). The findings of this pilot trial suggest that integration of a CB-based smoking abstinence intervention into ongoing pain therapy may be an effective treatment for smokers with chronic pain.
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Addictive behaviors · Mar 2014
Prescription opioid use among university students: assessment of post-cue exposure craving.
Despite the increasing number of prescriptions written to adolescents and young adults for opioid analgesics, the rise in non-medical use of such drugs among university students, and the potential role of craving in the misuse of opioids, there have been no published studies assessing craving for prescription opioids in this population. Therefore, the current study was designed to assess the impact of prescription opioid-related cue exposure on craving in university students. Students (n=277) recruited from a large university in the Midwestern United States were randomly assigned to two conditions to test the impact of cue exposure to either prescription opioid-related stimuli or control stimuli. ⋯ In addition, when assessing correlates of post-cue exposure craving, negative mood and procurement of prescription opioids from non-medical sources were the only measured variables that were significantly associated with overall craving and/or any of the craving measure's subscales. Craving may be important aspect of prescription opioid use among university students. Future research assessing craving as a function of non-medical user subtype is warranted.