The Authors’ Own Words: We ask authors to describe their impressions regarding the implications of their accepted work, how their findings will change practice, and what is noteworthy about the work.

Overdose History Is Associated with Post-Detoxification Treatment Preference for Persons with Opioid Use Disorder

Michael D. Stein, MD; Jessica N. Flori, BA; Megan M. Risi,BD; Micah T. Conti, BA; Bradley J. Anderson, PhD; & Genie L. Bailey, MD

Substance Abuse Vol. 38, Iss. 4, 2017

“Treatment preference was significantly associated with sex, homelessness, and history of drug overdose, which two in five persons reported in their lifetime. While residential treatment was the treatment choice of only 11% of this cohort, persons who chose residential treatment were more likely to have experienced an overdose compared to persons who chose other aftercare options. Honoring patient preferences for aftercare may enhance transition to and engagement in aftercare.”

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The Authors’ Own Words: We ask authors to describe their impressions regarding the implications of their accepted work, how their findings will change practice, and what is noteworthy about the work.

The Concurrent Validity of the Problem Oriented Screening Instrument for Teenagers (POSIT) Substance Use/Abuse Subscale in Adolescent Patients in an Urban Federally Qualified Health Center

Sharon M. Kelly, PhD; Kevin E. O’Grady, PhD; Jan Gryczynski, PhD; Shannon Gwin Mitchell, PhD; Arethusa Kirk, MD; & Robert P. Schwartz, MD

Substance Abuse Vol. 38, Iss. 4, 2017

“Adolescents are a high-risk group for health consequences related to substance use, so it is important to identify as many adolescents as possible with risky substance use. However, only about half of Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHC) screen adolescents as recommended. Moreover, rates of alcohol and cannabis use disorder found in the current study were considerably higher than national rates among adolescents, further emphasizing the need for routine screening in FQHCs. This study provides novel findings on the POSIT’s substance use/abuse standard subscale and a shorter, revised subscale in a FQHC using DSM-5 criteria. Our findings suggest that both versions of the POSIT’s subscales (17- and 11-item subscales) are reliable and valid for screening adolescents for potential substance use problems. In light of studies citing time constraints and lack of standardized assessments as barriers to screening adolescents for substance use, these POSIT subscales could be considered for use in busy FQHCs or other medical practices along with other validated measures such as the CRAFFT. Although the POSIT would take longer to administer than the CRAFFT, it contains items that may provide more detailed information to guide the clinical discussion.”

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The Authors’ Own Words: We ask authors to describe their impressions regarding the implications of their accepted work, how their findings will change practice, and what is noteworthy about the work.

Energy Drinks and Alcohol Related Risk among Young Adults

Celeste M. Caviness, PhD; Bradley J. Anderson, PhD; & Michael D. Stein, MD

Substance Abuse Vol. 38, Iss. 4, 2017

“Mixing alcohol and energy drinks is popular among young adults. The current study found this behavior is associated with increased risk for negative alcohol consequences in this population as compared to those who did not use energy drinks or did not mix them with alcohol. Health care providers, community health centers, and general health screening tools might target concurrent ED and alcohol use in an effort to identify and intervene on a risk behavior with deleterious consequences to young adults.”

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Our blog and twitter have been delayed for the past week due to all the various situations happening in the world! However, fear not! We are back to our happy place – providing author’s thoughts and insight to some of our favorite manuscripts! The Authors’ Own Words returns tonight!

If you find yourself needing a break from all that working from home, check out our newest issue, Volume 41 Issue 1.

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We hope all our readers are staying safe and healthy!

The Authors’ Own Words: We ask authors to describe their impressions regarding the implications of their accepted work, how their findings will change practice, and what is noteworthy about the work.

Exploring social work student education: The effect of a harm reduction curriculum on student knowledge and attitudes regarding opioid use disorders

Anthony Estreet, PhD, MSW; Paul Archibald, DrPH, MSW; M. Taqi Tirmazi, PhD, MSW; Sapphire Goodman, MSW; & Tracy Cudjoe, MSW

Substance Abuse Vol. 38, Iss. 4, 2017

“This study highlights the benefits of including a harm reduction module into a social work education curriculum. Addressing harm reduction resulted in positive shifts in MSW student’s knowledge and attitudes towards addressing opioid use disorders. As schools of social work continue to respond to the growing needs of the behavioral health workforce, utilizing a similar harm reduction module approach could serve as a means to enhance the existing social work curriculum.”

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