Association of Opioid Agonist Therapy with Lower Incidence of Hepatitis C Virus Infection in Young Adult Injection Drug Users JAMA Internal Medicine In this cohort of young adult injection drug users, recent maintenance opioid agonist therapy was associated with a lower incidence of HCV infection. Maintenance treatment with methadone or buprenorphine for opioid use disorders may be an important strategy to prevent the spread of HCV infection among young injection drug users.
NIAAA Patient Resource – Treatment for Alcohol Problems: Finding and Getting Help NIAAA This guide is written for individuals, and their family and friends, who are looking for options to address alcohol problems. It is intended as a resource to understand what treatment choices are available and what to consider when selecting among them.
Take Action Against Hepatitis C: For People in Recovery from Mental Illness or Addiction SAMHSA This comic book presents basic information about hepatitis C for people with mental illness or substance use disorders. It uses plain language and a simple cartoon style to explain what hepatitis C is, how to avoid it, what’s involved with screening, and treatment options.
Impact of State Policy and Systems-Level Interventions on Prescription Drug Overdose Drug and Alcohol Dependence While important efforts are underway to affect prescriber and patient behavior, data on state policy and systems-level interventions are limited and inconsistent. Improving the evidence base is a critical need so states, regulatory agencies, and organizations can make informed choices about policies and practices that will improve prescribing and use, while protecting patient health.
The HIPAA-Compliant Cloud Addiction Professional Addiction professionals hardly need the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) to tell them how important it is to safeguard the records of their clients. Perhaps more than workers in any other field, addiction professionals understand how sensitive this information is and how disastrous it would be if their clients' files became public or fell into the wrong hands. A single data breach, they know, could lead to dozens or even hundreds of ruined lives...
Patient Predictors of Alcohol Treatment Outcome: A Systematic Review Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment For this study, patient characteristics as predictors of alcohol use disorder treatment outcome were examined on three levels, identifying whether or not variables were significant predictors of drinking-related outcome in univariate analysis, in multivariate analysis, and in multivariate analyses limited to studies including several “key predictors.” The most consistent predictors overall were dependence severity, psychopathology ratings, alcohol-related self-efficacy, motivation, and treatment goal...
LSD-Assisted Psychotherapy for Anxiety Associated with a Life-Threatening Disease MAPS LSD-assisted psychotherapy in patients with life-threatening diseases demonstrated safety and positive stable treatment outcomes at long-term follow-up investigation. Systematic evaluations of semi-structured qualitative interviews with the participants point to cognitive, psychodynamic, and emotional experiences induced by LSD which contribute to sustained treatment effects.
NIDA Researchers Confirm Important Brain Reward Pathway National Institutes of Health Details of the role of glutamate, the brain’s excitatory chemical, in a drug reward pathway have been identified for the first time. This discovery in rodents — published in Nature Communications — shows that stimulation of glutamate neurons in a specific brain region (the dorsal raphe nucleus) leads to activation of dopamine-containing neurons in the brain’s reward circuit (dopamine reward system).
Saskatchewan: Government Mental Health and Addictions Action Plan Saskatchewan Addressing and improving mental health and addictions services across many sectors is complex, and will take the efforts of many ministries and organizations collaborating together. The recommendations in the Mental Health and Addictions Action Plan provide a guide to approach this issue with new ways of thinking and working together over the next 10 years.
MicroRNA-30a-5p in the Prefrontal Cortex Controls the Transition from Moderate to Excessive Alcohol Consumption Molecular Psychiatry The BDNF signaling pathway is activated by moderate intake of alcohol to prevent escalation to excessive drinking. Here, data suggests that the transition from moderate to uncontrolled alcohol intake occurs, in part, upon a breakdown of BDNF...
Marijuana Policy: Separating Scientific Facts from Popular Fiction The Heritage Foundation ASAM President Stuart Gitlow, MD, MPH, MBA spoke at this Heritage event on December 9, discussing the “marijuana question.” The full video is available online.
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