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 Impact of Social Support and Attachment Style on Quality of Life and Readiness to Change in a Sample of Individuals Receiving Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid Dependence
Alan A. Cavaiola , Barbara A. Fulmer , David Stout
Substance Abuse
Vol. 36, Iss. 2, 2015

Social support is considered a vital factor in substance use disorder recovery. This research examines the types of social support behaviors that the opioid dependent individuals consider helpful and explores whether attachment style was a determining factor in whether social support was perceived as helpful. While social support predicted perceived improvement in overall quality of life and abstinence, secure attachment style did not predict improvement or with readiness to change as predicted (most participants fell within the Precontemplation category. Since social support was found to be important in one’s decision to initiate treatment and to maintain abstinence (with counselors and first-degree family members being identified as main supports. This suggests that counselors may increase positive treatment outcomes by developing positive, supportive therapeutic relationship with clients and by involving first-degree family members as soon as possible in the treatment process.

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.

Developing a Research Career Focusing on a Stigmatized and Marginalized Population: Sexual Minority Women’s Drinking
Tonda L. Hughes
Substance Abuse
Vol. 36, Iss. 2, 2015

Sexual minority women are a population group considered by the Institute of Medicines to be greatly understudied. Findings from Dr. Hughes’ studies have global implications for understanding sexual minority women’s high-risk health profiles, for improving the health and quality of life of both sexual minority and heterosexual populations, and for progress toward eliminating health disparities based on sexual orientation.

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.

Psychiatric Morbidity in Ketamine Users Attending Counselling and Youth Outreach Services
Wai Kwong Tang , Celia J. A. Morgan , Grace C. Lau , Hua Jun Liang , Alan Tang , Gabor S. Ungvari
Substance Abuse
Vol. 36, Iss. 1, 2015

The current findings suggest an enhancement of systematic screening on depression in ketamine users in Counseling Centres for Psychotropic Substance Abusers and other youth outreach services. Referral mechanism is available in those centres, however, without systematic screening, ketamine users with depressive symptoms may not receive the treatment which is deemed necessary and in turn affects the prognosis of their conditions.

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.

Personal Network Characteristics of Youth in Substance Use Treatment: Motivation for and Perceived Difficulty of Positive Network Change
Tammy Chung , Lauren Sealy , Margaret Abraham , Cynthia Ruglovsky , Jacqueline Schall , Stephen A. Maisto
Substance Abuse
Vol. 36, Iss. 3, 2015

Friends and family can have an important impact in supporting youth recovery from substance abuse. Noteworthy study findings are that treated youth with a goal of temporary abstinence reported lower motivation for positive network change, and that adolescents’ report of closer ties among peers was associated with greater perceived difficulty of network change. Personal network interventions that address adolescents’ motivation for positive network change and perceived difficulty of positive network change are needed in order to activate a social environment that supports an adolescent’s ability to maintain treatment gains over time.