May 10th 2024
Here’s how an integrated psychosocial and pharmacologic approach can enhance SUD treatment.
The Role of Substance Abuse in Intimate Partner Violence
January 1st 2006Intimate partner violence is a common problem and a significant public health concern. Substance use is involved in 40% to 60% of IPV incidents. Several lines of evidence suggest that when substance use and IPV co-occur, substance use may play a facilitative role in IPV by precipitating or exacerbating violence. This article will review epidemiological, clinical and treatment research relevant to substance-abusing men with co-occurring domestic violence.
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Treatment Compliance in Patients With Co-Occurring Mental Illness and Substance Abuse
January 1st 2006Treatment compliance is a crucial determinant of the outcome of any disease. Poor treatment compliance can worsen the prognosis and significantly increase health care costs. Effective methods to improve treatment compliance for individuals with comorbid mental illness and SUDs will translate in better outcome for the patients and significant health care cost savings.
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The Diagnosis and Treatment of Substance Abuse/ Dependence and Co-Occurring Social Anxiety Disorder
January 1st 2006Social anxiety disorder and drug addiction commonly co-occur in the same individual, complicating the presentation, course and treatment of both disorders. Using drugs or alcohol may be a coping mechanism for social anxiety; however, many treatments for addiction are group-based approaches, which would be especially challenging for people with social anxiety disorder. This article provides a brief overview of what is known about the co-occurrence of these disorders, as well as possible treatment interventions for this population.
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Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Substance Use Disorders in Adolescents
January 1st 2006There has been increasing interest in the overlap between attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and substance use disorders. Pharmacotherapeutic treatment of ADHD in children reduces the risk for later SUD in adolescence and adulthood. In contrast, medication treatment of substance-abusing adolescents with ADHD does not reduce the SUD. Diagnostic and treatment strategies for adults with ADHD plus SUDs are discussed.
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Opiate detoxification in the outpatient setting often depends on what services are available in the community. Many clinicians think that a methadone maintenance or taper regimen, combined with substance abuse treatment therapy, offers the best chance to prevent relapse. If possible, enrolling a patient promptly in such a program should be considered. Regardless of detoxification method, referral for psychosocial drug treatment is indicated.
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The Conceptualization and Role of Impulsivity: Bipolar Disorder and Substance Abuse
July 1st 2005Impulsive behaviors play an important role in both bipolar and substance abuse disorders. However, results of studies investigating this link are often ambiguous, in part, due to the multidimensional nature of the impulsivity construct and the fact that many studies use a single measurement technique. We describe a model of impulsivity characterized by three components: response initiation, response inhibition and consequence sensitivity. How these components differ from one another in terms of their use, behavioral theory and biological function is discussed, along with measurement techniques.
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In the past decade, important advances have been made in detecting and treating substance abuse disorders. In addition, research has revealed influences on the etiology and course of SUDs. Dr Pettinati introduces this Addictive Disorders Special Report, noting that the articles add to this knowledge base.
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Treating Insomnia in Patients With Substance Use/Abuse Disorders
February 1st 2004Patients who use or abuse alcohol and other substance are at high risk for insomnia and present unique challenges for treating this debilitating disease. The three avenues of treatment--behavioral, OTC medications and prescription medications--are reviewed and future trends are outlined.
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Treating Insomnia in Patients With Substance Use/Abuse Disorders
February 1st 2004espite the fact that about 30% of our life is spent sleeping and decades of research have been spent on sleep, we still do not know its real function. What we do know is lack of sleep can have serious implications, such as increased risk of depressive disorders, impaired breathing and heart disease. On the other hand, nighttime sleep disturbance is usually followed by excessive daytime sleepiness that is associated with delayed problems like memory deficits and impaired social and occupational function, and immediate consequences such as car accidents (Kupfer and Reynolds, 1997; Roehrs and Roth, 1995).
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Treating Co-Occurring Substance Use Disorders and Hepatitis C
February 1st 2004Chronic infection with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) is frequently complicated by the presence of co-existing substance use disorders and mental illnesses. It is important to find improved ways to address barriers to care, and to provide effective and humane care to patients suffering from HCV infection.
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Does Marijuana Withdrawal Syndrome Exist?
February 1st 2002The question of whether a clinically significant marijuana (cannabis) withdrawal syndrome exists remains controversial. In spite of the mounting clinical and preclinical evidence suggesting that such a syndrome exists, the DSM-IV does not include marijuana withdrawal as a diagnostic category.
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'Substance P' Antagonist Relieves Depression
November 1st 1998An investigational compound that blocks the neurokinin "substance P" has demonstrated robust antidepressant effect in preliminary clinical testing against paroxetine (Paxil) and placebo. This finding has been described by as "a breakthrough discovery" in mental health care.
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Practice Parameters Offer Guidance on Substance Use Disorders in Children, Adolescents
April 1st 1998After a teenager's suicide attempt, her desperate and bewildered parents dragged her to a mental health clinic. The 16-year-old admitted to drinking nearly every day and using an assortment of other illicit drugs. Only after a month in treatment did the clinician learn that the teenager had been molested when she was 8 years old by an uncle and threatened with death if she ever told her parents.
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SAMHSA Study Uncovers Increasing Substance Abuse Among Young Girls
April 1st 1998The findings are disturbing. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), in an effort to measure substance use and abuse among women, compiled data from its National Household Survey on Drug Abuse into a new report, Substance Use Among Women in the United States, which was released in September 1997. What they found is a worrisome indicator that substance use in this country is a significant problem for women, particularly among young girls ages 10 to 14.
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Steps to Accurate Diagnosis of Substance Abuse
July 1st 1997Because alcohol- and drug-dependent patients tend to develop high rates of symptoms usually associated with common psychiatric syndromes, practitioners often fail to diagnose substance dependence and instead jump to treat more familiar disorders. The risk that such circumstances will occur is understandable given statistics that two of every three alcohol- or drug-dependent individuals meet the criteria for psychiatric disorders and one of every three such individuals meets the criteria for anxiety or depressive disorders.
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