Psychoactive Substance Abuse Research Articles

Psychoactive substance abuse and associated factors among middle school students in Liaoning

Objective To investigate psychoactive substance abuse and associated factors among middle school students in Liaoning, and to provide policy suggestions and reference opinions for relevant departments. Methods A questionnaire survey was conducted among 12 598 middle school students in 10 cities of Liaoning by multi-stage stratified cluster sampling. Multivariate Logistic regression model was used to analyze associated factors of psychoactive substance abuse. Results About 0.94% ( n = 118) of all participants reported substance abuse behavior, the highest abuse rate was in the third grade students in vocational middle school, the most common psychoactive substance was “laughing balloon”, accounting for 0.57%. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis revealed that girls, moderate academic burden were generally negatively associated with more psychoactive substance use ( OR = 0.57, 0.58, P<0.05). Academic performance class was ranked in the last ten, monthly pocket money more than 500 yuan and sleep with medication were generally positively associated with more psychoactive substance use ( OR = 1.93, 2.52, 4.29, P<0.05). Conclusion The problem of psychoactive substance abuse among middle school students can not be ignored. Effective prevention and control of psychoactive substance abuse can be achieved through publicity, education, awareness-raising, early intervention, counseling and treatment, and through coordination of adolescents, families, schools, government and the society. 【摘要】 目的 了解辽宁省在校中学生精神活性物质滥用情况及行为特征, 探讨其影响因素, 为相关部门提出政策建议和参考意见。 方法 采用多阶段分层整群抽样方法, 对辽宁省 10 座城市的 12 598 名在校中学生进行问卷调查。采用多因素 Logistic 回归模型分析精神活性物质滥用的影响因素。 结果 有 0.94% (118 名) 的在校中学生有精神活性物质滥用行为, 滥用比例最高的为职业中学三年级学生 (2.04%), 滥用最多的物质是 “笑气球” (0.57%)。多因素 Logistic 回归分析显示, 女生、学习负担一般与中学生精神活性物质滥用呈负相关 ( OR 值分别为 0.57, 0.58, P 值均<0.05), 学习成绩班级排名后10名、每月零花钱 ≥500 元、需要借助药物入眠与中学生精神活性物质滥用呈正相关( OR 值分别为 1.93, 2.52, 4.29, P 值均<0.05)。 结论 中学生精神活性物质滥用问题不容忽视, 应通过学生自身、家庭、学校、政府、社会多方联动, 采取宣传、教育、提高青少年认识、早期干预、咨询、治疗等多措并举的方式, 以有效预防和控制滥用行为。

Basic neuroscience P-BN002. Morphine-, mitragynine- and THC-induced alterations of cannabinoid CB1 receptor immunoreactivity in brain hippocampal ca1 region of Swiss albino mice

Introduction . Problems pertaining to the large and growing abuse of plant-derived psychoactive substances are on the rise. Literature indicates that uncontrolled use of phytochemicals, such as opioids, Δ-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and mitragynine (main alkaloid of Mitragyna speciosa or Ketum plant) pose considerable harms and addictive burdens, including behavioural and neurological alterations in brain reward system. This study aimed to evaluate the neuronal changes in hippocampal CA1 region of brain mesolimbic system, particularly involving cannabinoid (CB1) receptor, induced by chronic exposure to morphine, mitragynine and THC. Methods . Twenty-four (n=24) male Swiss albino mice were subjected to daily administration of Tween 20-vehicle (1 ml/kg, ip, n=6), morphine sulphate (5 mg/kg, sc, n=6), mitragynine (5-25 mg/kg, ip, n=6), or THC (2 mg/kg, ip, n=6) for 28 days. On Day-29, mice brains were removed and processed for immunohistochemistry and Western Blot analyses for the expression of CB1 receptor protein. Results . Chronic treatment with morphine and mitragynine induced an up-regulation of CB1 receptor immunoreactivity in mice hippocampal CA1 region (p<0.05), a key brain reward area. In contrast, THC group showed significant down-regulation of CB1 receptor binding sites in CA1 hippocampal region (p<0.05). Conclusion . These findings suggest the involvement of brain CB1 receptors in the abuse liability of chronic morphine, mitragynine and THC intake.

Rapid Formation of Nanoclusters for Detection of Drugs in Urine Using Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy.

We developed a method based on surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) and a sample pretreatment process for rapid, sensitive, reproducible, multiplexed, and low-cost detection of illegal drugs in urine. The abuse of new psychoactive substances (NPS) has become an increasingly serious problem in many countries. However, immunoassay-based screening kits for NPS are usually not available because of the lack of corresponding antibodies. SERS has a great potential for rapid detection of NPS because it can simultaneously detect multiple kinds of drugs without the use of antibodies. To achieve highly sensitive SERS detection of drugs, sodium bromide was first employed to induce the rapid formation of Ag nanoclusters by aggregating silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) in the extracted sample solution. SERS measurements were performed immediately after the sample pretreatment without incubation. The three-dimensional SERS hot spots were believed to form significantly within the nanoclusters, providing strong SERS enhancement effects. The displacement of citrate molecules on the surfaces of the AgNPs by bromide ions helped increase the adsorption of drug molecules, increasing their areal density. We demonstrated the simultaneous detection of two kinds of NPS, methcathinone and 4-methylmethcathinone, in urine at a concentration as low as 0.01 ppm.

PORODICA KAO RIZIČNI I PROTEKTIVNI FAKTOR ZAVISNOSTI OD DROGA KOD MLADIH

The abuse of psychoactive substances, which often turns into drug addiction, is a serious global problem that is receiving increasing attention with the scientific and professional public. The consequences of this plague are numerous and incalculable both for the individual and for his narrower and wider social environment, but also for society as a whole. The family of addicts is the first to feel the consequences of drug addiction, but also the first to influence young people to enter the world of drugs. The aim of this paper is to review all the potentials that the family has, which should be used in the process of treatment and resocialization of addicts. We will also point to the family as a risk factor that can contribute to the occurrence of drug problems in its members, especially those in adolescence. The discussion of risk and protective factors related to the family is motivated by the fact that the adolescent still belongs to the family system and depends on it. The attitudes he has developed within the family system affect other family members and vice versa.

Changing Patterns in the Types and Methods of Abuse of Illegal Drugs in Sri Lanka: A Study Based on Five Recent Case Series

Substance abuse is a global problem. The types of drugs, patterns of abuse and other demographic characters change over time. Five incidences including two case series are discussed here. They involve teenagers and young adults including fist-time users of cocktails of drugs including relatively newer substances of abuse in Sri Lanka such as amphetamines and methamphetamines. Illegal gatherings organized through the internet such as Facebook parties are becoming commoner in Sri Lanka providing a safe platform for experiencing illegal drugs and casual sex for teenagers including school children. Recreational abuse of these drugs in the dance culture by teenagers and young adults poses many medical, social and psychological problems. Young female substance abusers are on the rise. Chemsex or the abuse of psychoactive substances to enhance sexual desire, performance and to achieve a ‘carefree and relaxed mind-set’ during casual sex is a relatively newer entity in Sri Lanka which is reported in these case series. Rave parties, beach parties and Facebook parties pose many new challenges to the law enforcement, Government Analyst and the Judicial Medical Officer in Sri Lanka. Multi-disciplinary research and infrastructure development are necessary to successfully face these challenges.

Synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists profile in infused papers seized in Brazilian prisons.

Synthetic cannabinoid receptor agonists (SCRAs) are a class of varied compounds that mimic the effects of natural cannabinoids found in cannabis. Because they have a wide range of diverse structures, they vary widely in their potency. The abuse of new psychoactive substances (NPS) in prisons was reported in many European countries and in the USA. In the present study, we have described the identification of SCRAs in 56 infused paper sheet samples, seized mainly in Brazilian prisons between 2016 and 2020. The materials were seized by local or federal law enforcement and analyzed by São Paulo State Police or Brazilian Federal Police using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry or nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry. Most of these samples (87.5%) were seized in 2019-2020; seven different SCRAs were identified in samples, and the most frequently identified substances were MDMB-4en-PINACA (23.6%) and 5F-MDMB-PICA (36.4%), the newest SCRAs emerging recently. As observed in Europe and the USA, Brazil also shows the prevalence of indazole-3-carboxamides and indole-3-carboxamides among SCRAs seizures in the prison system. This phenomenon is spreading all over the world at this moment. These data on the prevalence could help to alert judicial authorities to shutting down the introduction of NPS, including SCRAs, into prisons to ensure safety and security for avoiding health risks of prisoners and staff, leading to positive effects in this population. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of SCRAs smuggling into prisons in Latin America.

Simultaneous LC-MS/MS screening for multiple phenethylamine-type conventional drugs and new psychoactive substances in urine

New psychoactive substances are being launched in the drug market at a rapidly growing pace. More than 950 new psychoactive substances have been reported to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. The development of new psychoactive substance abuse has drawn risks on public health and safety. Phenethylamines, along with other stimulants, accounted for the majority of the new psychoactive substances being reported in the past decade. This study presents a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) method for the simultaneous screening of 74 conventional and artificial phenethylamines in urine samples. The chromatographic analysis was performed by a direct dilute-and-shoot procedure using a Phenomenex Kinetex® Phenyl-Hexyl column (10 cm × 2.1 mm i.d., 1.7 µm) and two mobile phases (A: 0.1% formic acid aqueous solution with 5 mM ammonium acetate, B: 0.1% formic acid methanolic solution). The mass fragments were collected under the multiple reaction monitoring mode. The linearity range located in 1.0–50.0 ng/mL for quantitative analysis. The limit of detection and lower limit of quantification for 74 phenethylamines were 0.5 ng/mL and 1.0 ng/mL, respectively. The method was validated and further applied to analyze authentic urine samples. Twenty samples were tested positive of seven phenethylamines from 67 samples, whereas the contents detected were 9.8 ng/mL to 147.1 μg/mL with dilution factors of 40 to 20,000 folds.

Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Psychiatric Hospitalization in a Tertiary Care Hospital of Northern India.

Objective: To study the pattern of admissions in a psychiatry ward during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and compare the sociodemographic and clinical profiles of patients admitted in 2020 with admissions in 2019. Methods: The case record files of an inpatient psychiatric unit from March 23 to September 22, 2019, and March 23 to September 22, 2020 were retrieved. Sociodemographic data, admission criteria of the patients, clinical diagnosis (as per ICD-10 criteria), duration of stay in the ward, and details of capacity assessment were assessed. The data collected were tabulated as per coding system and analyzed and compared using statistical analysis system software. Results: Of a total of 312 admissions, 236 were in 2019 and 76 were in 2020 (P < .05), which was a significant (P < .05) decrease. More patients admitted in 2020 were in the age group of 30–39 years (P < .05), were residents of Chandigarh (P < .05), were housewives by occupation (P < .05), had incomes < 3,500 Indian rupees (US$ 48.01) per month (P < .01), were Hindu, and belonged to extended families (P < .05). The predominant reasons for admission in 2020 were complicated withdrawals, noncompliance to treatment (P < .05), and aggravation of psychiatric illness due to comorbid substance use. The ICD diagnoses schizophrenia, schizotypal and delusional disorder (F20–29) and mood disorders, predominantly mania (F30–31) were significantly higher and mental and behavioral disorder due to psychoactive substance use (F10-19) was lower among patients admitted in 2020. Conclusions: The results show that the numbers of admissions to the psychiatry ward in 2020 were significantly lower than pre-COVID 2019, and the predominant reasons for admission were complicated withdrawals due to psychoactive substance abuse and noncompliance to treatment. Also, the mean duration of stay was longer in 2020 compared to the previous year.

Abuse liability of gabapentin in the Saudi population after the pregabalin restriction: A cross-sectional study

ObjectiveFollowing the recently conducted local studies on the growing misuse of pregabalin, Pregabalin misuse has received national attention. These studies have led to the authorities restricting the availability of pregabalin to hospital pharmacies alone. While the recent epidemiological studies and case reports found gabapentin to be misused worldwide, it was previously presumed to be free of any abuse potential. This study assesses the likelihood of there being a diversion to Gabapentin abuse following the Pregabalin restriction in Jeddah, KSA. MethodsA cross sectional observational study was conducted between November 2017 and December 2017 using a self-constructed online survey via Twitter and WhatsApp. The survey items included participants’ demographics, additional history, Gabapentin for non-medical use (frequency, concurrent use with other drugs, and motivators), and how the participants knew about the Gabapentin misuse. The data was subjected to a descriptive analysis via the utilization of frequencies and percentages. The analysis was carried out by using SPSS V21. ResultsData of the 370 respondents who took the surveys were collected. Most of the respondents were women (n = 289; 78.1%) and below the age of 30 years (n = 300; 81.1%). A total of 72 respondents (19.5%) had a history of psychoactive drug abuse. Ten of the respondents reported Gabapentin misuse (2.7%). Half of the participants reported prior Pregabalin misuse, and were un-employed. Most of the misusers (n = 8; 80%) came to know about the psychotropic effects of Gabapentin from friends. The most common motives for using it were to ‘have fun’ and ‘peer pressure’ (n = 6; 60%). Half of the misusers used Gabapentin on a weekly basis. ConclusionThe findings of our study suggest a potential diversion from Pregabalin to Gabapentin misuse. Regulations and periodic reviews of the psychoactive prescription medications available in the community pharmacies are essential.

EXISTENTIAL FULFILLMENT OF ALCOHOLICS AND DRUG ADDICTS

The article is devoted to the study of existential fulfillment of people with alcohol and drug dependence. The relevance of the study is due to the fact that the abuse of psychoactive substances and alcoholic beverages is an international problem. As a consequence of deep problems of the individual, drug addiction and alcoholism affect most areas of human life, destroying it, including its existential fulfillment, which acts as a focus of the individual to find the meaning of existence and build their own destiny. The purpose of the research was to study the existential fulfillment of people with drug and alcohol dependence. The Mann-Whitney U-test for independent samples was used to determine the differences in the expression of the indicators. During the study it was found that in the subjects (N = 60) with drug and alcohol dependence such components of existential fulfillment as meaning-life orientations and existentiality, have a low level of expression, the meaning-life crisis is highly expressed.

Physical self-perception and Personality Traits among Women with Psychoactive Substance Abuse Compared to Normal Individuals

Introduction: Regarding to the role of physical self-perception and personality traits in abuse of psychoactivesubstance among women, this study aimed to compare the concept of physical self-perception and personalitytraits among psychoactive substance abusers and normal individuals.Materials and Methods: In this causal-comparative study, 60 women (30 psychoactive substance abusers,30 normal cases) referred to substance abuse treatment centers in Mashhad city (the second big-city of Iran)were selected in convenient sampling method. The Physical Self-Description Questionnaire (PSDQ) andNEO-Five Factor Test (Short Form) were performed. Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis andtwo independent means tests.Results: Multivariate analysis revealed that women with psychoactive substance abuse have higher scoresin neuroticism and lower scores in agreeableness, accountability and extraversion than normal women. Thecomparison of two independent means also showed that there is a significant difference between physicalself-perception in normal and abusers, so that normal women have better physical self-perception.Conclusion: The results confirm that physical self-perception and personality traits play an important rolein involvement in substance abuse.

Estimation of the psychoactive substances consumption within 12 wastewater treatment plants service areas in a certain city of Guangxi, China applying wastewater-based epidemiology.

The abuse of psychoactive substances has been increasing dramatically over the last few years, which is becoming a concern for human health and social stability. How to accurately estimate psychoactive substances' total consumption in certain areas is the key to manage such substances. In order to control psychoactive substances, 8 psychoactive substances' consumption within 12 wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) service areas in a certain city of Guangxi, China was investigated in 2019. Firstly, a solid-phase extraction-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry method was used to determine the influent concentrations. Morphine (MOR), 3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), methamphetamine (METH), ketamine (KET), and norketamine (NK) were detected, with the concentrations ranging from less than method detection limit (NK, MDMA) to 170.91 (METH) ng/L. Then, the back-estimation of consumption was conducted according to the objective and near real-time wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE). The results demonstrate that KET, MOR, and METH are the most abused psychoactive substances, with the mean consumption of 682.42, 167.81, and 44.56mg/day/1000inh, respectively. The psychoactive substance residues of WWTPs influent were analyzed to estimate such substances' consumption in specific areas, so as to provide support for risk prevention and control.

Соціально-демографічні показники та предиктори розладів психіки та поведінки у внутрішньо переміщених осiб

Background. The war conflict in eastern Ukraine, which has been going on since 2014, has led to the emergence for the first time in the recent history of our country of a very important problem related to the vital stress on the population in the conflict zone and health of Ukrainians. The multilevel psychophysiological reaction of the individual in such conditions against the background of the failure of compensatory mechanisms, of course, leads to the formation of maladaptation patterns, and ultimately to mental and behavioral disorders in internally displaced persons (IDPs). Therefore, the development of an optimal algorithm for early diagnosis and study of the psycho-physiological condition of respondents who were forcibly displaced is extremely important for the timely provision of qualified rehabilitation and psychological and psychiatric care. Objective. To study the socio-demographic characteristics of respondents and predictor features of the formation of mental and behavioral disorders in IDPs. Materials and methods. During the period 2015-2016, a comprehensive survey of 130 IDPs aged 18 to 80 who were forced to leave their places of residence in connection with the war conflict in the east of the country and temporarily lived in sanatoriums in the Odessa region was conducted. From the general population of respondents by clustering based on leading pathology or its absence, three representative groups were created: patients with somatic pathology (GSP) who had a disability due to somatic disease (33% of IDPs); patients with mental illness (GMP) and disability due to mental illness (33% of IDPs); conditionally healthy (GCH) (34% of IDPs) who did not have severe chronic illness or disability. Research methods: socio-demographic, clinical-anamnestic, clinical-psychopathological, psychodiagnostic, and statistical. Results. Socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents: women predominated among the surveyed (69.2%); by age groups IDPs were evenly distributed in the range of 21 to 80 years; the education of almost half of the IDPs of all groups corresponded to the special secondary level; by marital status, the vast majority of HCVD IDPs were single (60.5%), which is a consequence of the communicative characteristics of persons suffering from mental disorders. The vast majority of IDPs assessed their financial situation as poor (43% of IDPs) and average (36.2% of IDPs) without a significant difference between GSP and GMP. Also, 80% of respondents complained of feeling unwell, and 93.8% of respondents witnessed or participated in traumatic events. Half of the respondents were in forced displacement for more than 1 year; more than a third (36.1%) - from 6 months to 1 year. Conclusions. Thus, the study groups of IDPs were representative in principle, but had some differences due to baseline health indicators, as required by the study conditions. When considering the predictors of mental and behavioral disorders in IDPs (n = 130), of which 93% of respondents were victims of war or terrorism, it was found that the largest share in all groups were neuroses, behavioral disorders, mental disorders, nervous system diseases, alcohol or other psychoactive substance abuse, sensory diseases, eating disorders. Among the factors influencing the state of health, the vast majority of IDPs noted lack of housing, unsatisfactory living conditions, low income and social insurance, insufficient or unavailability of health care, social insurance, problems related to adaptation to lifestyle changes. GMP was most sensitive to the factors of lack of work, unsatisfactory housing conditions, low income, tobacco, and alcohol use, and respondents to GMP were the most aggressive and conflicted. That is, against the background of permanent mental and physical stress factors, features of marital status, comorbidities, the stress of adaptive-compensatory processes, it is possible to exacerbate both existing and the formation of new mental and behavioral disorders in IDPs. Therefore, timely diagnosis of the mental state of IDPs, detection of mental and behavioral disorders, as well as treatment and rehabilitation interventions will help reduce the incidence and improve the overall health of IDPs.

Simultaneous Quantitation of Seven Phenethylamine-Type Drugs in Forensic Blood and Urine Samples by UHPLC-MS-MS.

Abuse of new psychoactive substances (NPS) has become a health and social issue of global concern. p-Methoxyamphetamine (PMA)/p-methoxymethamphetamine (PMMA) with fluoro- or chloro-derivatives of amphetamine and methamphetamine were among the most common drugs found in specimens from fatal cases in Taiwan during the January 2011 to December 2018 period. A liquid-liquid extraction sample preparation protocol with highly sensitive ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry approach was developed for the simultaneous analysis of seven phenethylamine-type drugs-PMA, PMMA, p-methoxyethylamphetamine, 4-fluoroamphetamine (4-FA), 4-fluoromethamphetamine (4-FMA), 4-chloroamphetamine (4-CA) and 4-chloromethamphetamine (4-CMA)-in postmortem blood and urine specimens. Separation by liquid chromatography was performed by Agilent Zorbax SB-Aq column. Tandem mass spectrometry was operated in Agilent Jet Stream Technology electrospray ionization in positive-ion multiple reaction monitoring mode. An analytical methodology was evaluated using drug-free blood and urine after fortification with 100-2,000 ng/mL of the seven target analytes. Average extraction recoveries were >80%; slightly higher ion suppression was observed for PMA and 4-CA; intra-/inter-day precision (% coefficient of variation) and accuracy were in the ranges of 0.52-12.3% and 85-110%, respectively. Limit of detection and lower limit of quantitation for these seven analytes were both in the 0.5-5 ng/mL range. Interference and carryover were not significant. This relatively simple methodology was found effective and reliable for routine identification and quantitation of these seven analytes in postmortem and antemortem blood and urine specimens received in 2018. Analytical data obtained from these actual cases indicated the following: (i) compared to findings reported during the 2007-2011 period, the use of substituted phenethylamine-type drugs decreased in 2018; (ii) ketamine and 7-aminonimetazepam (the main metabolite of nimetazepam) were the most common co-ingested substances in specimens containing PMA/PMMA, 4-FA/4-FMA, or 4-CA/4-CMA; and (iii) in drug fatalities, the concentration of PMA was significantly higher than the concentration of PMMA in both urine and blood, while the reverse was true in urine specimens from antemortem cases.

Impact of drug abuse on academic performance and physical health: a cross-sectional comparative study among university students in Bangladesh

Drug abuse, the driver of human self-destruction, is rapidly increasing among university students and is emerging as a global health concern. Students who abuse drugs are lagging in respect of academic performance, achievement, and other co-curricular activities. This study aims to investigate the differences in academic performance between drug abusers and non-abusers, and the factors associated with drug abuse among university students in Bangladesh. The study was a cross-sectional survey among the students of five public and semi-public universities in Bangladesh. The sample size was drawn by using the snowball sampling technique. Face-to-face interviews were used to collect data, and the data were analyzed using SPSS 25.0. Of the 436 participants, 54.59% (n = 238) were drug abusers. Male students (68.43%) were found to be significantly (p < 0.01) more into drug abuse. Sociodemographic factors including residence status, academic year in university, father’s occupation, and personal income were significantly associated with drug abuse. There was a negative correlation between drug abuse and academic performance, academic achievement, and maintaining good health. The findings of this study reported a high prevalence and magnitude of psychoactive drug abuse among the university students in Bangladesh, and stress the negative impact of drugs on the abuser’s academic life and physical well-being. Therefore, adequate campus-based initiatives should be extended for the prevention and treatment of drug abuse.

Psychoactive substance abuse: prevalence, risk factors and relation to acculturation in adults living in North Cyprus, 2003–2018

This study aimed to analyze the prevalence, risk factors and relation to the acculturation of psychoactive substance abuse in adults living in North Cyprus (NC). Method: Data was collected from 1064 people who were living in NC using multiple stepped stratified random sampling method between April–May 2018. Socio-demographic information form, Model Europe Survey and Acculturation Attitudes Scale were used as study instruments. 2018 data were compared with 2003, 2008, 2013, 2015 and 2017 studies in which the same survey and method were used. Results: Five hundred and forty five participants were male and 519 female. Also, 33.6% of the participants were between the ages of 18–29, 58% of participants were born in Cyprus, 38.2% were university graduate or above and 48.2% of the participants were living with their spouses. According to the study, the prevalence of cigarette usage at least once in a lifetime was 64.9%, alcohol 74.5%, other psychoactive substance (OPS) 11.4% and illicit substance (IS) 9.0%. Being under 25 years of age, Turkey-born, not religious, using alcohol and cigarettes and experiencing drunkenness constituted the risk factors of IS users. Marginalization scores were lower both for drug users born in Turkey and NC. Discussion: It was observed that both OPS and IS usage have increased in the last 15 years. Cannabis, synthetic cannabinoid and ecstasy are more widely used. It was also observed that OPS is more used among those who cannot create a marginal response to acculturation stress. In prevention programs and treatments, sociocultural characteristics should be considered.

Intake and Abuse of Psychoactive Substances and Its Relative Consequences: A Review

Substance abuse has been a thorny public health concern throughout human history. Manifestly, prevention and treatment are the two main strategies commonly adopted to tackle the problem of substance abuse. They are in fact cross-disciplinary, and they relate to the various domains of heredity, biology, psychology, cognitive science, family, social development and cultural structures. Almost everyone, directly or indirectly, comes in contact everyday with drug/substance use or abuse. The drug scene is a varied one that includes licit and illicit drugs, street drugs, prescription drugs, over- the-counter drugs, drugs for pleasure, and drugs to ease pain. This special issue, “psychoactive substance abuse”, has been reviewed going through the global world and Nigeria in particular to enhance a re-think on processes and influences of substance abuse across different domains, through which a multilevel perspective is considered more helpful for analyzing its complex nature, courses and consequences which include mental illness, liver and kidney related diseases, low productivity, child abuse, sexual abuse, loss of individual integrity, destruction of nasal tissues, lesions in lung unpredictable effects such as convulsion, respiratory paralysis and untimely death. This in turn checked the possible negative consequences of excess intake of these psychoactive drugs in order to discourage the users and alert the necessary authorities to seriously act to this effect.

Changing Trend of Psychoactive Drug Abuse among Adolescent Students in South Eastern Nigeria

Background: Recent report suggests a new trend of psychoactive substance abuse among the youths. Cocktail of candies and beverages, methylated spirit and soda, Tramadol, “Lacatomtom”, “Msquared”, “Skoochies”, “Omi Gutter”, “Ginko”, and other lethal cocktail of beverages, drugs and candies, food additives and soft drinks are gradually taking over from earlier documented substances of abuse. These materials appear harmless but on a closer evaluation of their abusers, varying degrees of poor school functioning (school absenteeism, poor academic performance, and even outright dropout), deteriorating physical health and increase rate of psychopathology will be observed. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) report of 2014 estimated that 12% of the world’s population used one or more drugs in the preceding year and this accounts for 39 million people greater than the previous year. Despite concerted efforts at reducing this worrisome trend, newer and difficult to detect substances of abuse are now been abused/. Materials seen before now as safe have become key instruments used by adolescents in lethal combinations to feel high. These materials are difficult to detect as available test kits are unable to pick them. Relying on self-reported account of substance abusers may under-estimate the prevalence of substance abuse among this group of individuals. This study was aimed at describing the trend of psychoactive drug abuse in the south-eastern part of Nigeria, to enable policy makers tailor preventive efforts at curbing the worrisome trend of adolescent substance abuse appropriately. This would ensure an effective reduction of adolescent substance abuse in the region and the country at large. Objective: To determine the pattern of psychoactive substance abuse among adolescent students in Umuahia. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study of 400 adolescent school students in urban and rural communities in Umuahia. Substance abuse status was established by self-report (using a modified WHO student drug use questionnaire) and urine toxicology screen (using Icup 6 test kits). Data obtained were analyzed using SPSS Version 20. These data were presented in prose, tables, and figures. P values ≤0.05were accepted as significant. Results: Out of 400 participants, a total of 209 (52.3%) were boys and 191 (47.8%) respondents were girls. Only participants who completed their questionnaires were encouraged to submit their UDT. The study revealed that the life time prevalence of psychoactive substance abuse was 91.3%, current prevalence 56.8% and UDT obtained rate was 38.5%. Coffee was the most abused by self-report with a current rate of 32.0%, followed by kolanut and cannabis at 18.8% each and cocaine being the least at 0.8%. Oxycodone was the most abused by UDT at 24.8%, followed by cannabis at 19.3%, Tramadol at 6.3% and cocaine at 1.5%.Cannabis was the most combined drug and 31.2% of abusers, abused multiple substances. Pattern of abuse by current self-report revealed that coffee, kolanut, cannabis, Lacatomtom, Tramadol, Alcohol, Tobacco and cocaine were most abused while UDT showed Oxycodone, cannabis, methamphetamine, opioid and cocaine were most abused. Coffee, kolanut and cannabis were most self-reportedly abused substance among rural students while oxycodone and methamphetamine were the most abused drugs among this group of students. Conclusion: The study revealed that the prevalence of self-reported lifetime and current abuse of psychoactive substances were 91.3% and 56.8% respectively with coffee as the most currently abused and UDT obtained prevalence of 38.5% with oxycodone as most obtained. The pattern of abuse of psychoactive substances is gradually changing from previously known and detectable substances to cheaper and other difficult to detect cocktail of psychoactive materials. Recommendation: Policy makers need to urgently incorporate drug preventive measures and random urine drug screening programs in the school curriculum to reduce drug demand by our adolescents in school.

Zloupotreba psihoaktivnih supstanci od strane mladih uzrasta 15-24 godine u Republici Srbiji

Introduction/Aim: The abuse of psychoactive substances among young people is a significant global public health problem. The aim of the study was to examine the prevalence of psychoactive substances use among adolescents in Republic of Serbia. Methods: In this secondary analysis of data, we used data from the Serbian national survey of population health from 2013, which was conducted by the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Serbia and Institute of Public Health of Serbia. This cross-sectional study, which was conducted on a representative sample of the population of Serbia, included 1722 respondents aged 15 to 24 years (49% of women and 51% of men). Results: Out of the total number of young people aged 15-24, ⅓ of them declared themselves on the issue of cigarette consumption in the following way: 52.1% consumed cigarettes daily and 20.8% occasionally. Among the respondents, 41.3% were exposed to the indoor tobacco smoke for 1 hour or more daily, while 49.4% were concerned about the harmful effects of smoking on their health. Only a third said that they had never consumed alcohol or had only taken a few sips of alcohol in their lifetime. Men smoked slightly more often (52.2%) and consumed alcohol more often (every day or almost every day 0.7%, 5-6 days a week 0.7%, 3-4 days a week 4.5%, 1-2 days a week 15.7%, as well as 2-3 days a month 16.8%) than women (0.3%; 0.2%; 1.7%; 7.8%; 12%). About ¼ adolescents used 6 or more alcoholic beverages 1-3 days a month for the last 12 months. During the last 12 months, the respondents most often consumed painkillers (20.2%), sedatives (1.7%) and sleeping AIDS (2.3%) on their own initiative. There were 0.7% of users of illicit psychoactive substances (cannabis, cocaine, and glue). Conclusion: The results of the study of psychoactive substances abuse among young people in Serbia point to the necessity to work on the prevention of risky behavior.

Psychiatry in the time of the pandemic. Is COVID-19 changing the discipline?

COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by the newly discovered coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. The research conducted to date has focused mainly on the somatic complications of the disease, while only a few studies look at the potential direct mental health effects of the virus and its neurotropic potential. The COVID-19 pandemic is also a psychologically significant stressor, affecting not only every aspect of an individual's life, but also economic and social sectors around the world. The deterioration of mental health can be caused not only by the fear of illness, death, or job loss, and uncertainty about the future, but also social isolation resulting from the loss of structured educational activities, professional activities and sanitary regime. We are slowly beginning to see the progressing effect of the current pandemic - not only the increasing symptoms of panic, anxiety and depression, but also somatization disorders, disadaptive syndromes, chronic fatigue syndrome, psychoactive substance abuse, and possibly also fixed post-pandemic personality disorders. Nosophobia, when it comes to the pandemic, takes the form of "coronaphobia". The protracted duration of the pandemic poses a threat to mental health. It causes a growing failure of psychological mechanisms for coping with the current situation. The study attempts to identify especially mentally vulnerable social groups, including the impact on health protection professionals from the perspective of a physician specializing in psychiatry. Disturbing social phenomena, highlighted by the pandemic, were identified, and practical aspects of the pandemic discussed - the new tasks that psychiatrists and psychologists face.