Addiction

Adolescent Brain Development, Substance Use, and Psychotherapeutic Change

Wetherill, R., & Tapert, S. F. (2013). Adolescent brain development, substance use, and psychotherapeutic change. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 27(2), 393.

Adolescence involves dramatic biologic, psychological, and behavioural changes.

Adolescents respond, learn and explore their environment, forming new relationships and further developing their identity.

It is often a time where individuals are more likely to participate in risky behaviour, frequently influenced by substance use. Substance use among adolescents ranges from experimentation to severe substance use disorders.

Peer Recovery Support Series, Section IV: The Participatory Process for Solutions to Addiction

Webinar,
Description

To support a cohesive recovery community and addiction field services, there needs to be alignment. The treatment model for addiction has evolved with time. There are multiple pathways to recovery for substance use disorder. As treatment for addiction has changed and grown, there is a need for peer to peer participatory process. The outlook on addiction is still strongly negative in areas of the world.

Suggestions about Treatment, Care and Rehabilitation of People with Drug Use Disorder in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Created by
UNODC

In these challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic, UNODC continues to focus on delivering vital assistance to those in need, including to people who use drugs and with drug use disorders, who are in prison and who have HIV/Hepatitis C. 

UNODC has released a statement entitled

Suggestions about treatment, care and rehabilitation of people with drug use disorder in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Exploring Opioid Overdose Incidence in a Cohort of People Who Inject Drugs

Created by
NDARC

This seminar provides a preliminary examination of the range of information available on opioid overdose in Australia’s largest and only active cohort study of people who use drugs.

Penny Hill from the Burnet Institute explores a range of self-report and linked data including data collected on ambulance attendances, emergency department presentations and deaths.

COVID-19 Guidance for Opioid Treatment Programs

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has developed new guidelines for professionals and organisations delivering substance use treatment in the US. The guidelines cover. Guidance on pharmacotherapy for opioid use disorder (OUD) availability in circumstances in which patients may be exposed to highly contagious infectious agents (such as COVID-19) Opioid Treatment Programme Guidance for Patients Quarantined at Home with the Coronavirus

WEBINAR: Cary Hopkins Eyles on Authentic Self-Care for Addiction Professionals

Created by
ISSUP
Publication Date

This webinar focuses on the issue of self-care for addiction professionals and was delivered by ICUDDR Deputy Director Cary Hopkins Eyles.

Many of us are drawn to work in the field of substance use disorders due to our history, family, and personal traits, such as compassion and empathy. While these can be great assets, they can also be detrimental to us personally.

Outreach to People Who Survive Opioid Overdose

Langabeer, J., Champagne-Langabeer, T., Luber, S. D., Prater, S. J., Stotts, A., Kirages, K., ... & Chambers, K. A. (2020). Outreach to people who survive opioid overdose: Linkage and retention in treatment. Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, 111, 11-15.

Often it takes a critical moment, such as when someone survives an overdose, to motivate behavioural change.

It is particularly important that at these times people have access to the appropriate treatment.

Trajectories of psychological distress during recovery from polysubstance use disorder

Aleksander H. Erga, Audhild Hønsi, Liss Gøril Anda-Ågotnes, Sverre Nesvåg, Morten Hesse & Egon Hagen (2020) Trajectories of psychological distress during recovery from polysubstance use disorder, Addiction Research & Theory, DOI: 10.1080/16066359.2020.1730822
Publication Date

Abstract
Introduction: Polysubstance use is a prevalent substance use pattern with adverse effects on psychological distress and diminished treatment outcomes. Although polysubstance use often dominates clinical practice, the trajectories of substance use and psychological distress in the initial phase of treatment have been subject to few empirical investigations.