Journal of Addiction

Constraint theory (Hammersley, 2014) offers a novel way of understanding addiction as a lack of cognitive, behavioural, and social constraints on substance use. Here, cannabis constraints were studied in a large online opportunity sample: N  = 302; 205 men, 97 women. Age ranged from 14 to 60 years (mean = 25, SD = 8.0). Most participants were from UK or North America. Participants completed a questionnaire assessing 15 cannabis constraints and standard self-report frequency measures of drug use...

Substance use disorder (SUD) afflicts a large percentage of the United States population, with negative implications that cost more than $420 billion annually. This population often experiences negative emotions throughout the recovery process, including anxiety, depression, stress, and negative affect. Currently, evidence-based treatment strategies for SUD include cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, 12-step programs, and mindfulness-based treatment. One intervention that has not been studied at length among individuals with SUD is use of the natural environment as treatment...

Background: The use of substances such as cigarettes, khat, alcohol, and other illicit drugs like hashish, heroine, cannabis, and cocaine is a global major public threat, which affects young adult people particularly in developing countries. This study aims to assess the risk factors associated with substance use and exposure to sexually explicit materials among high-school adolescents in north Shewa zone, Oromia region. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted to assess substance use and exposure to sexually explicit materials among high-school adolescents in North Shewa zone, Oromiya, Ethiopia, using a structured self-administered questionnaire adapted from the 2008 "Community That Care Youth Survey" for adolescent substance use and problem behaviors...

Background: Although tobacco use is highest in high-income countries, most tobacco-related deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries with the highest number of deaths recorded in East Africa. The aim of this systematic review and meta-analysis is to determine the pooled prevalence and associated factors of current cigarette smoking among Ethiopian university students. Methods: The authors searched databases from PubMed, PsycINFO, Google Scholar, EMBASE, and Web of Sciences...

Background: Central New York has been afflicted by the heroin epidemic with an increase in overdose deaths involving opioids. Objective: The objective of the study was to understand the epidemiology of hospitalizations related to a diagnosis of opioid use (OU). Design: The study was designed as a retrospective analysis of hospitalized patients admitted from January 1, 2008, to December 30, 2018, using ICD-9 and 10 codes for heroin or opiate use, overdose, or poisoning...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Benzodiazepines have been widely used for long periods of time despite their adverse effects. The acute effects on cognition are well established. However, less is known about the long-term effects. This study critically reviewed existing evidence of the association between long-term exposure to benzodiazepines and risk of cognitive decline in adults. METHODS: A systematic review with narrative synthesis was conducted. PubMed and PsycINFO databases were searched using combinations of keywords related to "benzodiazepines" and "cognitive function" from database inception to 12 February 2018 to identify prospective longitudinal studies...

Background: Increasing access to buprenorphine is an important strategy for curtailing the opioid epidemic. Research is needed to understand what facilitates prescribing among waivered physicians and how to increase the willingness and capacity to prescribe. This study describes prescribing patterns in a sample of buprenorphine-waivered physicians in New York (NY) in 2016 and examines factors influencing prescribing capacity among waivered providers. Methods: Surveys were mailed to a random sample of 300 physicians with DEA waivers to prescribe buprenorphine in NY which assessed demographics, practice characteristics, buprenorphine prescribing patterns, and barriers/facilitators to prescribing buprenorphine...

Objectives: Noninvasive estimation of cortical activity aberrance may be a challenge but gives valuable clues of mental health in patients. The goal of the present study was to characterize specificity of electroencephalogram (EEG) electrodes used to assess spectral powers associated with mental health conditions of patients with opioid use disorder. Methods: This retrospective study included 16 patients who had been diagnosed with opioid use disorder in comparison with 16 sex- and age-matched healthy controls...

Background: While pathological gambling, or gambling disorder, is an established diagnosis, a link to other potential behavioural addictions has been suggested. The present study aimed to investigate whether signs of problem gaming and problematic internet use are related to problem gambling in the general population, while including other potential risk factors. Methods: A cross-sectional study design, using an electronical questionnaire, administered through a marketing survey company for relative representativeness with respect to age and gender...

Background: Individuals with opioid dependence are at increased risk of deteriorating health due to the lifestyle connected to heroin use. Barriers surrounding the healthcare system seem to hinder patients to seek help through conventional healthcare, even after entering opioid substitution treatment (OST), resulting in a high level of unmet healthcare needs. However, this field is still unexplored, with only a few studies focusing on general health within this population. The first step, in order to provide suitable and accessible primary healthcare, is to assess the extent of physical symptoms and unmet healthcare needs within the OST population, which, to this point, has been sparsely studied...

Introduction: Opioid assisted treatment (OAT) with buprenorphine (BUP) is front-line medical maintenance intervention for illicit and prescription opioid use disorder (OUD). In many clinics, opioid medication is dispensed for several days for self-administration. This provides flexibility to the patient but may compromise the effectiveness of OAT because of nonadherence or medication diversion. OAT can be delivered as an entirely supervised intervention, but many patients discontinue treatment under this arrangement and dispensing costs may be prohibitive...

Background. Chronic cannabis use has become prevalent with decriminalization, medical prescription, and recreational legalization in numerous US states. With this increasing incidence of chronic cannabis use a new clinical syndrome has become apparent in emergency departments and hospitals across the country, termed Cannabinoid Hyperemesis (CH). CH has been described as cyclical vomiting and abdominal pain in the setting of chronic cannabis use, which is often temporarily relieved by hot showers. CH presents a diagnostic challenge to clinicians who do not have a high clinical suspicion for the syndrome and can result in high costs and resource utilization for hospitals and patients...

Aims. Sleep disturbances are common in addiction and withdrawal. This study examined the course of sleep quality in a population of alcohol dependent patients during qualified detoxification treatment in a psychiatric hospital. Methods. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was administered to 77 electively admitted alcohol dependent patients hospitalized for qualified detoxification treatment. Sleep quality was measured at admission and at discharge. Results. The prevalence of bad sleep as measured by a PSQI-score > 5 was 70...

Background: Epidemiological and experimental models have been applied to describe the disproportionately high prevalence of tobacco use in patients with mental illness. This observed association has become a dire public health concern. The main objective of the present study was to examine the provision of tobacco treatment strategies in a community teaching hospital serving a predominantly underserved African American population. Methods: The study was designed as a retrospective review of eight hundred and thirty patients admitted to the inpatient psychiatric units...

Background: Opioid agonist treatment (OAT), for the treatment of heroin dependence, has been reported to improve overall health and lower mortality. Drug use and retention in treatment have often been used as measures of treatment success. More recently, however, researchers have suggested that measurements of quality of life should be an outcome in substance use treatment evaluations. In a recent randomized controlled trial we demonstrated high rates of successful rapid referral from a needle exchange program (NEP) to OAT...

The long-term use of opioids leads alternations in both innate-adaptive immune systems and other diagnostic hematologic cells. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the alterations of these parameters in patients with heroin/opioid addictions. Adults, meeting the Fifth Edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) criteria of the American Psychiatric Association regarding opioid use disorder (Heroin Group or HG, n = 51) and healthy controls (Control Group or CG, n = 50), were included in the study...

BACKGROUND: Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death. In Thailand, the prevalence of smoking is about 15-20 times higher among men than women. This study aimed to investigate gender differences among university students concerning smoking behaviors, nicotine dependence, and intention to quit smoking. METHODS: A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect information from participants who were current smokers studying at a university in northern Thailand...

Background: Rates of cigarette smoking among the public and individuals with mental illness have been well documented. Studies have demonstrated that prevalence of smoking among individuals with mental illness remains elevated compared to the general population and as a distinct subgroup, individuals with mental illness consume more than a third of cigarettes sold in the U.S. However, information on rates of smoking among patients presenting to a psychiatric emergency room (ER) is lacking...

Background. This study aimed to map differences between male and female offenders with substance abuse, with respect to descriptive characteristics and risk factors for mortality and criminal recidivism. Methods. Criminal justice clients with substance abuse problems ( n = 7085) were interviewed with the Addiction Severity Index. Mortality and data on return to criminal justice were retrieved from national registers. Results. Female offenders reported heavier substance use patterns, more psychiatric symptoms, and more often a partner with substance abuse, but had lower mortality (2% versus 4%) and criminal recidivism (62% versus 71%) during follow-up...

Introduction: A substantial proportion of cancer patients continue to smoke after their diagnosis but few studies have evaluated correlates of nicotine dependence and smoking rate in this population, which could help guide smoking cessation interventions. Aim: This study evaluated correlates of smoking rate and nicotine dependence among 207 cancer patients. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis using multiple linear regression evaluated disease, demographic, affective, and tobacco-seeking correlates of smoking rate and nicotine dependence...