Addictive behaviors
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Addictive behaviors · Nov 2019
The associations between deployment experiences, PTSD, and alcohol use among male and female veterans.
Alcohol use is common following traumatic military deployment experiences. What is less clear is why, and for whom, particular deployment experiences lead to alcohol use. ⋯ Taken together, alcohol use following potentially traumatic deployment experiences can be understood by considering PTSD symptom severity, gender, and Life Disruptions.
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Addictive behaviors · Nov 2019
Electronic cigarettes and narghile users in Brazil: Do they differ from cigarettes smokers?
Cigarette smoking prevalence is declining, however, other tobacco products have emerged recently, such as electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and narghile (hookah/shisha/waterpipe). Narghile sales are not prohibited in Brazil, but e-cigarettes are. Accurate estimates of such products are key for proper monitoring and control. ⋯ Our findings may provide valuable information about e-cigarette/narghile use in Brazil. Prevention strategies targeted to youth to both narghile and e-cigarettes use should be implemented together, which might be one strategy to prevent the emergency of a new generation of smokers in Brazil.
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Medication assisted treatment (MAT) is highly effective in reducing illicit opioid use and preventing overdose in individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD); however, treatment retention of patients engaged in MAT is a significant clinical concern. The experience of stress may contribute to a decision to drop out of treatment. The current study is a systematic review conducted across multiple databases of empirical studies on primary appraisal of stress and its relationship to opioid craving, opioid use, and OUD treatment outcomes. ⋯ The preliminary results with clonidine and lofexidine targeting stress in individuals with OUD warrant further studies. To better understand the impact of stress in OUD, future research should consider using repeated assessment of stress in the context of daily life. Utilization of behavioral treatments specifically targeting stress could have benefits in improving OUD outcomes.
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Addictive behaviors · Oct 2019
Substance craving changes in university students receiving heart rate variability biofeedback: A longitudinal multilevel modeling approach.
Previously published findings from a study of university students living in substance use disorder (SUD) recovery housing showed an eight-session heart rate variability biofeedback (HRVB) intervention significantly reduced craving. That study, however, uncovered pronounced inter-participant variability in craving change patterns through the course of HRVB that warranted further exploration. The purpose of the current investigation was to examine how within- and between-person factors may have differentially influenced craving changes. ⋯ HRVB shows promise as an accessible, scalable, and cost-effective complementary anti-craving intervention. Healthcare providers may help persons recovering from SUD to better manage substance craving by the routine and strategic use of HRVB practice.
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Addictive behaviors · Sep 2019
Understanding predictors of improvement in risky drinking in a U.S. multi-site, longitudinal cohort study of transgender individuals: Implications for culturally-tailored prevention and treatment efforts.
While transgender people report higher rates of risky drinking than the general population, no studies have examined transgender alcohol use longitudinally. This study investigated minority stress and identity development predictors of improvement in risky drinking among transgender individuals. ⋯ This is the first study to identity predictors of improvement in risky drinking among transgender individuals. Compared to trans-feminine individuals (assigned male at birth), trans-masculine individuals (assigned female at birth) were more likely to report risky drinking at baseline and had lower odds of improvement at 1-year follow-up. Improved drinking may be facilitated by preventing anti-transgender discrimination. Felt stigma and diffuse-avoidant identity style may lower alcohol risk via avoidance of drinking venues. Further research is needed to explicate these relationships and to inform culturally-tailored alcohol interventions for this at-risk population.