OUD Archives - Page 3 of 5

The Authors’ Own Words: Concussion, Sensation-Seeking and Substance Use Among US Adolescents

Feb 5, 2022 by AMERSA

In “Concussion, Sensation-Seeking and Substance Use Among US Adolescents” authors Phil Veliz, PhD, Sean Esteban McCabe ,PhD, James T. Eckner, MD, MS, and John E. Schulenberg, PhD assess the association between lifetime history of diagnosed concussions, sensation-seeking, and recent substance use (i.e., cigarette use, binge drinking, marijuana use, illicit drug use, and nonmedical prescription drug use) using the 2016 and 2017 Monitoring the Future study of 25,408 8th, 10th, and 12th graders.

“We found substantial differences in substance use between adolescents reporting only one diagnosed concussion and those reporting two or more diagnosed concussions during their lifetime. In particular, the positive association between substance use and concussion increases with the accumulation of brain injuries during adolescence. The results suggest that exposure to a single diagnosed concussion is associated with a modest increase in the risk of substance use. Substance abuse prevention efforts should be directed toward adolescents who have experienced multiple head injuries given that this subpopulation is more likely to experience cognitive impairments that influence riskier forms of behavior.”

You can read this commentary in SAj Volume 42, Issue 2 or online.

The Authors’ Own Words: Dissemination of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Substance Use Disorders in the Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care System: Description and Evaluation of Veteran Outcomes

Feb 4, 2022 by AMERSA

In this article, program evaluation findings suggest that large-scale training in and implementation of evidence-based psychotherapies (EBPs) for substance use disorders (SUDs) is associated with improvements in substance use and other functional outcomes. Article authors, Josephine M. DeMarce, PhD, Maryann Gnys, PhD, Susan D. Raffa, PhD, Mandy Kumpula, PhD, and Bradley E. Karlin, PhD, ABPP examine the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) work to nationally implement Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for SUD.

“The current manuscript describes the approach to system-wide training and reports Veteran outcomes associated with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Substance Use Disorders (CBT-SUD) implementation. Findings based on program evaluation data from this large training dissemination initiative provide preliminary evidence that training and implementation of CBT-SUD can be scaled up to the national, health system level. Findings support the feasibility and effectiveness of broad scale implementation of CBT-SUD to routine practice settings.”

You can read this commentary in SAj Volume 42, Issue 2 or online.

The Authors’ Own Words: Underutilization of the current clinical capacity to provide buprenorphine treatment for Opioid Use Disorders within the Veterans Health Administration

Jan 19, 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.

Underutilization of the current clinical capacity to provide buprenorphine treatment for Opioid Use Disorders within the Veterans Health Administration

Helen Valenstein-Mah, PhD; Hildi Hagedorn, PhD; Chad L. Kay, PharmD; Melissa L. Christopher, PharmD; & Adam J. Gordon, MD, MPH

Substance Abuse Vol. 39, Iss. 3, 2018

“This manuscript highlights a discrepancy between the capacity of Veterans Health Administration (VHA) providers credentialed to prescribe buprenorphine, a first line treatment for Opioid Use Disorder, and the number of buprenorphine prescriptions these providers wrote over a six month period. The study found that VHA providers are prescribing buprenorphine below their capacity. These findings help to focus implementation efforts, and suggest that the VHA needs to not only focus on increasing the number of providers credentialed to prescribe buprenorphine, but also address barriers to prescribing at the patient-, provider-, and system-level to ensure veterans get effective treatment for Opioid Use Disorder.”

The Authors’ Own Words: A Novel Approach to Treating Adolescents with Opioid Use Disorder in Pediatric Primary Care

Jan 2, 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.

A Novel Approach to Treating Adolescents with Opioid Use Disorder in Pediatric Primary Care

Sharon Levy MD, MPH; Shannon Mountain-Ray LICSW; Jason Reynolds MD, PhD; Steven J. Mendes MD, MPH; & Jonas Bromberg PsyD

Substance Abuse Vol. 39, Iss. 2, 2018

“Our report outlines a model for integrating substance use services, including treatment for opioid use disorders, into pediatric primary care. We believe this novel approach is a feasible and effective way to treat substance use during adolescence and young adulthood, a period of heightened vulnerability.”

The Authors’ Own Words: Alcohol, Marijuana, and Opioid Use Disorders: 5-Year Patterns and Characteristics of Emergency Department Encounters

Dec 8, 2019 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.

Alcohol, Marijuana, and Opioid Use Disorders: 5-Year Patterns and Characteristics of Emergency Department Encounters

Amber L. Bahorik, PhD; Derek D. Satre, PhD; Andrea H. Kline-Simon, MS; Constance M. Weisner, DrPH, MSW; Kelly C. Young-Wolff, PhD, MPH; & Cynthia I. Campbell, PhD

Substance Abuse Vol. 39, Iss. 1, 2018

“Our study highlights that emergency department (ED) settings offer critical opportunities for clinicians to identify and intervene on patients with alcohol, marijuana, and opioid use disorders to initiate treatment, with those who have opioid use disorders having the highest ED use and potentially the greatest treatment needs. Devoting more health resources to providing training for initiating ED-based treatments for patients who have opioid use disorders in heath-systems, such as ED-initiated buprenorphine and referral to substance use disorder treatment, may be a step toward improving health outcomes and reducing ED visits in this population.”