Is Reducing Opioids for Pain Patients Linked to Higher Rates of Overdose and Mental Health Crisis?

A UC Davis Health study published in JAMA found a 68% increase in overdose events and a doubling of mental health crises among patients who were on stable opioid therapy but saw their doses tapered.

JNCCN Study Highlights Gaps in Patient Supportive Services at U.S. Cancer Centers

Original post: Newswise - Substance Abuse JNCCN Study Highlights Gaps in Patient Supportive Services at U.S. Cancer Centers

New research in the July 2021 issue of JNCCN indicates a need to increase substance use and mental health support capabilities at cancer centers across the United States. Researchers found 85.4% of centers offered mental health services but only 45.5% had chemical dependency services.

Wisconsin Bioethics Project Chronicles Pregnancy, Substance Use Disorder and the Law

Original post: Newswise - Substance Abuse Wisconsin Bioethics Project Chronicles Pregnancy, Substance Use Disorder and the Law

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is embarking on a massive research project to shed light on early child development, including the health and developmental implications of opioid use during pregnancy. The very first task is to ensure the study — the HEALthy Brain and Child Development study (HBCD) — is on solid legal and ethical ground.

65+ and Lonely? Don’t Talk to Your Doctor About Another Prescription

Original post: Newswise - Substance Abuse 65+ and Lonely? Don't Talk to Your Doctor About Another Prescription

Lonely, older adults are nearly twice as likely to use opioids to ease pain and two-and-a-half times more likely to use sedatives and anti-anxiety medications, putting themselves at risk for drug dependency, impaired attention, falls and other accidents, and further cognitive impairment, according to a study by researchers at UC San Francisco.

Four Themes Identified as Contributors to Feelings of Despair in Pennsylvania Communities

Original post: Newswise - Substance Abuse Four Themes Identified as Contributors to Feelings of Despair in Pennsylvania Communities

Newswise imageFinancial instability, lack of infrastructure, a deteriorating sense of community and family fragmentation are key contributors to diseases of despair in Pennsylvania communities, according to Penn State College of Medicine and Highmark Health researchers.

Food Insufficiency Linked to Lack of Mental Health Services During Pandemic

Original post: Newswise - Substance Abuse Food Insufficiency Linked to Lack of Mental Health Services During Pandemic

A new national study published in Public Health Nutrition on July 15 found that Americans experiencing food insufficiency were three times as likely to lack mental health support during the COVID-19 pandemic than those not experiencing food insufficiency.

Co-locating Contraceptive Services & Opioid Treatment Programs May Help Prevent Unintended Pregnancy

More than 75% of women with Opioid Use Disorder report having had an unintended pregnancy, but they are less likely to use effective contraception compared to women who do not use drugs. Results from a multi-year trial found that a two-part intervention featuring co-located contraceptive services in opioid treatment programs and financial incentives could offer an effective solution.

Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts (FORE) to Release Results from National Survey of Peer Recovery Coaches at Webinar on Understanding and Bolstering the Recovery Workforce

The Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts (FORE) will host a webinar on Understanding and Bolstering the Recovery Workforce and release results from the qualitative portion of its first-ever national surgery of peer recovery coaches. The webinar will take place on Wednesday, July 14, 2021, from 3pm to 4:30pm EST.

High Risk of Divorce After TBI? Not Necessarily, Study Suggests

Original post: Newswise - Substance Abuse High Risk of Divorce After TBI? Not Necessarily, Study Suggests

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) has a major impact on the lives of affected patients and families. But it doesn’t necessarily lead to an increased risk of marital instability, as two-thirds of patients with TBI are still married to the same partner 10 years after their injury, reports a study in the July/August issue of the Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation (JHTR). The official journal of the Brain Injury Association of America, JHTR is published in the Lippincott portfolio by Wolters Kluwer.

UM School Of Medicine Researchers Receive NIH Avant Garde Award For Out-Of-Box, Innovative Concept To Cure HIV And Treat Co-Existing Addiction

University of Maryland School of Medicine (UMSOM) Professor of Diagnostic Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, Linda Chang, MD, MS, received the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) 2021 Avant Garde Award (DP1) for HIV/AIDS and Substance Use Disorder Research — a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director’s Pioneer Award.