DSM-5 Substance Use Disorders Research Articles

Comparing the Performance of World Mental Health Composite International Diagnostic Interview Substance Abuse Module in Adolescents to Diagnoses Made by Pediatric Addiction Medicine Specialists.

The World Mental Health Composite International Diagnostic Interview Substance Abuse Module (WMH-CIDI-SAM) is commonly used as a criterion standard measure for substance use disorder (SUD) diagnoses, although the accuracy of this tool when used with adolescents is unknown. The objective of this study was to evaluate the agreement between SUD diagnoses for adolescents made by WMH-CIDI-SAM and those made by specialists based on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fifth Edition) ( DSM-5 ) SUD criteria during an SUD evaluation. Adolescents aged 12 to 17 years presenting to an outpatient SUD program for youth were administered the WMH-CIDI-SAM by a trained research assistant, and results were compared with diagnoses made by experienced clinicians based on DSM-5 SUD criteria during an initial SUD evaluation. Chance-corrected concordance was estimated using the κ coefficient for the comparisons. The level of concordance between the WMH-CIDI-SAM interview and the clinician diagnosis based on DSM-5 SUD criteria were fair to moderate for alcohol use disorder and tobacco use disorder and poor for cannabis use disorder. Three of 11 WMH-CIDI-SAM item constructs showed poor concordance with clinician diagnosis. Interpreting the diagnostic criteria for SUDs, particularly cannabis use disorders, is nuanced, and the meaning of the criteria may be misunderstood by adolescents. Further evaluation of the performance of the WMH-CIDI-SAM diagnostic interview for identifying cannabis use disorders in adolescents is needed.

Association between cannabis use disorder symptom severity and probability of clinically-documented diagnosis and treatment in a primary care sample

BackgroundBrief cannabis screening followed by standardized assessment of symptoms may support diagnosis and treatment of cannabis use disorder (CUD). This study tested whether the probability of a medical provider diagnosing and treating CUD increased with the number of substance use disorder (SUD) symptoms documented in patients’ EHRs. MethodsThis observational study used EHR and claims data from an integrated healthcare system. Adult patients were included who reported daily cannabis use and completed the Substance Use Symptom Checklist, a scaled measure of DSM-5 SUD symptoms (0−11), during routine care 3/1/2015–3/1/2021. Logistic regression estimated associations between SUD symptom counts and: 1) CUD diagnosis; 2) CUD treatment initiation; and 3) CUD treatment engagement, defined based on Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) ICD-codes and timelines. We tested moderation across age, gender, race, and ethnicity. ResultsPatients (N=13,947) were predominantly middle-age, male, White, and non-Hispanic. Among patients reporting daily cannabis use without other drug use (N=12,568), the probability of CUD diagnosis, treatment initiation, and engagement increased with each 1-unit increase in Symptom Checklist score (p’s<0.001). However, probabilities of diagnosis, treatment, and engagement were low, even among those reporting ≥2 symptoms consistent with SUD: 14.0% diagnosed (95% CI: 11.7–21.6), 16.6% initiated treatment among diagnosed (11.7–21.6), and 24.3% engaged in treatment among initiated (15.8–32.7). Only gender moderated associations between Symptom Checklist and diagnosis (p=0.047) and treatment initiation (p=0.012). Findings were similar for patients reporting daily cannabis use with other drug use (N=1379). ConclusionDespite documented symptoms, CUD was underdiagnosed and undertreated in medical settings.

Does food use disorder exist? Item response theory analyses of a food use disorder adapted from the DSM-5 substance use disorder criteria in a treatment seeking clinical sample

BackgroundIncreased consumption of food that are high in energy and sugar have been pointed as a major factor in the obesity epidemic. Impaired control of food intake and the concept of food addiction has been developed as a potential contributor. Our objective was to evaluate the dimensionality and psychometric validity of diagnostic criteria for food addiction adapted from the 11 DSM-5 substance use disorder (SUD) criteria (i.e.: Food Use Disorder (FUD) criteria), and to evaluate the influence of age, gender, and body mass index (BMI). MethodsCross-sectional observational study including 508 participants (56.1% male; mean age 42.2) from outpatient treatment clinics for obesity or addiction disorders at time of admission. FUD diagnostic criteria were analyzed using confirmatory factor and 2-parameter item response theory analyses. Differential Item and Test Functioning analyses were performed across age, gender, and BMI. ResultsWe demonstrated the one-factor dimensionality of the criteria set. The criterion “craving” presented the strongest factor loading and discrimination parameter and the second-lowest difficulty. We found some significant uniform differential item functioning for body mass index. We found some differential test functioning for gender and BMI. ConclusionsThis study reports, for the first time, the validity of a potential Food Use Disorder (derived from the 11 DSM-5 SUD criteria adapted to food) in a sample of treatment seeking adults. This has great implications both at the clinical level and in terms of public health policy in the context of the global obesity epidemic.

The centrality of craving in network analysis of five substance use disorders

Background and aimsAmong the 11 current diagnostic criteria, craving is a potential central marker for understanding and for treatment of Substance Use Disorders (SUD). Our objective was to explore craving centrality across SUD based on the study of symptom interactions in cross-sectional network analyses of DSM-5 SUD diagnostic criteria. We hypothesized the centrality of “Craving” in SUD across substance types. DesignParticipants from the ADDICTAQUI clinical cohort with regular use (2 times per week threshold for a substance) and at least one DSM-5 SUD. SettingOutpatient substance use treatment services in Bordeaux, France. ParticipantsThe sample of 1359 participants, had a mean age of 39 years old and 67% were males. The prevalence of SUD over the time course of the study was: 93% for alcohol, 98% for opioids, 94% for cocaine, 94% for cannabis and 91% tobacco. MeasurementsConstruction of a Symptom Network Model conducted on the DSM-5 SUD criteria evaluated over the past 12 months for Alcohol-, Cocaine-, Tobacco-, Opioid- and Cannabis Use disorder. FindingsThe only symptom that consistently remained in terms of centrality was “Craving” [3.96 – 6.17] (z-scores), indicating that it exhibits a high degree of connections in the entire symptom network regardless of the substance. ConclusionIdentifying craving as central in SUD symptoms network confirms the role of craving as a marker of addiction. This constitutes a major avenue in the understanding of the mechanisms of addiction, with implications to ameliorate diagnostic validity and clarify treatment targets.

The Role of Substance Use Disorders on Suicidal Ideation, Planning, and Attempts: A Nationally Representative Study of Adolescents and Adults in the United States, 2020.

Few nationally representative studies examine suicidality and substance use during 2020; as such, we explored the role of substance use disorders (SUDs) on suicidality among adults and adolescents in 2020. Data were derived from N = 26,084 adult participants, representing 240 million U.S. adults weighted, and N = 5,723 adolescent participants, representing 25 million U.S. adolescents (12-17 years.). Separate logistic regressions for adults and adolescents were used to assess the association of DSM-5 SUDs, related factors, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors (ideation, planning, and attempts). In 2020, adults with SUDs were nearly 4 times more likely to seriously consider suicide (aOR = 3.94, 95% CI: 3.19, 4.86), 3 times more likely to make a suicide plan (aOR = 3.09, 95% CI: 2.25, 4.25), and nearly 4 times more likely to attempt suicide (aOR = 3.77, 95% CI: 2.29, 6.19) than adults without SUDs. Adolescents with SUDs were 4 times more likely to consider suicide (aOR = 3.69, 95% CI: 2.47, 5.51), 5 times as likely to make a suicide plan (aOR = 5.14, 95% CI: 3.25, 8.13) and to attempt suicide (aOR = 5.27, 95% CI: 2.91, 9.53) than adolescents without SUDs. Adult females and individuals experiencing poverty were twice as likely to attempt suicide than adult males and individuals not living in poverty. Adolescent females were 3-5 times more likely to seriously consider, plan, and attempt suicide than adolescent males. Interventions to curb suicidality among individuals with SUDs are crucial.

A Student Walks into Class … Vignettes to Identify Substance Use Disorder Models of Illness among College Students

Introduction Illness models, including illness recognition, perceived severity, and perceived nature can affect treatment-seeking behaviors. Vignettes are a leading approach to examine models of illness but are understudied for substance use disorders (SUDs). We created vignettes for multiple common DSM-5 SUDs and assessed SUD illness models among college students. Methods Seven vignettes in which the protagonist meets DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for SUDs involving tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, Adderall, cocaine, Vicodin, and heroin were pilot tested and randomly assigned to 216 college students who completed measures related to illness recognition, perceived severity, and perceived nature. MANOVAs with Scheffe post-hoc tests were conducted to examine vignette group differences on models of illness. Results Vignettes met acceptable levels of clarity and plausibility. Participants characterized the protagonist’s substance use as a problem, a SUD, or an addiction most frequently with Vicodin, heroin, and cocaine and least frequently with tobacco and cannabis. Participants assigned to the Vicodin, heroin, and cocaine vignettes were the most likely to view the protagonist’s situation as serious and life-threatening, whereas those assigned to the cannabis vignette were the least likely. Numerically more participants characterized the pattern of substance use as a problem (91%) or an addiction (90%) than a SUD (76%), while only 15% characterized it as a chronic medical condition. Conclusions Illness recognition and perceived severity varied across substances and were lowest for cannabis. Few participants conceptualized SUDs as chronic medical conditions. College students may benefit from psychoeducation regarding cannabis use disorder and the chronic medical condition model of SUDs.

Women's Use of Substance Use Disorder Treatment Services: Rates, Correlates, and Comparisons to Men.

In spite of evidence of increasing prevalence of substance use disorders (SUDs) among women, there is little information on gender differences in SUD treatment use. Nationally representative survey data were used to compare specialized SUD treatment among women and men with past-year DSM-5 SUD diagnoses (N = 5,789, 42.8% women). An estimated 10.7% of women and 9.9% of men (p = 0.45) received SUD treatment. Those who received treatment among both men and women had more problems than others. Five variables were independently associated with receipt of past-year treatment in both women and men and while five others were independently associated with receipt of treatment for only one gender. Interaction analysis, however, revealed no statistically significant gender differences in any correlate of treatment receipt. Although men were more likely to have SUDs than women, there were no significant differences by gender in rates or correlates of service use.

Gender Differences in Psychiatric and Behavioral Health Burden Among Adults With Alcohol and Other Substance Use Disorders in the United States.

Studies report that women with opioid use disorder experience more comorbid psychiatric disorders and behavioral health burdens than men. We broadened the study of this phenomenon to alcohol use disorder (AUD) and other substance use disorders (SUDs) using national epidemiologic data. Data from the National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions Wave-III identified 2491 women and 3317 men with DSM-5 AUD or SUDs, and 30,501 men and women without such disorders. Women and men with AUD and SUDs were compared to those without such disorders on 22 measures of DSM-5 psychiatric disorders and behavioral histories (eg, incarceration and suicide attempt). The interaction of female sex and AUD in relation to these measures was evaluated and we repeated analyses for SUDs. Separate analyses of female and male adults with and without AUD or SUDs showed AUD and SUDs in both sexes were strongly associated with psychiatric disorders and behavioral histories. In pooled analyses, the interaction of female sex and AUD showed women with AUD had significantly greater likelihood than men of: borderline personality disorder, pain; parental history of incarceration; traumatic events; incarceration; and lifetime homelessness (P < 0.05 for all), but not for psychiatric diagnoses. Interaction of female sex with SUDs showed women had increased likelihood of all personality disorders, traumatic events, and past incarceration ( P < 0.05 for all). Certain personality disorders and behavioral histories, but not psychiatric diagnoses, may play a distinct role in leading to SUDs among women when compared to men.

Getting "clean" from nonsuicidal self-injury: Experiences of addiction on the subreddit r/selfharm.

Background & AimsPrevious studies have shown that nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) has addictive features, and an addiction model of NSSI has been considered. Addictive features have been associated with severity of NSSI and adverse psychological experiences. Yet, there is debate over the extent to which NSSI and substance use disorders (SUDs) are similar experientially.MethodsTo evaluate the extent that people who self-injure experience NSSI like an addiction, we coded the posts of users of the subreddit r/selfharm (n = 500) for each of 11 DSM-5 SUD criteria adapted to NSSI.ResultsA majority (76.8%) of users endorsed at least two adapted SUD criteria in their posts, indicative of mild, moderate, or severe addiction. The most frequently endorsed criteria were urges or cravings (67.6%), escalating severity or tolerance (46.7%), and NSSI that is particularly hazardous. User-level addictive features positively predicted number of methods used for NSSI, number of psychiatric disorders, and particularly hazardous NSSI, but not suicidality. We also observed frequent use of language and concepts common in SUD recovery circles like Alcoholics Anonymous.Discussion & ConclusionOur findings support previous work describing the addiction potential of NSSI and associating addictive features with clinical severity. These results suggest that NSSI and SUD may share experiential similarities, which has implications for the treatment of NSSI. We also contribute to a growing body of work that uses social media as a window into the subjective experiences of stigmatized populations.

Validity of the DSM-5 craving criterion for alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, cocaine, heroin, and non-prescription use of prescription painkillers (opioids).

Although the DSM-5 was adopted in 2013, the validity of the new substance use disorder (SUD) diagnosis and craving criterion has not been investigated systematically across substances. Adults (N = 588) who engaged in binge drinking or illicit drug use and endorsed at least one DSM-5 SUD criterion were included. DSM-5 SUD criteria were assessed for alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, cocaine, heroin, and opioids. Craving was considered positive if "wanted to use so badly that could not think of anything else" (severe craving) or "felt a very strong desire or urge to use" (moderate craving) was endorsed. Baseline information on substance-related variables and psychopathology was collected, and electronic daily assessment queried substance use for the following 90 days. For each substance, logistic regression estimated the association between craving and validators, i.e. variables expected to be related to craving/SUD, and whether association with the validators differed for DSM-5 SUD diagnosed with craving as a criterion v. without. Across substances, craving was associated with most baseline validators (p values<0.05); neither moderate nor severe craving consistently showed greater associations. Baseline craving predicted subsequent use [odds ratios (OR): 4.2 (alcohol) - 234.3 (heroin); p's ⩽ 0.0001], with stronger associations for moderate than severe craving (p's < 0.05). Baseline DSM-5 SUD showed stronger associations with subsequent use when diagnosed with craving than without (p's < 0.05). The DSM-5 craving criterion as operationalized in this study is valid. Including craving improves the validity of DSM-5 SUD diagnoses, and clinical relevance, since craving may cause impaired control over use and development and maintenance of SUD.

Agreement between DSM-5 and DSM-IV measures of substance use disorders in a sample of adult substance users

BackgroundIn DSM-5, definitions of substance use disorders (SUD) were changed considerably from DSM-IV, yet little is known about how well DSM-IV and DSM-5 SUD diagnoses agree among substance users. Because data from many studies are based on DSM-IV diagnostic criteria, understanding the agreement between DSM-5 and DSM-IV SUD diagnoses and reasons for discordance between these diagnoses is crucial for comparing results across studies. MeasurementsPrevalences and chance-corrected agreement of DSM-5 SUD and DSM-IV substance dependence were evaluated in 588 substance users in a suburban inpatient addiction program and an urban medical center, using a semi-structured interview (PRISM-5). Alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, cocaine, heroin, opioid, sedative, and stimulant use disorders were examined. Cohen’s kappa was used to assess agreement between DSM-5 and DSM-IV SUD (abuse or dependence), DSM-5 SUD and DSM-IV dependence, and DSM-5 moderate/severe SUD and DSM-IV dependence. ResultsAgreement between DSM-5 and DSM-IV SUD was excellent for all substances (κ = 0.84−0.99), except for cannabis and tobacco (κ = 0.75; 0.80, respectively). The most common reason for diagnostic discrepancies was a positive DSM-5 SUD diagnosis but no DSM-IV diagnosis, due to the lowered DSM-5 SUD threshold. Agreement between DSM-5 SUD and DSM-IV dependence was excellent for all substances (κ = 0.88−0.94), except for alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis (κ = 0.63−0.75). Agreement between moderate/severe DSM-5 SUD and DSM-IV dependence was excellent across all substances. ConclusionWhile care should be used in interpreting results of studies using different methods, studies relying on DSM-IV or DSM-5 SUD diagnostic criteria offer similar information and thus can be compared when accumulating a body of evidence.

Diagnostic Accuracy of the Drug Use Disorder Identification Test and Its Short Form, the DUDIT-C, in German Adolescent Psychiatric Patients.

BackgroundA common screening instrument for substance use disorders (SUDs) is the Drug Use Disorders Identification Test (DUDIT) which includes a short form regarding only drug consumption (DUDIT-C). We aim to assess if a German version of the DUDIT, adapted for adolescents, is a suitable screening instrument in a sample of adolescent psychiatric patients.MethodsN = 124 (54 female) German adolescent (M = 15.6 + 1.5 years) psychiatric patients completed the DUDIT and received a diagnostic interview (MINI-KID) assessing DSM-5 SUD criteria. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, the area under the curve (AUC), and Youden’s Index were calculated.ResultsA two-factor model of the DUDIT shows the best model fit (CFI = 0.995, SRMR = 0.055, RMSEA = 0.059, WRMR = 0.603). The DUDIT as well as the DUDIT-C show high diagnostic accuracy, with AUC = 0.95 and AUC = 0.88, respectively. For the DUDIT a cut-off value of 8.5 was optimal (sensitivity = 0.93, specificity = 0.91, J = 0.84), while for the DUDIT-C the optimal cut-off value was at 1.5 (sensitivity = 0.86, specificity = 0.84, J = 0.70).ConclusionThis is the first psychometric evaluation of the DUDIT in German, adolescent psychiatric outpatients, using the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria. The DUDIT as well as the DUDIT-C are well suited for use in this population. Since in our sample only few patients presented with a mild or moderate SUD, our results need to be replicated in a sample of adolescents with mild SUD.

Management of Mental Health Disorders, Substance Use Disorders, and Suicide in Adults with Spinal Cord Injury: Clinical Practice Guideline for Healthcare Providers.

Management of Mental Health Disorders, Substance Use Disorders, and Suicide in Adults with Spinal Cord Injury: Clinical Practice Guideline for Healthcare Providers.

Test-retest reliability of DSM-5 substance disorder measures as assessed with the PRISM-5, a clinician-administered diagnostic interview

AimIn DSM-5, the definitions of substance use disorders (SUD) were changed considerably, yet little is known about the reliability of DSM-5 SUD and its new features. MethodsThe test-retest reliability of DSM-5 SUD and DSM-IV substance dependence (SD) was evaluated in 565 adult substance users, each interviewed twice by different clinician interviewers using the semi-structured Psychiatric Research Interview for Substance and Mental Disorders, DSM-5 version (PRISM-5). DSM-5 SUD and DSM-IV SD criteria were assessed for past year and lifetime, yielding diagnoses and severity levels for alcohol, tobacco, cannabis, cocaine, heroin, opioids, sedatives, hallucinogen, and stimulant use disorders. Cohen’s and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) assessed reliability for categorical and graded outcomes, respectively. Factors potentially influencing reliability were explored, including inpatient vs. community participant, days between interviews gender, age, race/ethnicity, and SUD severity. ResultsDSM-5 SUD diagnoses had substantial to excellent reliability for most substances (κ = 0.63−0.94), and moderate for others (hallucinogens, stimulants, sedatives; κ = 0.50−0.59). For graded outcomes (DSM-5 SUD mild, moderate, severe; criteria count 0–11), reliability was substantial to excellent (ICC = 0.74−0.99). Comparisons of DSM-5 SUD and DSM-IV SD reliability showed few significant differences. Reliability of the DSM-5 craving criterion was excellent for heroin (κ = 0.84−0.95) and moderate to substantial for other substances (κ = 0.49−0.76). The only factor influencing reliability of SUD was severity, with milder disorders significantly more likely to be discordant between the interviews. ConclusionReproducibility is crucial to good measurement. In a large sample using rigorous methodology, diagnoses and dimensional measures from clinician-administered interviews for DSM-5 SUD were generally highly reliable.

Routine Assessment of Symptoms of Substance Use Disorders in Primary Care: Prevalence and Severity of Reported Symptoms.

Most patients with substance use disorders (SUDs) never receive treatment and SUDs are under-recognized in primary care (PC) where patients can be treated or linked to treatment. Asking PC patients to directly report SUD symptoms on questionnaires might help identify SUDs but to our knowledge, this approach is previously untested. To describe the prevalence and severity of DSM-5 SUD symptoms reported by PC patients as part of routine care. Cross-sectional study using secondary data. A total of 241,265 adult patients who visited one of 25 PC sites in an integrated health system in Washington state and had alcohol, cannabis, or other drug use screening documented in their EHRs (March 2015-July 2018) were included in main analyses if they had a positive screen for high-risk substance use defined as AUDIT-C score 7-12 points, or report of past-year daily cannabis use or any other drug use. The main outcome was number of SUD symptoms based on Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 5th edition (DSM-5), reported on Symptom Checklists (0-11) for alcohol or other drugs: 2-3 mild; 4-5 moderate; 6-11 severe. Of screened patients, 16,776 (5.7%) reported high-risk use of alcohol (2.4%), cannabis (3.9%), and/or other drugs (1.7%), and 65.0-69.9% of those completed Symptom Checklists. Of those with high-risk alcohol use, 52.5% (95% CI 50.9-54.0%) reported ≥ 2 symptoms consistent with mild-severe alcohol use disorders. Of those reporting daily cannabis use, 29.8% (28.6-30.9%) reported ≥ 2 symptoms consistent with mild-severe SUDs. Of those reporting any other drug use, 37.5% (35.7-39.3%) reported ≥ 2 symptoms consistent with mild-severe SUDs. Many PC patients who screened positive for high-risk substance use reported symptoms consistent with DSM-5 SUDs on self-report Symptom Checklists. Use of SUD Symptom Checklists could support PC providers in making SUD diagnoses and initiating discussions of substance use.

Functional and structural social support, substance use and sexual orientation from a nationally representative sample of US adults

Sexual minority (SM) populations experience higher rates of substance use disorder (SUD) associated with increased sexual orientation-related stress. Social support may moderate the impact of stress on SUD among SM adults. This study assessed associations between social support and DSM-5 SUD by sex and sexual minority identity. Cross-sectional study using data from the 2012-13 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC-III). A nationally representative cross-sectional sample of adults (n=36 309) in the United States. SUD were defined based on the DSM-5 criteria for alcohol use (AUD), tobacco use (TUD) and drug use (DUD) disorders. Structural social support was measured as the type and frequency of kin and non-kin contact, and functional social support was measured by the Social Provision Scale. SM adults had higher odds of all SUD compared to heterosexual adults [AUD=1.535, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.782-1.844; TUD=1.512, 95% CI=1.234-1.854; DUD=1.520, 95% CI=1.139-2.028]; SM women experienced the highest proportion of all SUD (AUD=27.1%, TUD=29.1%, DUD=10.9%). Type of social support was differentially associated with SUD by sex and sexual identity status. Higher social provision was associated with lower rates of AUD [adjusted odds ratio (aOR)=0.771, 95% CI=0.705-0.844], TUD (aOR=0.747, 95% CI=0.694-0.804] and DUD (aOR=0.558, 95% CI=0.490-0.636). Marriage was associated with lower SUD among heterosexual men (AUD, aOR=0.500, 95% CI=0.432-0.579; TUD, aOR=0.603, 95% CI=0.521-0.699; DUD, aOR=0.504, 95% CI=0.369-0.689) and women (AUD, aOR=0.637, 95% CI=0.529-0.767; TUD=0.0.584, 95% CI=0.507-0.671; DUD, aOR=0.515, 95% CI=0.372-0.712). Compared to heterosexual adults, SM women with at least one child under the age of 18years had higher odds of TUD (aOR=1.990, 95% CI=1.325-2.988). SM-related discrimination was not associated with SUD among some SM subgroups, but discrimination among male heterosexually identifying individuals reporting same-sex attraction or behavior was associated AUD (aOR=4.608, 95% CI=1.615-13.14). In the United States there are significant associations between functional support (quality or provision of support) and structural support (type and frequency of social networks) and substance use disorder (SUD) which differ by sex and sexual identity status.

Examining the relation of personality factors to substance use disorder by explanatory item response modeling of DSM-5 symptoms.

This paper explores how personality factors affect substance use disorders (SUDs) using explanatory item response modeling (EIRM). A total of 606 Chinese illicit drug users participated in our study. After removing the cases with missing values on the covariate measures, a final sample of 573 participants was used for data analysis. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) was used to measure the illicit drug users’ SUD level. Four personality factors–anxiety sensitivity, impulsivity, sensation seeking and hopelessness–along with gender and alcohol use were included in EIRM as person covariates. The results indicated that gender, alcohol use, and their interaction significantly predicted the SUD level. The only personality factor that strongly predicted the SUD level was sensation seeking. In addition, the interaction between gender and hopelessness was also found to be a significant predictor of the SUD level, indicating that the negative effect of hopelessness on SUD is stronger for women than for men. The findings suggest that sensation seeking plays an important role in influencing SUDs, and thus, it should be considered when designing intervention or screening procedures for potential illicit drug users. In addition, several DSM-5 SUD symptoms were found to exhibit differential effects by gender, alcohol use, and personality factors. The possible explanations were discussed.

Integration of screening, assessment, and treatment for cannabis and other drug use disorders in primary care: An evaluation in three pilot sites

BackgroundThis pilot study evaluated whether use of evidence-based implementation strategies to integrate care for cannabis and other drug use into primary care (PC) as part of Behavioral Health Integration (BHI) increased diagnosis and treatment of substance use disorders (SUDs). MethodsPatients who visited the three pilot PC sites were eligible. Implementation strategies included practice coaching, electronic health record decision support, and performance feedback (3/2015-4/2016). BHI introduced annual screening for past-year cannabis and other drug use, a Symptom Checklist for DSM-5 SUDs, and shared decision-making about treatment options. Main analyses tested whether the proportions of PC patients diagnosed with, and treated for, new cannabis or other drug use disorders (CUDs and DUDs, respectively), differed significantly pre- and post-implementation. ResultsOf 39,599 eligible patients, 57% and 59% were screened for cannabis and other drug use, respectively. Among PC patients reporting daily cannabis use (2%) or any drug use (1%), 51% and 37%, respectively, completed an SUD Symptom Checklist. The proportion of PC patients with newly diagnosed CUD increased significantly post-implementation (5 v 17 per 10,000 patients, p < 0.0001), but not other DUDs (10 vs 13 per 10,000, p = 0.24). The proportion treated for newly diagnosed CUDs did not increase post-implementation (1 vs 1 per 10,000, p = 0.80), but did for those treated for newly diagnosed other DUDs (1 vs 3 per 10,000, p = 0.038). ConclusionsA pilot implementation of BHI to increase routine screening and assessment for SUDs was associated with increased new CUD diagnoses and a small increase in treatment of new other DUDs.

DSM-5 substance use disorders among college-age young adults in the United States: Prevalence, remission and treatment

Objective: To determine the prevalence, remission, and treatment associated with DSM-5 substance use disorders (SUDs) among young adults based on college attendance. Participants: The population-based sample included 2,057 young adults aged 19–23 in college/school and 1,213 not currently attending college/school who participated from April 2012 through June 2013. Methods: Face-to-face interviews were conducted as part of a cross-sectional national survey. Results: The prevalence of any past-year DSM-5 SUD was 39.6% among young adults in college and 44.5% among those not attending college. Past-year tobacco use disorder and multiple DSM-5 SUDs were more prevalent among those not attending college. Among those with prior-to-past-year SUDs, abstinent remission was low among college (1.0%) and noncollege (1.9%) young adults. Conclusions: Approximately two in five U.S. college students had at least one past-year DSM-5 SUD. Sustained abstinent remission from SUDs is extremely rare (1–2%) and the majority of those with SUDs do not receive treatment.

Prevalence of Substance Use Disorders and Psychiatric Conditions Among County Jail Inmates: Changes and Stability Over Time

This study first sought to estimate the local Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM-5) prevalence of various substance use disorders (SUDs) and psychiatric conditions among a sample of male county jail inmates ( N = 200) from 2016 data. The observed patterns in prevalence and internal consistency for the various conditions among a subgroup of inmates with a DSM-5 moderate-severe SUD diagnosis ( n = 149) were then compared to a comparable sample of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; DSM-IV) substance-dependent inmates derived from 2008 data collected in an adjacent county jail ( N = 176) using a nearly identical structured clinical interview. Results revealed 87.0% of inmates in the total 2016 sample met criteria for any DSM-5 SUD. Despite similar methodology, comparable sample populations, and county jails in the same geographic region, there were marked differences between studies with respect to the prevalence of certain SUDs over an 8-year period. Conversely, 2016 prevalence rates for the co-occurring conditions were within 1% to 7% points of the rates evidenced in 2008.