Risk Of Drug Use Research Articles

Prevalent and new use of common drugs for the incidence of community-acquired acute kidney injury: cohort and case-crossover study

Although community-acquired acute kidney injury (CA-AKI) represents a significant subset of all AKI incidence, evidence is limited due to the lack of comprehensive data prior to diagnosis. Here, we examined the risk of drug use for CA-AKI by using exhaustive pre-diagnostic prescription data. We included 78,754 working-age healthy individuals who underwent an annual health checkup program. We conducted a cohort study to assess the association between prevalent drug use and subsequent CA-AKI incidence using the Cox proportional hazard model. Subsequently, we conducted a case-crossover study to compare the new drug use in the case period directly before the CA-AKI incidence (− 3 to 0 months) with that in the control period far before the CA-AKI incidence (− 15 to − 12 months and − 9 to − 6 months) using the conditional Poisson regression model. The prevalent use of renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system (RAAS) inhibitors was associated with an increased CA-AKI incidence, but the new use was not. The new use of diuretics, anti-infectious drugs, and contrast medium was also associated with an increased CA-AKI incidence. These results suggest we need to pay attention for the incidence of AKI among the general population taking those common drugs.

Responsibility, Care and Trust Among People Using Drug Checking Services at a Music Festival

Drug checking services (DCS) allow people who use drugs to submit substances of concern for chemical analysis and then provide results and specialized counselling when needed. DCS intersect risk management, from a public health perspective, with an activist take that provides people who use drugs with agency over their use by helping them detect and avoid unwanted substances. This paper presents data from an exploratory study of people's motivations for using the Boom Festival DCS and the meanings attributed to their interactions with the service. Semi-structured interviews ( n = 22; mean age 29 years, range 24–43; 68% cisgender men) were conducted, and an inductive approach was applied informed by Iterative Categorization and reflexive thematic analysis. Participant narratives were organized around three themes: “Drug Checking as a Responsible Practice”, “Drug Checking as a Care Practice,” and “Drug Checking as a (Mis)trust Practice”. Through these themes, the analysis focuses on the concepts of risk and the ideals of responsibility, care and trust among people using the DCS. Our findings expand the current literature that demonstrates the usefulness of DCS as an intervention to mitigate individual risks of drug use by demonstrating the more communitarian potential of this type of intervention as a means to expand the social networks of people who use drugs and support a “culture of care” among partygoers. Our participants relied on friends and trusted suppliers to get information about drugs and make informed decisions. Hence, there is a potential for those involved in drug use and supply to actively participate in harm reduction services, particularly DCS, as a way to disseminate information to a broader audience that does not want or cannot access the service.

Adverse childhood experiences, individual-level risk and protective factors, and recent drug use in a community sample of Nigerian women.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with a wide range of health problems and health-compromising behaviors, including drug use, but are understudied in sub-Saharan Africa. Further, some data suggest that some types of ACEs are more strongly associated with outcomes than others. We investigated associations between different types of ACEs and recent drug use among 2,011 women living in Katsina State, Nigeria. This community-based survey included questions on ACE exposure, modifiable individual-level risk and promotive factors, and past-year drug use. Tobacco, cannabis, and the nonmedical use of cough syrup with codeine and tramadol were the most frequently used drugs. Logistic regressions revealed that across most drugs, ACEs reflecting abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction, but not community violence, increased the likelihood of drug use, odds ratios (ORs) = 1.30-3.10. Ease of access to drugs, ORs = 1.33-2.98, and personal religiosity, ORs = 1.19-2.27, also enhanced the risk of drug use, and higher depressive affect was associated with codeine, OR = 1.27, and tramadol use, ORs = 2.42. Practicing religious rites, ORs = 0.38-0.70; disapproval of drug use, ORs = 0.36-0.57; and perceived harm from drug use, ORs = 0.54-0.71, reduced the likelihood of drug use. Efforts to prevent abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction; reduce access to drugs; treat depression; and increase disapproval and harm associated with drug use may reduce drug use in the context of ACE exposure.

A Study to Determine the Link between Media Use and Drug Use among Students: A Case Study of Pakistan

In Pakistan, drug addiction is becoming more common as the country has 6.7 million drug users. A serious social issue facing modern Pakistani society is a rapid rise in drug addiction among students. Drug traffickers have stepped up the use of media to trigger demand for drugs in many countries including Pakistan, India, and Thailand. The media had a significant impact on their decision to start abusing drugs. Previous studies show media encourages teen substance use. So, this study is designed to determine the link between the use of media and drug use among students in two universities in Khairpur City. An exploratory research method was employed because society is traditional and no substantive research has been carried out on the issue in the country. A random sampling technique was adopted to collect data. The target population for this study was students of two Universities in Khairpur. An online close-ended questionnaire was adopted and distributed among students of two universities online. Python was employed to analyze the data. Results establish links between the use of media and drug use among the students. Moreover, students spending two hours on social media are exposed to information related to drugs, which puts them at increased risk of drug use.

How do socioeconomic factors affect the development of adolescent-onset drug use disorders?

Illicit drug use has been a significant issue among adolescents (aged 10 to 19 years). This review investigates the intricate relationship between socioeconomic factors and adolescent-onset illicit drug use in both the United States and Brazil. These socioeconomic factors were categorized into three primary domains: home life, community, and school. At the home level, households grappling with issues such as parental substance abuse, mental health challenges, or financial hardships are notably associated with adolescent drug use. Parental education levels emerge as a critical determinant, with lower education linked to an increased risk of drug use among adolescents. Furthermore, family dysfunction and exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) , also escalate the likelihood of early drug experimentation. At the community level, poverty and neighborhood disorganization play a pivotal role in adolescent drug use. Adolescents residing in economically disadvantaged communities face heightened vulnerability due to elevated stress and crime, often resorting to illicit drugs as a coping mechanism. The school environment also plays a crucial role in shaping drug use through peer influence. In dysfunctional homes, adolescents seek support outside the family, forming vulnerable connections with peers engaged in substance use. Understanding the intricate association of these socioeconomic factors is imperative for policymakers, healthcare professionals, and educators. Targeted interventions should be developed to curtail the prevalence of adolescent substance use and foster the overall well-being of young individuals in society.

Off-Label Drug Use in Acute Respiration Infection Patient at Pangandaran Hospital, Pangandaran District, West Java - Indonesia

Acute respiratory infections (ARIs) are infectious diseases of the upper or lower respiratory tract that cause a spectrum of illnesses from mild to severe infections. ARI is one of the leading causes of death in children in developing countries. The high incidence of ARI in children results in the use of off-label drugs. Off-label medicine is the use of drugs outside the provisions of the license relating to dose, age, route of administration, contraindications. This study aims to determine the use of off-label drugs in children with a diagnosis of ARI at Pandega Pangandaran Hospital, Pangandaran District, West Java - Indonesia. This study was an observational study with a cross sectional design and data collection was done retrospectively using Chi-square data analysis with a significance level of 0.05. Of the 84 patients who fit the inclusion criteria, there was an off-label drug use of 16.01% with the categories of off-label age (11.16%), off-label dose (4.37%), and off-label indication (0.48%) while in the category of route of administration and contraindications no off-label drug use was found. The most common type of off-label drug used was cetirizine antihistamine. Based on the results, pharmacist’s supervision related to the risk of drug use is strongly recommended.

Substance Use Disorder, Parenting Styles and Interpersonal Competency: A Review

The epidemic of substance addiction among young people is increasing at an alarming rate, owing to altering cultural norms, strong competition in the sectors of school and job, mounting financial hardship on families, and eroding supportive links for children during this time of transition. As a result, many young individuals have their first encounters with drugs, particularly those that are easily accessible, such as inhalants, cigarettes, cannabis, and alcohol. Scientists have defined four basic parenting styles - Authoritarian, Authoritative, Permissive, and Neglectful - in this area of research and attempted to discover which style has the highest association with the onset of alcohol and drug use during adolescence and early adulthood. The evidence is more apparent from the earlier literature that the neglecting and authoritarian parenting pattern significantly linked with high risk of drug use, alcohol. On the other hand the permissive and authoritative parenting patterns related to low risk of drug and alcohol use. In this paper, article has been reviewed from various research conducted on this matter in the past with an aim to identify the gaps and raise awareness in the general population so that the onset of SUD in youngsters can be prevented with corrective measures. Another goal of this article is to identify how parenting styles are linked to the development of interpersonal competency and if it results in additional mental health issues on top of Substance Use Disorder.
 
 Received: 2 September 2023 / Accepted: 30 December 2023 / Published: 5 January 2024

Child maltreatment and parental domestic violence and abuse, co-occurrence and the effect on lifetime outcomes in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC)

Exposure to child maltreatment (CM), and parental domestic violence and abuse (DVA), impose considerable adverse life outcomes in both the short and long term, yet, the extent and effects of their co-occurrence on outcomes have not been comprehensively quantified. This study describes the analysis of data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, quantifying the prevalence of CM, parental DVA, co-occurrence rates, and the impact of different combinations of childhood exposures on life outcomes (health, economic, and likelihood of perpetrating intimate partner violence as a young person).Childhood exposure prevalences were estimated at 41.7% for any form of CM, 19.3% for parental DVA, and 49.0% for exposure to at least one form of CM and/or parental DVA. Co-occurring parental DVA was reported in 21%–42% of CM-exposed households. Sexual abuse was reported in 2% of parental DVA-exposed households, whilst co-occurrence of other forms of CM ranged between 19% and 41%.Co-occurring CM and parental DVA exposures were associated with increased risks of drug use, anxiety, depression, smoking, unemployment, social welfare use, and perpetration of intimate partner violence as a young person – highlighting the intergenerational effects of exposure. Increased risks across a wider range of adverse outcomes were associated with child-reported awareness of parental DVA, compared to parent-reported DVA exposure.The high cumulative prevalence of childhood exposure to CM and/or parental DVA, and the scale of the resulting adverse impacts emphasise the need for policies and family interventions sensitive to the possibility of co-occurring forms of abuse.

Leisure activities of young drug users and non-drug users: association with five personality factors

The article presents the survey data of 4422 Kharkiv students from higher education institutions of III-IV accreditation levels, among whom 8.1 % used drugs during the last year. Using the validated and adapted BFI-10 screening questionnaire for the rapid diagnosis of five personality factors, the association of personality factors with drug use in the 12 months before the study has been established. The analysis of the leisure activities of student youth in Kharkiv shows that it is quite stable. The most common forms of leisure are spending free time on the Internet, going for walks and socialising with friends, studying and doing homework, watching films and TV programmes (including on the Internet), as well as hobbies and interests. Individual sports activities, reading books, going to cafes and restaurants with friends, playing computer games, and working or having a part-time job are of medium prevalence. The least common forms of active recreation were bowling or billiards, attending a sports section, concerts, clubs or discos. Doing homework (r=0.103, p<0.01), watching TV programmes (r=0.083, p<0.01) and playing sports individually (r=0.063, p<0.01) have a negative correlation with drug use. Low values of the big five personality factors “C” – conscientiousness (r=0.063, p<0.01) and work in free time (r=–0.136, p<0.01) – have a positive correlation with drug use.
 Factor analysis has allowed to identify and meaningfully interpret eight factors that describe the internal structure of leisure activities of student youth in Kharkiv. Only one factor was found to be related to drug use which is the factor of “Earning money for drugs”, which consists of low values of the personal factor “Consciousness” and the dominance of work over studies in the structure of leisure time. Two factors related to computer game playing have also been identified such as “psychopathic gaming behaviour” and “neurotic gaming behaviour”. The findings allow to draw a conclusion that should be used in building prevention programmes: the risk of drug use increases in individuals with a low level of the Big Five C personality factor – consciousness – and the dominance of work and part-time jobs in the structure of leisure over the main activity of the student which is studying.

The moderating roles of emotion regulation and coping self-efficacy on the association between PTSD symptom severity and drug use among female sexual assault survivors.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorders are a significant comorbid concern among sexual assault survivors. Thus, underlying risk and protective factors are critical to investigate in understanding how to prevent this comorbidity. The current study assessed potential moderating effects of coping self-efficacy (CSE) and emotion dysregulation on the association between sexual assault-related PTSD symptom severity and drug use severity in a sample of college women. In this study, 518 female undergraduate students completed self-report measures of nonconsensual sexual experiences, PTSD symptoms, CSE, emotion dysregulation, and drug use severity. Of these participants, 287 women reported at least 1 incident of attempted or completed rape. We found evidence of a significant moderation effect, suggesting that high levels of CSE and low levels of emotion dysregulation reduce the likelihood of drug use issues for female sexual assault survivors. These findings suggest that assessment tools, interventions, and trauma-related policies should target CSE and emotion dysregulation in attenuating the risk of drug use for women with assault-related PTSD symptoms. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Immediate and lasting effects of different regulation of craving strategies on cue-induced craving and the late positive potential in smokers.

Craving, induced by substance-related cues, contributes to continued substance use and relapse. Therefore, regulation of craving (ROC) is important for treatment success. Distraction involves disengaging from craving-inducing cues; whereas, reappraisal requires engaging with potential risks of substance use. Given this difference in elaboration, we addressed the question whether reappraisal entails lasting advantages over distraction in successful ROC. To elucidate how this is implemented neurally, we examined the late positive potential (LPP) as an electrocortical indicator of motivated attention to cues. N= 62 smokers viewed smoking-related pictures and indicated the degree of craving each picture induced. While viewing the pictures, EEG was recorded, and the participants focused on the long-term negative (LATER) or short-term positive (NOW) consequences of smoking or performed an arithmetic task to distract themselves from processing the pictures (DISTRACT). After a break, all pictures were presented again without regulation instruction (re-exposure). Results revealed that LATER and DISTRACT achieved similar degrees of immediate ROC success, but only LATER had a sustained effect during re-exposure. In contrast, LPP amplitudes were more prominently reduced during DISTRACT than LATER, and there was no difference in LPP amplitudes during re-exposure. These findings imply that it may be beneficial to engage with the risks of drug use (reappraisal) rather than avoiding triggers of craving (distraction). However, these effects do not seem to be mediated by lasting changes in cue-related motivated attention (LPP).

Quantitative Assessment of High School Students' Poly-drug Use: Related Social Aspects and School Dropout.

Poly-drug use has increased in recent decades, especially in young drugusing groups. Classic epidemiological indicators of drug use, such as prevalence and incidence of users of specific substances, are not adequate as measures of the possible harms of poly-drug use. We applied poly-drug use indicators, based on substance-specific harm scores reported by van Amsterdam and Nutt in 2015, to data from high school student surveys, showing their usefulness in identifying high-risk drug consumption. Analysing the 'correlation' between high-risk drug use of high school students and school dropout allows the evaluation of adopted prevention policies and may suggest more suitable approaches. Each drug user is characterized by two specific scores: overall frequency of use of substances during the period of interest (FUS) and poly-drug use score (PDS). The poly-drug use score is a weighted average of the harm scores of the individual substances used multiplied by their respective frequencies of use. The PDS increases with the frequency of use, with the number of substances used, and with the specific harm scores of each substance. This indicator consists of two components, one representing the health harm score toward self and the other the social harm score toward others. The indicators have been applied to sample data involving youth population, specifically the ESPAD®Italia survey data on high school students conducted annually in Italy. The trends of poly-drug use at different ages of students, 15-19 years, over time, and gender have been studied. The results have been linked to educational outcomes, early school leaving and social aspects, making it possible to assess present prevention interventions and suggest appropriate planning of future prevention interventions. Poly-drug use indicators allow a comprehensive quantitative evaluation of the risks of drug use. The analysis of the links between heavy use of drugs, school performance and dropout, and the social variables that influence them, shown in this work, suggests how best to plan secondary or indicated prevention interventions at school. The problem of including "new" NPS in analyses is also briefly discussed.

Risk of drug use during pregnancy: master protocol for living systematic reviews and meta-analyses performed in the metaPreg project

BackgroundKnowledge about the risks of drugs during pregnancy is continuously evolving due to the frequent publication of a large number of epidemiological studies. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses therefore need to be regularly updated to reflect these advances. To improve dissemination of this updated information, we developed an initiative of real-time full-scale living meta-analyses relying on an open online dissemination platform (www.metapreg.org).MethodAll living meta-analyses performed in this project will be conducted in accordance with this master protocol after adaptation of the search strategy. A systematic literature search of PubMed and Embase will be performed. All analytical studies (e.g., cohort, case-control, randomized studies) reporting original empirical findings on the association between in utero exposure to drugs and adverse pregnancy outcomes will be included. Study screening and data extraction will be performed in a semi-automation way supervised by a biocurator. A risk of bias will be assessed using the ROBINS-I tools. All clinically relevant pregnancy adverse outcomes (malformations, stillbirths, neuro-developmental disorders, pre-eclampsia, etc.) available in the included studies will be pooled through random-effects meta-analysis. Heterogeneity will be evaluated by I2 statistics.DiscussionOur living systematic reviews and subsequent updates will inform the medical, regulatory, and health policy communities as the news results evolve to guide decisions on the proper use of drugs during the pregnancy.Systematic review registrationOpen Science Framework (OSF) registries

Effectiveness of a Mobile App to Increase Risk Perception of Tobacco, Alcohol, and Marijuana Use in Mexican High School Students: Quantitative Study

Young people have the highest rate of drug use worldwide. Recent data from Mexico in this population show that the prevalence of illicit drug use doubled between 2011 and 2016 (2.9%-6.2%), with marijuana being the one with the highest increase (2.4%-5.3%), but also point out that alcohol and tobacco use have remained steady or decreased. Mexican adolescents are at high risk for drug use owing to a low perception of risk and the availability of drugs. Adolescence is an ideal period to reduce or prevent risky behaviors using evidence-based strategies. In this study, we aimed to test the short-term effectiveness of a mobile intervention app ("What Happens if you Go Too Far?" ["¿Qué pasa si te pasas?"]) that seeks to increase risk perception of tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana use in a sample of Mexican high school students. A nonexperimental evaluation based on pretest-posttest design was used to measure the effectiveness of a preventive intervention using a mobile app, "What Happens If You Go Too Far?" The dimensions analyzed were knowledge of drugs and their effects, life skills, self-esteem, and risk perception. The intervention was conducted on a high school campus with 356 first-year students. The sample included 359 first-year high school students (mean 15, SD 0.588 years; women: 224/359, 62.4% men: 135/359, 37.6%). The intervention increased the overall risk perception of tobacco (χ24=21.6; P<.001) and alcohol use (χ24=15.3; P<.001). There was no significant difference in the perception that it is dangerous to smoke 5 cigarettes, and there was a marginal difference in the perception that it is very dangerous to smoke 1 cigarette or to use alcohol or marijuana. We used a generalized estimating equation method to determine the impact of the variables on risk perception. The results showed that knowledge about smoking increased the risk perception of smoking 1 cigarette (odds ratio [OR] 1.1065, 95% CI 1.013-1.120; P=.01), and that knowledge about marijuana use (OR 1.109, 95% CI 1.138-1.185; P=.002) and self-esteem (OR 1.102, 95% CI 1.007-1.206; P=.04) produced significant increases in the risk perception of consuming 5 cigarettes. Resistance to peer pressure and assertiveness also increased the perceived risk of using tobacco and alcohol. The intervention has the potential to increase the perception of risk toward drug use in high school students by providing knowledge about the effects and psychosocial risks of drug use and by strengthening life skills that are associated with increased risk perception. The use of mobile technologies in intervention processes may broaden the scope of preventive work for adolescents.

Relationship between Being Raised by Single Parent and Drug Abuse among Young People: Insights from Bloomingdale Suburb, Harare in Zimbabwe

The study centred on investigating the relationship between being raised in single parent households and drug abuse among the young people in Harare’s Bloomingdale suburb in Zimbabwe. Other factors beyond single parenthood, which are social and economic were factored in to give a more rigorous explanation of such a behavioural outcome, i.e., drug use and abuse among the young people. Thus, the principal objective was to investigate whether or not single-parenthood leads to drug use and among the youth. Subsidiary objectives entailed investigating whether factors that are social and, economic lead young people in single parent households to abusing drugs. The study used a questionnaire as the research instrument for collecting data from a sample size of 35 participants who fell in the youth group age range (15 to 35 years). Results from descriptive statistics revealed that youths raised in single parent households were at a higher risk of drug use and abuse than those raised in other family structures. Inferential statistics made use of regression models such ANOVA as well as correlation analysis. The results from the regression analysis showed a statistically insignificant influence from single parenthood on drug use and abuse among the youth at the 5% level. The study also identified and proposed possible mitigation measures to curb drug abuse among young people.

Drug use, risk perceptions and attitudes towards drug use amongst medical and dentistry students.

To analyse the use of psychoactive substances and the risk perceptions amongst odontology and medical students. To study their perceptions, attitudes and knowledge, and to evaluate their motivation when helping their patients to stop using these substances. A cross-sectional study was conducted amongst 962 students in Spain, using validated questionnaires on an anonymous basis. Amongst these students, drug use varies and increases with age as assessed by the DAST and CAST tests, with more problematic use being observed as the academic cycle progresses (p < .001). Participants in the 2nd cycle presented higher consumption than those in the 1st cycle, in the univariate model (OR=1.77, IC 95% 1.27-2.48, p=.001) and in the adjusted model (OR=1.86, IC 95% 1.32-2.62, p < .001). Regarding CAST, non-problematic use in the 1st cycle versus the 3rd cycle presented an OR=8.69 (IC 95% 4.50-16.78, p < .001) and for low risk use it presented an OR=15.18 (IC 95% 1.83-14.68). Only 46.7% considered using marijuana on a regular basis as a high risk, whilst 60.5% stated that smoking a pack of cigarettes represents a high risk. Alcohol was the substance for which the risk perception was lowest. 66.2% are in the maintenance stage "I provide my regular drug-using patients help to give up," with women being more likely to be in this stage (p=.012). High risk of drug use increases after the 1st cycle in Dentistry and in Medicine. Training programmes should be implemented in both degrees, focusing on the 1st years in order to simultaneously prevent drug use amongst students.

Remote Screening for Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Involvement by Sex, Age, Lockdown Condition, and Psychological Care-Seeking in the Primary Care Setting during the COVID-19 Pandemic in México.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created a psychoactive substance use crisis in many countries, including México. Remote valid tools to identify high-risk groups in need for treatment are a prerequisite for cost-effective interventions in primary care settings. To determine the validity and correlates of the remote applications of the Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) with sex, age, and psychological care-seeking, offered remotely in primary settings, during the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico, a total sample of 19,109 Mexicans, with an average age of 34.38years (SD = 12.28, range = 18-80), 65.8% of whom were women (n = 12,578), 29.6% in lockdown (5,660), 39.8% in partial lockdown (7,611), 30.60% not in lockdown (5,838), and 14.75% of whom were seeking psychological care (n = 2,819), completed ASSIST through a programmed Web application. The dimensionality of the scale to verify construct validity evidence was achieved through a confirmatory factor analysis model (CFA). We represented the distribution of subjects by sex, age, lockdown condition, and psychological care-seeking, based on their lifetime consumption in 2021. We also compared the total distribution by consumption risk level and recommended type of intervention, psychological care-seeking, and age. The tool included ten dimensions (one for each substance, such as tobacco use), confirmed through the CFA. In general, our findings indicated that men reported high lifetime psychoactive substance use and risky drug use levels. A high percentage of 18 to 19-year-old women reported lifetime tobacco and alcohol use. Additionally, a high number of all-age women reported lifetime sedative and opioid use. Also, a high proportion of partially lockdown participants reported lifetime drug use. Moreover, a high percentage of subjects seeking psychological care were at a moderate and high risk of drug use, which required brief or intensive treatment. Our findings indicate that it was possible to validate the factor structure of the programmed ASSIST for remote use. More men than women reported high lifetime psychoactive substance use and risky levels because of their consumption. At the same time, younger women reported similar and even higher lifetime tobacco, alcohol, and cocaine use than same-age men. More all-age women reported lifetime use of sedatives than all-age men. More all-age partially lockdown participants reported lifetime use of drugs. In general, subjects at greater risk and those requiring psychological care are more likely to seek care. Community and primary care screening will make it possible to implement effective early interventions to reduce the substance use risks associated with health emergencies. Future studies are required to determine the diagnosis of substance use disorders to evaluate the cut-off points in the screening test to discriminate between the presence and absence of symptoms and evaluate the effect of remote psychological care.

Nightlife and COVID Vaccinations

In this study, we described rates of COVID vaccination, attitudes towards COVID prevention behaviours, and perceived risk in relation to different areas of personal well-being and substance use during the pandemic, in a sample of 16- to 25-year-olds (N = 411). The participants completed a short self-report questionnaire, while they were spending their 2021 summer nightlife in a crowded city venue. Results showed that 64% of respondents reported being vaccinated. Among the unvaccinated participants, those who were unwilling to be vaccinated agreed less with prevention rules and felt more at risk for drug use and for chances of getting or maintaining a job, when compared to both vaccinated peers and to peers who were unvaccinated but positively intentioned to vaccinate. Overall, the present findings confirm that youth felt at risk for their well-being during the pandemic and further reveal that young people who are reluctant to vaccinate deserve more attention. Vaccination campaigns need to be strengthened in social contexts, where chances of getting a job or keeping it are lower, while the risk of drug use is higher.

Michigan Model for HealthTM Learning to Enhance and Adapt for Prevention (Mi-LEAP): protocol of a pilot randomized trial comparing Enhanced Replicating Effective Programs versus standard implementation to deliver an evidence-based drug use prevention curriculum

BackgroundSchool-based drug use prevention programs have demonstrated notable potential to reduce the onset and escalation of drug use, including among youth at risk of poor outcomes such as those exposed to trauma. Researchers have found a robust relationship between intervention fidelity and participant (i.e., student) outcomes. Effective implementation of evidence-based interventions, such as the Michigan Model for HealthTM (MMH), is critical to achieving desired public health objectives. Yet, a persistent gap remains in what we know works and how to effectively translate these findings into routine practice. The objective of this study is to design and test a multi-component implementation strategy to tailor MMH to meet population needs (i.e., students exposed to trauma), and improve the population-context fit to enhance fidelity and effectiveness.MethodsUsing a 2-group, mixed-method randomized controlled trial design, this study will compare standard implementation versus Enhanced Replicating Effective Programs (REP) to deliver MMH. REP is a theoretically based implementation strategy that promotes evidence-based intervention (EBI) fidelity through a combination of EBI curriculum packaging, training, and as-needed technical assistance and is consistent with standard MMH implementation. Enhanced REP will tailor the intervention and training to integrate trauma-informed approaches and deploy customized implementation support (i.e., facilitation). The research will address the following specific aims: (1) design and test an implementation strategy (Enhanced REP) to deliver the MMH versus standard implementation and evaluate feasibility, acceptability, and appropriateness using mixed methods, (2) estimate the costs and cost-effectiveness of Enhanced REP to deliver MMH versus standard implementation.DiscussionThis research will design and test a multi-component implementation strategy focused on enhancing the fit between the intervention and population needs while maintaining fidelity to MMH core functions. We focus on the feasibility of deploying the implementation strategy bundle and costing methods and preliminary information on cost input distributions. The substantive focus on youth at heightened risk of drug use and its consequences due to trauma exposure is significant because of the public health impact of prevention. Pilot studies of implementation strategies are underutilized and can provide vital information on designing and testing effective strategies by addressing potential design and methods uncertainties and the effects of the implementation strategy on implementation and student outcomes.Trial registrationNCT04752189—registered on 8 February 2021 on ClinicalTrials.gov PRS

Depresión y esquemas tempranos maladaptativos asociados al consumo de drogas en usuarios de una comunidad terapéutica intrapenitenciaria

Introduction: drug addiction is considered a public health problem and is associated with delinquency and violent behavior. Objective: to determine the relation between early maladaptive schemas, depression and drug use in persons deprived of liberty in intrapenitentiary treatment with the therapeutic community modality. Method: non-experimental and cross-sectional research in a population conformed by 114 male users deprived of liberty. The instruments used were the Beck Depression Inventory and early maladaptive schemas and drug use questionnaires. Results: the schemas that correlated with drug use in persons deprived of liberty were failure, subjugation, sacrifice, insufficient discipline and grandiosity, and those that increased the risk of drug use were dependence/incompetence (RR = 3.375, I = .418, S = 27.227), vulnerability (RR = 3.375, I = .418, S = 27.227), failure (RR = 2.500, I = .306, S = 20.453) and unattainable standards (RR = 2.294, I = .279, S = 18.860). Discussion and conclusions: it was found that early maladaptive schemas in the prison population are related to and increase the risk of drug use, therefore these results have applications for the prevention and treatment of drug use in persons deprived of liberty.