Research round-up

Abstract

In a multicentre trial, Madhukar Trivedi and colleagues evaluated extended-release naltrexone (380 mg injection every 3 weeks) plus extended-release bupropion (450 mg per day orally) for moderate or severe methamphetamine use disorder in adults. In stage 1, participants were randomly assigned to naltrexone–bupropion or placebo for 6 weeks. In stage 2, non-responding participants assigned placebo were further randomly assigned to continue with placebo or receive naltrexone–bupropion for another 6 weeks. The proportion of participants achieving response (at least three of four methamphetamine-negative urine samples) at the end of stages 1 and 2 was higher in the naltrexone–bupropion group (18 [17%] of 109 and 13 [11%] of 114) than in the placebo group (ten [3%] of 294 and two [2%] of 111), with an overall treatment effect (weighted difference) of 11·1 (SE 2·5) percentage points (Wald Z-test statistic 4·53; p<0·001). Suicidality and gambling among young adults in Great Britain: results from a cross-sectional online surveyProblem gambling appears to be associated with suicide attempts in both young men and young women. This association persisted after adjusting for anxiety, impulsivity, life satisfaction, and other factors, which suggests that other mechanisms, such as the severity and multiplicity of harms experienced, or gambling to cope with life stressors, might underpin this relationship. Young people with problem-gambling behaviours should be considered at risk for suicidality. Full-Text PDF Open AccessLoneliness, worries, anxiety, and precautionary behaviours in response to the COVID-19 pandemic: A longitudinal analysis of 200,000 Western and Northern EuropeansThe pandemic and associated country lockdowns had a major impact on the mental health of populations, and certain subgroups should be closely followed to prevent negative long-term consequences. Younger individuals and individuals with a history of mental illness would benefit from tailored public-health interventions to prevent or counteract the negative effects of the pandemic. Individuals across Western and Northern Europe have thus far responded in psychologically similar ways despite differences in government approaches to the pandemic. Full-Text PDF Open Access