Abuse Research Research Articles

Top 10 priorities for Sexual Violence and Abuse Research: indings of the James Lind Alliance Sexual Violence Priority Setting Partnership

ObjectivesTo establish a James Lind Alliance (JLA) Priority Setting Partnership (PSP) to identify research priorities relevant to the health and social care needs of adults with lived experience of recent...

Trends and Issues of Adolescents' Substance Use and Abuse Research in Korea: An Analysis of Journals

Trends and Issues of Adolescents' Substance Use and Abuse Research in Korea: An Analysis of Journals

Challenges and Opportunities for Innovation in Child Abuse and Neglect Research within the Child Welfare System in Australia

Child abuse and neglect is a preventable public health issue, yet a complex global phenomenon with considerable adverse impacts on children, families, health and social services, as well as the Australian community. Despite the widespread adverse impact of child abuse and neglect, the research in this field within Australian child welfare systems is relatively scarce. What is needed is to understand the various challenges, barriers and limitations that face child abuse and neglect researchers and impede methodologically rigorous research within child welfare systems in Australia. This paper provides a brief overview of the key methodological limitations, barriers and challenges, as well as the strengths of the research methods used in studying child abuse and neglect. This paper also explores the potential gains from adopting a national translational research framework. Innovative translation of research and knowledge into effective care system responses and evidence-based practices for children remains a pressing issue. Further advances in Australian research and the evidence base will require substantial investment in research and evaluation activities, with a new emphasis on translational research and active collaboration between researchers and practitioners. Finally, this paper concludes with key recommendations and directions for future Australian-based research with the ultimate goal of improving practices and policies.

Sixty years of child-to-parent abuse research: What we know and where to go

Sixty years of child-to-parent abuse research: What we know and where to go

Psychiatric Drugging of Children and Youth as a Form of Child Abuse: Not a Radical Proposition

Although affirming that the psychiatric drugging of children constitutes both adultism (oppression based on treating adult behavior as normative) and sanism (oppression based on prioritizing what are seen as “normal” states of mind), and noting the role of pharmaceutical profit in what is happening, this article argues that in the strictest sense of the term the psychiatric drugging of children is a form of child abuse. It attempts to demonstrate not only that is this a form of child abuse but also that such a claim itself, as radical as it seems, follows from a combination of drug research and conventional understandings of abuse. The article further examines inaccurate claims about psychiatric drugs and the damage which they actually do. It proceeds to demonstrate that what is happening with respect to children constitutes child abuse as conventionally defined. Particularly focal is the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Action recommendations made in accordance with the findings include consciousness-raising and the launching of law suits at all levels.

Making the connection between child abuse and cancer: Definitional, methodological, and theoretical issues

Research has begun to explore the relationship between cancer and child abuse. Thus far, work has shown that child abuse is associated with higher odds of cancer in adulthood. Unfortunately, the current research is plagued by three interrelated issues: (1) there is no agreement as to what actions constitute abuse and how abuse types (i.e., physical, sexual, and emotional abuse) are distinct or interrelated; (2) analytic strategies limit the types of conclusions that can be drawn because of how they treat or measure abuse and related concepts; and (3) few theories exist to explain the connection between abuse and cancer. Each of these issues and their implications is described. Then an integrated theoretical framework that attempts to address current shortcomings is proposed. Going forward, abuse research should carefully consider the measures and mechanisms linking abuse to disease in order to test meaningful hypotheses and advance our theoretical understanding of these connections.

Co-Citation Analysis of Articles Published in Substance Abuse Journals: Intellectual Structure and Research Fields (2001-2012).

The purpose of this study is to introduce a new methodology in the field of substance abuse, namely, co-citation analysis, which uses the bibliographic references of publications to establish the main thematic areas being researched and to identify the seminal documents that have contributed to establishing the intellectual foundation of the discipline at the present time. We identified all bibliographic references that were cited in documents published in the substance abuse journals included in the Journal Citation Reports in the 2001-2012 period, generating a co-citation matrix. This matrix was used to perform a co-citation network analysis. The co-citation network analysis led to the identification of 56 prominent research clusters that bring together 698 documents; their subject matter constitutes the foundation of the discipline in the field's journals. Substance abuse research is dominated by a few core topics; chief among them are tools for measuring and diagnosing dependence, as well as therapeutic approaches to treat alcohol abuse and nicotine addiction. Other areas of note include epidemiological studies, research on drug user motivation (particularly among young people), binge drinking, social support mediators and networks, opioid dependence, consumption and effects of cannabis, basic research on brain damage, genetic factors associated with substance use, and the physiological and neurological determinants of abstinence syndrome. The main works of reference that we identified were published in a small number of journals, which establish the intellectual, conceptual, and methodological basis of the discipline.

Protecting children in research: Safer ways to research with children who may be experiencing violence or abuse.

Children participating in research, like other children, may be being maltreated. There is also potential for exposure to abuse during research. Research training, practices and protocols to respond to disclosure and discovery of abuse to protect both researchers and children may not be sufficiently robust. Our aim was to compare and contrast research practices reported in the literature related to protecting children and to recommend safer ways to conduct research. The simultaneous increase in research with children, along with an increased willingness to listen to child victims of abuse, means that researchers must consider the protection of children in the research setting. Twenty-three papers were identified in a literature review. These studies reported a wide variation of ethical considerations, methods, methodology and came from different disciplines. From the 23 papers, two overarching themes were identified: social justice and research and safer research. To make research safer teams should consider training, safety protocols and support for child protection, which includes support to report safeguarding concerns to social care. Further work is required to ensure that training, protocols and support are effective in facilitating researchers to identify and make appropriate child abuse referrals. Ethics practices in abuse research need further debate.

Bio-analytical method development and validation for the estimation of Clotrimazole in human plasma by RP-HPLC method

The present study Estimation of drugs in biological media is increasingly important nowadays, which reveals information like bioavailability, bioequivalence, drug abuse, and pharmacokinetics and drug research. HPLC is the most suitable technique for the analysis of biological fluids owing to its well-developed characteristics and ruggedness. It is an extremely sensitive, precise, accurate, and rapid, separation technique. Clotrimazole is a broad spectrum antifungal agent that is used for the treatment of infections caused by various species of pathogenic dermatophytes, yeasts, and Malassezia furfur. The primary action of Clotrimazole is against dividing and growing organisms. Clotrimazole interacts with yeast 14-α demethylase, a cytochrome P-450 enzyme that converts lanosterol to ergosterol, an essential component of the membrane. In this way, Clotrimazole inhibits ergosterol synthesis, resulting in increased cellular permeability. Few analytical methods were reported for the quantitative determination of Clotrimazole and its combination with other drugs by HPLC. Only one method was reported for Clotrimazole in mice plasma by capillary electrophoresis. But there is no RP-HPLC method reported for the bio-analytical method development in human plasma using protein precipitation method under different chromatographic conditions. The present study is planned to develop newer analytical method for the determination of Clotrimazole by bio-analytical method development in human plasma using protein precipitation by RP-HPLC under different chromatographic conditions. CONCLUSION: A bioanalytical method was developed for the estimation of Clotrimazole by HPLC method. The method was validated for its transferability to other user or other laboratory. The HPLC method was developed by using 0.5%TEA in water (pH 3 adjusted with Orthophosphoric acid) and Acetonitrile in meticulous ratio. The peaks obtained for the drugs of interest by the present method are well resolved from each other without any interference and from the plasma endogenous proteins. The peaks are symmetrical with acceptable tailing factor. The retention time of Clotrimazole was within the limit. The results of linearity, intraday and interday precision study and capability of the extraction method were within the limits of bioanalytical method development. The method was linear with a correlation coefficient of acceptable agreement, which is suitable for the estimation of Clotrimazole in human plasma and other biological fluids. The method demonstrated relative recoveries with acceptable relative standard deviation. The limit of quantification (LOQ) and limit of detection (LOD) for Clotrimazole was found to be nanograms lesser than unity. Hence the developed method is sensitive for the estimation of Clotrimazole in trace amounts. Peak purity studies, with peak purity index values closer to unity reveals that the method developed was specific for the estimation of Clotrimazole in blood and other biological fluids. It can be concluded that the developed RP-HPLC method in human plasma was found to be very simple, reliable and selective for providing satisfactory accuracy and precision. The methods are suitable for routine quantitative analysis in pharmaceutical dosage forms. Hence this developed method can be used further in Bioequivalence and bioavailability studies of clotrimazole. Pharmacokinetic and bio-equivalence study centers

Substance use disorders in Arab countries: research activity and bibliometric analysis.

BackgroundSubstance use disorders, which include substance abuse and substance dependence, are present in all regions of the world including Middle Eastern Arab countries. Bibliometric analysis is an increasingly used tool for research assessment. The main objective of this study was to assess research productivity in the field of substance use disorders in Arab countries using bibliometric indicators.MethodologyOriginal or review research articles authored or co-authored by investigators from Arab countries about substance use disorders during the period 1900 – 2013 were retrieved using the ISI Web of Science database. Research activity was assessed by analyzing the annual research productivity, contribution of each Arab country, names of journals, citations, and types of abused substances.ResultsFour hundred and thirteen documents in substance use disorders were retrieved. Annual research productivity was low but showed a significant increase in the last few years. In terms of quantity, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (83 documents) ranked first in research about substance use disorders while Lebanon (17.4 documents per million) ranked first in terms of number of documents published per million inhabitants. Retrieved documents were found in different journal titles and categories, mostly in Drug and Alcohol Dependence Journal. Authors from USA appeared in 117 documents published by investigators from Arab countries. Citation analysis of retrieved documents showed that the average citation per document was 10.76 and the h - index was 35. The majority of retrieved documents were about tobacco and smoking (175 documents) field while alcohol consumption and abuse research was the least with 69 documents.ConclusionThe results obtained suggest that research in this field was largely neglected in the past. However, recent research interest was observed. Research output on tobacco and smoking was relatively high compared to other substances of abuse like illicit drugs and medicinal agents. Governmental funding for academics and mental health graduate programs to do research in the field of substance use disorders is highly recommended.

Ethics in Violence and Abuse Research - a Positive Empowerment Approach

Research governance, including research ethics committees and data protection legislation, is invested in protecting the individual rights of participants in social care and health research. Increasingly funders expect evidence of outcomes that engage with ‘service users’, making research critical in supporting social interventions to compete for scant resources in an economic climate marked by ‘austerity’ ( Sullivan 2011 ). This article focuses on the tensions that can arise from the research governance of violence and abuse research. We argue that increased scrutiny of violence and abuse as a ‘sensitive’ topic that involves ‘vulnerable’ groups has made ethical clearance more challenging, which in turn can lead to a dangerous lack of evidence. This can have a harmful impact upon women and children and leave specialised violence and abuse services facing a precarious future. Drawing on recent debates we describe the ‘positive empowerment’ approach used to engage victim-survivors and perpetrators of domestic violence in Project Mirabal. We conclude with recommendations for ethical decision-making in violence and abuse research: (i) to reconsider participants as active agents and stakeholders; (ii) to prioritise the development of skilled researchers; (iii) to develop situated processes of informed consent and confidentiality; and (iv) to continue to discuss and share practical experiences of feminist research practice that seeks to deliver justice and social change.

Amphetamine Conditioned Place Preference in Planarians

Meth- and other amphetamines currently present major drug-abuse concerns. However, the demonstration and study of abuse-related behaviors expressed in animal models is expensive and time-consuming. We previously reported a novel model of conditioned place preference (CPP), which is a standard tool in abuse research, in invertebrates (planarians). In the present study, planarians were tested for light/dark preference, then exposed for 5 min to either d-amphetamine or vehicle (water) in light and then re-tested for place preference (light vs dark). The planarians’ natural strong preference for dark (15 of 16) was significantly altered by amphetamine experience, such that 12 of 16 preferred the unnatural, but amphetamine-associated, light side. These results extend the demonstration of CPP to this invertebrate species and provide further evidence in support of this model to testing/screening amphetamine-like and possibly other drugs of abuse.

Ethylglucuronide assays in urine and hair

Ethylglucuronide (EtG) is a biomarker of ethanol consumption, and the authors propose an overview of its potential use in clinical or forensic cases. This metabolite presents a higher half-life and is therefore detectable longer than ethanol itself, and allows, in the case of late sampling, the research of acute alcohol abuse in the days prior to urine sampling. Routine testing for urinary EtG can be easily introduced in laboratories since an immunochemical kit is available. However, it is necessary to take into account the cut-off values in order to interpret the results. EtG can also be tested in hair and is a very useful biomarker of chronic alcohol abuse. A recent international consensus has established cut-off values for the interpretation of EtG concentrations in hair. However, hair testing is still limited to specific laboratories as it is not easily implemented in routine, due to a specific sample treatment and to the lack of immunochemical kits.

Considerations on the involvement of young people as co-inquirers in abuse and neglect research

The article considers challenges faced in undertaking research work that examines issues of abuse and neglect, with young people acting in the role of co-inquirer. Based on a research process devised to support a qualitative study exploring why young people think they are frequently not believed when they report abuse and neglect, consideration is given to the issues encountered in facilitating the direct involvement of young people in research of this nature. Discussion is provided as to how young people were actively recruited to the co-inquirer role, the scope of the work they undertook and the strong ethical framework that had to be put in place to support their participation. It is argued that the involvement of young people as co-inquirers has to take account of their experiences, feelings and reactions to the demands of such work. It is also acknowledged that work of this nature can be extremely demanding especially when those involved have themselves been the victims of abuse and neglect.

Development and Validation of a Scale Measuring Attitudes Toward Non-Drinkers

The idea that individuals drink alcohol to fit in with their peers has been investigated by many researchers. However, the related concept that consumption of alcohol may serve as a means of avoiding the social costs associated with being a non-drinker has received little attention. Three studies (N = 94, 148, 236) are outlined, which detail the construction and preliminary validation of the Regan Attitudes toward Non-Drinkers Scale (RANDS). Results indicated that scale score reliability for the RANDS was good (α values range from .82 to .89) with exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses suggesting that the scale possesses a unidimensional factor structure. Importantly, scores on the RANDS emerged as a stronger predictor of self-reported yearly alcohol consumption and binge-drinking than indicants commonly assessed in alcohol use and abuse research in adolescents and young adults (e.g., peer pressure). Limitations of these studies and directions for future research are outlined.

Applying Motivational Interviewing in a Domestic Violence Shelter: A Pilot Study Evaluating the Training of Shelter Staff

ABSTRACT This pilot study examined the use of motivational interviewing (MI) with 20 women receiving services at a domestic violence shelter. The experimental group (n = 10) received regular treatment services (RTS) from shelter counselors who were trained in MI; the control group (n = 10) received RTS only. Fisher's exact test showed that participants who received MI-enhanced RTS were significantly more motivated for change (p = .029), as measured through a dichotomous readiness for change motivational variable on the University of Rhode Island Change Assessment (URICA; Center on Alcoholism, Substance Abuse, & Addiction Research Division, 1996). Findings suggest that MI can be helpful in increasing the readiness for change in domestic violence survivors who contemplate leaving abusive relationships.

Nonphysical Child Abuse: A Review of Literature and Challenge to Communication Scholars

To understand nonphysical child abuse better, the authors argue, scholars must provide thorough conceptualization and theoretically grounded operationalization. To illustrate this argument, the authors explicate the terms (a) verbal aggression, (b) psychological aggression, and (c) psychological maltreatment (stemming from communication, sociology, and psychology respectively) and review, for each term, the theoretical conceptualization, operationalization, and implications for intervention. They discuss the importance of and the challenges inherent in developing any theoretically grounded conceptualization and operationalization of nonphysical child abuse and highlight criteria with which to assess both. The authors also argue that scholars of communication are well situated to help fill the gaps in abuse research.

Perinatal substance abuse and human subjects research: are privacy protections adequate?

Privacy incursions in the clinical care of substance abusing pregnant women have gained lay and professional attention recently as the result of a high-profile Supreme Court finding in Ferguson vs City of Charleston et al. In March, 2001 the Supreme Court determined that nonconsensual drug screening of pregnant women by clinicians in a public hospital violated the women's Fourth Amendment rights to be secure against unreasonable search and seizure. Coercive or punitive policy approaches to perinatal substance abuse are often based on mistaken assumptions about the nature of addiction and the outcomes of punitive interventions. Much attention has been given to efforts to criminalize pregnancy for drug using women, and civil laws are also coming under increasing scrutiny. Although no state has passed a law criminalizing pregnancy and drug use, an estimated 250 women in more than 30 states have been prosecuted around the country on theories of "fetal abuse." A growing number of states (eighteen to date) have amended their civil child welfare laws to address specifically the subject of a woman's drug use during pregnancy. No one has examined how these laws and social policies could affect research that includes pregnant and parenting women; women (and their families) who stand to lose a great deal should their drug use be brought to the attention of child welfare or criminal justice authorities. We examine the adequacy of current protective mechanisms, such as federal certificates of confidentiality, in protecting research subjects (and investigators) who may be subject to punitive civil or criminal sanctions. We determine that current protective mechanisms may be insufficient to protect research subjects and that investigators and IRB members are often ignorant of the risks imposed by punitive policy approaches to perinatal substance abuse or fall prey to the same mistaken assumptions that inform punitive policies. We conclude that investigators and IRB members have a moral responsibility to understand local, state and national policies and laws governing perinatal substance abuse. Investigators and IRB members should balance the harms of punitive interventions against the protections that may, or may not be afforded to prospective research subjects as well as the prospective benefits, individual and social, of the research. In situations where criminal or punitive policies are in effect, investigators and IRB members should consider whether adequate protections can be achieved. In the context of inadequate protections, potential risks to prospective research subjects and their families may outweigh the individual or social benefits that accrue from the research. Clinical researchers are professionally obligated to work toward amending laws and policies that are not in the best interests of prospective research subjects.

Value and Usefulness of a Collaborative Information Sharing Forum: Findings from the “Common Ground” Conference Evaluation Activities

To determine the value, usefulness, and impact of the “Common Ground, Common Language, Common Goals (CCC): Bringing Substance Abuse Practice and Research Together” conference, which was held April 2001 in Los Angeles, participants were surveyed regarding the effectiveness of the conference overall, the impact of the conference on attendees' collaborative behaviors, and the quality of the roundtable discussion sessions and other activities. Attendees of the two-day conference included substance abuse treatment providers, researchers, policy makers, and community representatives/activists. Based on evaluation findings, participants felt the event provided an appropriate venue for taking the first steps in establishing multidirectional lines of communication and candid knowledge exchange between these diverse stakeholders.

Deconstructing the Concept of “Special Populations”

As part of the April 2001 “Common Ground, Common Language, Common Goals: Bringing Substance Abuse Practice and Research Together” conference, a panel of treatment provider experts was assembled to discuss the unique treatment needs of “special populations.” The “Special Populations” panel was initially guided by the assumption that clients with unique needs should be considered as distinct homogeneous groups, outside the mainstream. However, as panel members revealed, the heterogeneity of the substance abuse treatment client population suggests that the concept of “special populations” may be inappropriate and that alternative approaches to conceptualizing diversity within the substance abuse treatment client population are needed. The present paper provides background on the use of term “special populations” in the substance abuse field and summarizes discussions that occurred during the “Special Populations” panel regarding the application of this concept to clients in substance abuse treatment.