SAj Blog Archives - Page 28 of 88

COVID-19 Resources

Apr 20, 2020 by AMERSA

AMERSA board members are closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation and are thinking about the safety and well-being of members and the people we all serve. We are here for you! AMERSA has an entire page of resources you can check out here.

Finding and/or maintaining recovery during the COVID-19 pandemic presents unique challenges. We want you to know that you are not alone and the following resources may help you or someone you know. Many of these resources are shared from the National Institute of Health (NIH).

General Information:

Coronavirus.gov
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) (CDC)
What the U.S. Government is Doing (USA.gov) – (En Espanol)

Research Resources:

Coronavirus (COVID-19) (NIH)
Notice of Special Interest (NOSI) regarding the Availability of Administrative Supplements and Urgent Competitive Revisions for Research on the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (NOT-DA-20-047) (NIH)
- FAQs – NOT-DA-20-047
NIH COVID-19 Scientific Interest Group is for our scientific community — both intramural and extramural — to exchange information about coronavirus-related research

Recovery Resources:

National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH): Coping With Coronavirus: Managing Stress, Fear, and Anxiety, Director’s Blog
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA): Virtual Recovery Resources for Substance Use and Mental Illness. Includes links to online meetings and recovery support resources offered by various mutual help groups and other organizations, as well as information on setting up a virtual meeting.
Addiction Policy Forum and CHESS Health: Connections App. Free research-based smartphone app to help people with recovery from substance use.
Center on Addiction: Resources for Parents, Families, and Caregivers. Provides mobile (phone- and text-based) education and support for family members struggling with a loved one’s addiction as well as links to other virtual resources.
Faces and Voices of Recovery: Faces & Voices of Recovery is dedicated to organizing and mobilizing the over 23 million Americans in recovery from addiction to alcohol and other drugs, their families, friends and allies into recovery community organizations and networks.
Shatterproof: Shatterproof is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to reversing the addiction crisis in the United States.
Unity Recovery, WeConnect, SOS Recovery, and Alano Club: Offering online recovery support group meetings five times daily, a daily family and loved one recovery support meeting, and weekly LGBTQ+ and Women’s Only recovery meetings.

Virtual Meetings:

In The Rooms (mostly 12-Step): https://www.intherooms.com/home/
Unity Recovery (All Pathways): https://unityrecovery.org/digital-recovery-meetings
Recovery Dharma: https://recoverydharma.online/
SMART Recovery: https://www.smartrecovery.org/community/
LifeRing: https://www.lifering.org/online-meetings

Substance Abuse journal Volume 37 | Issue 3

Apr 19, 2020 by AMERSA

We know that the past couple months – especially the last couple of weeks – haven’t been easy. We hope that our readers, editors, authors, and everyone is staying safe and healthy during these difficult times. Our thoughts are with front line workers and are hopeful that they can stay as safe as possible – they are the heroes of this fight.

We hope that you are able to take a break and some solace in our journal. The past couple of weeks we have been highlighting Volume 37, Issue 3.

The most viewed manuscript in this issue was:

Medication-assisted treatment for opioid dependence in Twelve Step–oriented residential rehabilitation settings

Marc Galanter, MD; Marvin Seppala, MD; & Audrey Klein, PhD

With 2,063 views…and counting!

The Authors’ Own Words: Internal medicine resident knowledge, attitudes and barriers to naloxone prescription in hospital and clinic settings.

Apr 18, 2020 by AMERSA

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.

Internal medicine resident knowledge, attitudes and barriers to naloxone prescription in hospital and clinic settings.

J. Deanna Wilson, MD, MPH; Natalie Spicyn, MD, MHS; Pamela Matson, PhD, MPH; Anika Alvanzo, MD, MS; & Leonard Feldman, MD

Substance Abuse Vol. 37, Iss. 3, 2016

“Our manuscript, “Internal medicine resident knowledge, attitudes, and barriers to naloxone prescription in hospital and clinic settings” provides a novel and timely look at the knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs of Internal Medicine resident trainees regarding prescription of naloxone for overdose reversal in community settings, and towards addiction treatment more broadly. At a time when municipalities across the country are declaring states of emergency due to the opioid epidemic, it is more crucial than ever to examine how residents are trained on this potentially life-saving intervention, and to intervene with a targeted educational initiative during this influential period in their medical training, when the knowledge base and habits that inform their career are being shaped. The HOPE study is the first of its kind focusing specifically on physicians-in-training, and will help not only inform future educational initiatives, but will also serve as a proof-of-concept for the feasibility of implementing a successful overdose prevention program utilizing a harm-reduction paradigm from within the inpatient setting.”

The Authors’ Own Words: Molly Users versus Non-users in a Sample of College Alcohol Drinkers: Differences in Substance-Related Harms and Sensation Seeking

Apr 17, 2020 by AMERSA

Molly Users versus Non-users in a Sample of College Alcohol Drinkers: Differences in Substance-Related Harms and Sensation Seeking

Ashley N. Linden-Carmichael, MS; Amy L. Stamates, MS; Brynn E. Sheehan, MS; & Cathy Lau-Barraco, PhD

Substance Abuse Vol. 37, Iss. 3, 2016

“Molly is a form of MDMA that is perceived by some users to be more “pure” and possibly less harmful than other forms of MDMA. To the best of our knowledge, our study was the first to examine prevalence, risks, and personality characteristics associated with Molly use in a college sample. Our findings suggest that 12% of students sampled have used Molly. In addition, Molly users report higher levels of sensation seeking, and Molly use is uniquely related to greater risk for substance-related harms. These findings demonstrate a need for correcting possible misperceptions about Molly in addition to educating users on the potential for experiencing harm.”

The Authors’ Own Words: Alcohol Screening Scores and the Risk of Intensive Care Unit Admission and Hospital Readmission

Apr 17, 2020 by AMERSA

Alcohol Screening Scores and the Risk of Intensive Care Unit Admission and Hospital Readmission

Brendan J. Clark, MD, MS; Anna D. Rubinsky, PhD; P. Michael Ho, MD, PhD; David H. Au, MD, MS; Laura J. Chavez, MPH; Marc Moss, MD; & Katharine A. Bradley, MD, MPH

Substance Abuse Vol. 37, Iss. 3, 2016

“This work builds on a body of literature that demonstrates that patients with severe alcohol misuse overuse emergent healthcare services. Additionally, alcohol misuse predisposes to or worsens the severity of several illnesses commonly cared for in an intensive care unit including sepsis/septic shock, the acute respiratory distress syndrome, acute respiratory failure, and nosocomial infection. The end result is that alcohol misuse, particularly severe alcohol misuse, is common in patients admitted to an ICU. In this manuscript, we confirm that alcohol misuse increases the risk of being admitted to an ICU. We further demonstrate an increased risk of hospital readmission. Although there are numerous potential explanations for the increased morbidity in ICU survivors with alcohol misuse, one potential explanation is ongoing heavy alcohol consumption. Our current healthcare system is poorly positioned to bridge patients from a life-threatening illness into alcohol treatment. This work highlights the need to further understand the unique barriers to alcohol treatment for ICU survivors as one approach to break the “vicious cycle” described in this manuscript.”