Treatment

The range of medical, psychological, and social services designed to help individuals reduce or stop substance use and manage substance use disorders. Treatment may include assessment, counselling and behavioural therapies, medication-assisted treatment, withdrawal management, and support for co-occurring mental or physical health conditions. Effective treatment is typically person-centred and evidence-informed, and may be provided in outpatient, community, or residential settings. Treatment aims to improve health and functioning, reduce substance-related harms, and support individuals in moving toward recovery and long-term wellbeing. 

Mental Health and Synthetic Cannabinoid Use

Scientific article
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Recently published in the journal Pediatrics, the first prospective study of synthetic cannabinoids (SCs) – chemicals that mimic the effects of marijuana – links depressive symptoms and marijuana and alcohol consumption with an increased...

A Scientific Development for the Treatment of Cocaine Addiction?

Scientific article
A new study published in the journal Biological Psychiatry claims that one’s desire for cocaine may be reduced by blocking signalling from a specific system in the brain primarily responsible for promoting wakefulness and appetite. The lead...

Emotional Abuse during Childhood Linked to Future Opioid Use

Scientific article
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Recently published in the journal Addictive Behaviors, a new study claims the existence of a link between childhood abuse and opioid use later in life. According to the investigation, emotional abuse, specifically, more so than sexual or...

Understanding the Brain’s Role in Drug Addiction

Scientific article
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Findings recently revealed in Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews and the Journal of Neuroscience suggest the cerebellum is co-responsible for the alterations in the brain that are linked with excessive substance abuse. This goes against...

Preventing and Treating Tobacco Use among Canadian Youth

Scientific article
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The Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care has issued a new evidence-based guideline for combatting tobacco use by children and young adults aged 5 – 18, suggesting that physicians ought to have a more active role in the prevention...