Addiction & Substance Use

How can clinicians help patients struggling with addiction, especially during this time when uncovering past traumas might feel impractical?

While there are risks for prescribing benzodiazepines and opioids concurrently, experts agree there are times when it may be an appropriate treatment decision.

New research is being conducted on how psychedelic substances may change the future of mental health care. Dr Carlin explained more in her speech at the Annual Psychiatric Times® World CME Conference™.

Veterans with chronic pain should consider reducing alcohol usage to combat symptoms.

The acute psychotomimetic effect of cannabis is transitory, but evidence indicates that the chronic use, especially if started in adolescence, contributes to the occurrence of schizophrenia.

Inevitably, some of your patients will need of emergency psychiatric services. These tips will help prepare you and your patients when a crisis unfolds.

Addiction among older adults is associated with worse medical outcomes and increased economic burden of care. The long-term use of psychoactive substances can result in adverse neurological outcomes even at therapeutic doses.

There is evidence in both patients with psychotic disorders and the general population that cannabis use is associated with adverse effects of psychopathology and cognition.

Consumption of cannabis during pregnancy results in a host of problems, including cannabinoid placental crossing and accumulation in the fetal brain as well as other organs.

This innovative program at Massachusetts General Hospital addresses postoperative pain while preventing relapse in patients a history of opioid use disorder.

Virtual happy hours abound, but this is also quite worrisome, especially for those struggling with alcohol and substance use. Alternative solutions are offered in this video.

At a time when preserving public health is our highest priority, why would we want to encourage excessive alcohol use among the vulnerable?

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect the country, SAMHSA and the DEA allow for flexibility in addressing the needs of patients with opioid use disorder.

How much progress has been made in the area of substance use disorders in the last 40 years?

Over the past two decades, deaths associated with alcohol abuse have increased, but little data point to demographic changes.

Access to care has improved-especially for low-income and vulnerable populations-which has resulted in better health outcomes.

Although 6 months is the recommended duration for buprenorphine treatment, many patients discontinue within a few weeks or months of treatment.

James L. Knoll IV, MD, analyzes the ethical and legal duties of psychiatrists treating substance use disorders.

The costs, risks, and considerations involved in treating addiction have upped the ante, as illustrated in this case.

Researchers tested the effects of ketamine combined with motivational enhancement therapy in adults drinking 5 alcoholic beverages per day.

Powerfully addictive, methamphetamine has devastating effects on health and other aspects of life. What is the net result of chronic methamphetamine abuse? Here are 5 of the major indicators.

The herbal supplement kratom may be less addictive and more effective for the management of pain than opioids, according to new research, but caution is needed.

Like it or not, social media has become a constant in our lives, and it is getting harder to unplug. But, is social media actually causing harm?

Public endorsement for potential benefits of the marijuana plant is at an all-time high, even in vulnerable populations, such as pregnant women.

New research highlights the critical need for quality addiction treatment, especially for younger patients. The lead author provides insights about interventions and obstacles to treatment in this Q&A.