Type Of Substance Abuse Research Articles

PENYULUHAN HUKUM MENUMBUHKAN JIWA ANTI NARKOBA PADA WARGA DESA DUAMPANUAE KECAMATAN BULUPODDO KABUPATEN SINJAI

In this paper aims to reveal the dangers of drugs at all age levels both adults, adolescents and even childre. The number of drug users in Indonesia continues to increase. The origin of the problem, much of what is happening today is caused by drugs,with various types of drug abuse, with this finally in the medical world or medicine is no longer used. This type of drung is often misused and can lead to dependence. There are several reasons for using drugs, namely, among others, to deal with stress, and or to have fun. The data analysis used is by analyzing various types of information collected from various mass media which is strengthened by using original sources in books that explain the dangers of drugs, the causes of drug abuse and efforts to overcome drug abuse. What will happen, the author shares that the contributing factors to drung abuse can be caused by family factors that pay less attention to their children, and environmental factors can also be very influential so that religious education can be used as a role model for someone so they are not entangled in drug abuse.

Prevalance Of Substance Abuse Among Street Children In West Bengal, India

The term substance abuse implies on the use of tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, glue, opioids, gasoline and legal or illegal substances excessively or in a wrong way. The most commonly used substances are inhalants while they are volatile in nature i.e. volatile substances (VS). The most vulnerable groups are the street children aged between 5-15yrs. in India. Children from broken family, without caregiver, of extreme poverty, food insecurity, often ended up on street life and indulged into these types of addiction. Initially the main cause has always been the appetite. Some studies have identified the substance abuse as remedy for hunger pain. Substance abuse is one of the main reasons to claim lives on the streets of India. Recent studies have shown that out of all inhalants are mostly in trend as those are inexpensive and easy to obtain and legally available in any market. These types of substance abuse are widely spread all over the India, especially in West Bengal. The study aims at prevalence of substance abuse among the street children of West Bengal, India. The literature review is based on about 24 journal articles and some other organizational articles etc. After proper screening of the sources, analysis has done and reviewed to draw findings and discussion for the study. Extensive work and vigorous studies are required to get a clear picture about the prevalence of substance abuse in street children in West Bengal, India as the studies are limited in this area of research.

Role of cognitive behavior therapy on people with substance abuse in the craving phase

The problem of substance abuse has shown an increase in quantity, quality, and rate of distribution, both in terms of the number of victims and the types of substance abuse. World drug reports around 275 million people used drugs worldwide in 2020. In Indonesia, there are 3.66 million drug users in 2021. When people with substance abuse stop taking the substance and have the desire to take it again, it is called the craving phase. The case is a 36-year-old male with Mental and Behavioral Disorders Due to the Use of Other Stimulants With Uncomplicated Substance Withdrawal (F15.30). The patient wants to stop using crystal methamphetamine because there’s a desire to use it again in the last 3 weeks after stopping two months ago. This patient is in the craving phase, and CBT is the most therapy given to prevent relapse, beside CBT patient is also given other non-medical therapy in the form of supportive psychotherapy, motivational interviewing, and family therapy, for the medical therapy Fluoxetine 10 mg tab every 24 hours IO (in the morning) and Alprazolam 1 mg tab every 24 hours IO (in the evening).

Role of Socio-Demographic Factors in Codependency of Spouses of Substance Users

Codependency is considered to be a dysfunctional form infused with the extreme focus outside oneself. Spouses of male substance abusers derive the sense of purpose from the marital relationship, while neglecting their own self-esteem, personal life, self-worth and autonomy. It not only affects their psychological health but is also varied by a number of sociodemographic factors that may contribute to the functionality of spouses. The study aims to examine the relationship between demographic characteristics and codependency of spouses of substance users. Demographic characteristics included education of female spouses, types of substance abuse taken by the male spouses, family system, and profession of female spouses and socio-economic status. There was no significant correlation between the demographic characteristic however there was a significant positive correlation between age, duration of marriage and duration of substance abuse of male spouse. There was also a significant positive correlation between Education and socio-economic status, psychological and medical issue. The patterns uncovered showed to be consistent with the literature and paved way for future research.

Familial And Communal Factors Spreading Drug Addiction in Suburban Slum Areas

The emergence of drug use among children and their inclination towards addiction has become an epidemic that has thoroughly seeped into society and now overwhelmingly trickling down to younger generation. The present qualitative and descriptive study was designed to investigate the familial and social reasons that have contributed to the emergence of drug use among children, the type of drugs mostly used by them and the way they access to drugs. The study further explored how the families are being affected due to the presence of an addict in the family. Ten students of Malir University were selected through purposive sampling and interviewed by using an open-ended questionnaire, and the results were drawn through thematic analysis. The results indicate that lack of parents' support & absence of family quality time in which proper care and emotional feelings of the children are not being addressed and they feel neglected and being left out appeared to be the main reasons for children diverting towards different types of drug abuse. Other reasons included lack of understanding about the harmful effects of drug use and their easy accessibility. The study suggested awareness of parents, highlighting the importance of parental care, support, and guidance to develop self-confidence and self-esteem among children to protect them from any danger. Workshops at the community level need to be conducted to provide drug education to parents & the general public about drug types, their negative physical and psychological effects, and how to save the children from this menace. The active participation of civil society and media is also important to work towards drug reduction.

A Comparative Study on the Effect of Regular Intake of Caffeine on Hand Steadiness Test in Right Hand Dominant Females

Caffeine is a CNS stimulant affecting normal cellular functions and increase energetic metabolism throughout the brain by enhancing alertness. Steadiness Tester – 9 Holes measures one of the aspect of psychomotor phenomena of steadiness. Our study was done to find out the difference in hand steadiness between caffeine users and non -caffeine users. Our study was done on 60 subjects aged between 18-45 years. All the subjects were females. 30 subjects were included in group A as only caffeine users and 30 were Tee totaller acting as controls under Group B. consent was obtained from all the volunteers. All the subjects were tested on a standard laboratory 9 hole steadiness tester. Subjects were asked to hold a stylus in a series of holes decreasing from 12.5 mm to 2.5 mm without touching the sides of the holes. The number of contacts or errors during the test were noted. The results showed that group B were steadiest in comparison to Group A. Statistically significant differences was found in the hole 4 at p< 0.05 and highly statistical significant results obtained from holes 5 to 9 at p≤0.001. Group B controls were steadier than Group A due to non-consumption of tobacco, alcohol, caffeine and any type of drug abuse.

Codependency and Coping Strategies in the Spouses of Substance Abusers

Introduction: Addiction affects not only the person himself but the entire family where the family members knowingly or unknowingly nurture, protect and support the addict. As it is in the human nature to help others but sometimes this behavior works as a double edged sword and will make it easier for the addict to continue the downward spiral of the addiction. One of the crucial step in creating a healthy environment for the addict and their family members is to identify these behaviors. In order to prevent these codependent behaviors the family members must learn to avoid such codependent behaviors. The presence of a substance addict in the family is an extremely difficult experience which affects the social, economic, physical and psychological condition of the entire family. Coping strategies refer to the attempts that people employ to tolerate and reduce the stressful situations or events. Objective: To study the codependency and evaluate various coping strategies employed by the spouses of substance abusers and assess the severity of addiction among the substance users. Materials And Methods: The study was conducted on spouses of (N=100) patients with 50 opioid and 50 alcohol dependence syndrome presenting to DMC&H and psychiatric evaluation was done using Spann Fischer Codependency Scale, Coping Questionnaire and Performa for Severity of Addiction. Results: All the spouses in our study were females. All the spouses showed codependency out of which 60% of the spouses showed higher codependency. Spouses used engaged, tolerant and withdrawal strategies as their coping mechanism. Though no significant difference was found between coping strategies used by the spouses of opioid and alcohol dependent individuals. It was associated significantly with socio-economic status, age of the patient, duration of substance dependence and type of substance abuse. Conclusion: Our study showed that the spouses of substance dependent individuals showed codependency and in ......

Adaptation of the Young Adults’ Cigarette Dependence (YACD) Scale for the development and validation of the Adolescent Cigarette Dependence Scale (ACDS)

Vulnerable adolescents may lose control over cigarette use within a day or two after smoking their first cigarette, as nicotine dependence (ND) symptoms may appear before actual daily smoking and usually occur at low levels of daily smoking. Moreover, smoking can cause illnesses and promote other types of substance abuse. Therefore, it was deemed essential to adapt the Young Adults’ Cigarette Dependence (YACD) Scale to develop and validate the Adolescent Cigarette Dependence Scale (ACDS) in Lebanese adolescents and evaluate whether cumulative cigarette smoking is associated with nicotine dependence and symptoms of dependence. A cross-sectional study was carried out between August and September 2020, during the partial sanitary lockdown imposed by the government to limit COVID-19, coinciding with the summer holidays for most Lebanese. The total sample consisted of 564 community-dwelling adolescents aged 13 to 18. A factor analysis was performed using a varimax rotation. The Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO) measurement of sampling adequacy and Bartlett’s sphericity test were appropriate. The factors retained corresponded to Eigenvalues > 1. Cronbach’s alpha value represented the internal consistency of the scale. The Hooked on Nicotine Checklist (HONC) was used to screen for dependence symptoms. All items of the YACD were extracted, except for items 4 (smoking to concentrate at work) and 18 (smoking as a habit), which yielded a three-factor solution (factor 1 = smoking patterns; factor 2 = positive and negative reinforcements; factor 3 = smoking cessation) with Eigenvalues > 1 (variance explained = 56.18%; KMO = 0.784; Bartlett’s sphericity test p < 0.001; αCronbach = 0.875). The newly generated scale was termed Adolescent Cigarette Dependence Scale (ACDS) and consisted of 19 items. Higher ACDS scores (higher cigarette dependence) were significantly associated with higher HONC scores (higher symptoms of dependence) (rho = 0.647; p < 0.001). Having deceased (B = 8.54) or divorced (B = 4.26) parents and higher cumulative cigarette smoking (B = 0.29) were significantly associated with higher ACDS scores. Higher cumulative cigarette smoking (B = 0.05) was significantly associated with higher HONC scores due to cigarettes. This study could validate a new tool to evaluate nicotine dependence among Lebanese adolescents, the Adolescent Cigarette Dependence Scale (ACDS). This version adapted from the Young Adults’ Cigarette Dependence (YACD) Scale is reliable and valuable and correlates well with other scales, such as the HONC. However, further studies are necessary to improve this instrument, adding new questions useful for the diagnosis and evaluation of cigarette dependence.

DRUG AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE PROBLEM BY THE ZIMBABWEAN YOUTH: A PSYCHOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE

Drug abuse has become a problem among youths in Zimbabwe, so dire is the situation that more than half of the youths’ population, approximately 57% in Zimbabwe are involved in drug abuse. The statistics on youth drug abuse in Zimbabwe increase yearly despite measures implemented by various stakeholders to fight the pandemic. The study seeks to understand the problem of drug abuse within the Zimbabwean context from a psychological perspective. The current study takes a desk research approach to understand the problem of drug abuse by the youth in Zimbabwe. The study unearths the most affected age group by drug abuse, the causes of drug abuse, the types of drug abuse and the effects of drug abuse to that age group. The study reviewed relevant literature, using key terms in the study, which are youth, drug abuse and problem. Literature was systematically categorised into categories of causes of drug abuse, types of drug abuse and the effects of drug abuse among the youth. Findings from the study are that, the youth are the most affected age group by drug abuse in Zimbabwe and the problem stems from lack of self-control and negative self-concept on the youth drug abusers. The study also established that cannabis is the most abused drug in Zimbabwe and that the problem of drug abuse has negative effects to the drug abuser, family, community and nation at large. The current study recommends for future studies to establish intervention programs in Zimbabwe that aim to enhance self-control and self-concept in youth drug abusers.

The Effects of Childhood Trauma on Drug Use

Exposure to childhood physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect have been found to have a positive association with drug use. Various studies have demonstrated how individuals may turn to drugs as a form of coping. However, this is a negative form of coping, which can take a toll on one’s mental state and even impact families and society. Studies have reported that a higher number of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) have a stronger association with substance use later in life [1,3]. Recent research has also demonstrated those who experienced childhood neglect also displayed anxiety or depression, which might suggest a reason for the connection between the negligence and drug use [14]. There is also research that shows that childhood maltreatment could influence one’s susceptibility to drugs and the structural remodeling of the brain [4]. Various types of drugs have been used in association with childhood trauma; however, no single drug was reported to have a greater association than the others. Substance abuse has been a rising issue over the years. With the understanding that childhood trauma could contribute to the onset of drug use, it is essential to gain a better knowledge of the specific types of substance abuse linked to childhood trauma. Future examination of this topic can help raise awareness and educate society on the effects of childhood trauma and how to prevent drug use associated with it.

Potential disease burden of patients with substance abuse undergoing major abdominal surgery: A propensity score-matched analysis

BackgroundOver 19 million Americans have a substance abuse disorder. The current study sought to characterize the relationship between substance abuse with in-hospital outcomes following major, elective abdominal surgery. MethodsThe Nationwide Inpatient Sample was used to identify patients who underwent major abdominal surgery between 2007 to 2014. Patients with preoperative substance abuse, including alcohol, opioids, and non-opioid drugs, were identified. Propensity score matching was used to examine the association of substance abuse with perioperative outcomes. ResultsAmong 301,659 patients, 7,925 patients (2.6%) had a history of substance abuse. Pancreatectomy was the surgical procedure with the highest proportion of patients with substance abuse history (n = 844, 4.7%). Compared with patients without a substance abuse history, patients with a substance abuse history were more likely to be younger (median age, 60 years [interquartile range (IQR) 52–69] vs 63 years [IQR 52–72]), male (n = 5,438, 67.5% vs n = 132,961, 54.7%), and be in the lowest income category (n = 2,062, 26% vs n = 64,345, 21.9%) (all P < .001). On propensity score matching, substance abuse was associated with increased odds ratio of experiencing a complication (odds ratio [OR] 1.68, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.55–1.82), non-home discharge (OR 1.95, 95% CI 1.76–2.16), extended length of stay (OR 1.88, 95% CI 1.76–2.02), and higher expenditure (OR 1.62, 95% CI 1.49–1.77). Stratified by the type of substance abuse, patients with history of alcohol (OR 1.57, 95% CI 1.44–1.71) and drug abuse (OR 1.26, 95% CI 1.14–1.39) were more likely to experience a complication, whereas only history of alcohol abuse was associated with higher odds ratio of in-hospital mortality (OR 1.38, 95% CI 1.07–1.79) (all P < .05). ConclusionUp to 1 in 50 patients undergoing complex abdominal surgery had a substance abuse history. History of substance abuse was associated with an increased risk of adverse perioperative outcomes and higher healthcare expenditures.

Adolescentske vršnjačke grupe i zloupotreba droge

Drug abuse is an important problem of the modern age. Impact that drug abuse has on society, the state and the health of individuals requires fundamental and urgent scientific research on all its aspects. Research into the etiology of drug abuse in the youth population in Serbia is one of such projects. This research was carried out on a representative sample of 1,287 secondary school students in Belgrade, divided into two groups: drug abusers and those who do not have contact with drugs. The aim of this paper was to identify risk factors within peer groups that could have a predictive value and serve as a basis for preventive interventions. Data analysis was done with canonical discriminant analysis, separately for boys and girls. The results of the study have shown that among adolescents there are three forms of drug abuse: 1) use only, 2) use and distribution, and 3) drug distribution only. The predicates of these behaviors belonging to peer groups are: the pressure by group on members to use drugs, the perception of an individual that members of the group use drugs, the use of alcohol in the group, the involvement of certain members of the group in crime, and the positive attitude of members of the group towards law violations. Predictive effects of these variables vary depending on the type of drug abuse and of the gender of respondents.

PENDEKATAN STUDI ISLAM DALAM REHABILITASI PENYALAHGUNA NARKOBA

Abstract: Caring is a form of love and affection from a cultured social human. Narcotics in the view of Islam is an something haram if it is misused. Through caring, prevention of various crimes, juvenile delinquency, security, peace, harmony, will be easily done. With this caring attitude, the motto that, "Prevention is better than cure", will really be proven in cases of drug use. Narcotics is something familiar and in this article discusses the understanding and impact of drugs. It can be concluded that any type of drug abuse can damage the moral, physical and psychological condition of children. For that reason, parents must pay more attention to their children to avoid them from drug abuse. &#x0D; Keywords: Islamic studies, rehabilitation, and drugs.

Pattern of substance abuse: a community based study in West Bengal

Background: Drug addiction produces serious pervasive and expensive social problems. Regardless of whether substance abuse is a sin, a crime, a bad habit or an illness society has a right to expect that an effective approach to drug abuse problem will reduce drug related crime unemployment, family dysfunction and disproportionate use of medical care. Science has made great progress over the past several years, but it is still not possible to account fully the physiological and psychological process that transform controlled voluntary use of drugs into uncontrolled is voluntary dependence on those substances, and these is still no cine. The objective of the study was to find out pattern of different types of substance abuse in a community in West Bengal.Methods: An observational cross-sectional community based study during April 2017-September 2017 in a community of West Bengal among 142 addicted persons.Results: In the studied 142 cases, Brown sugar (an adulterated form of Heroin) was primary drug of abuse in urban area contrary to alcohol in rural area. Commonest age of initiation was between 15-20 years (57.75%). Polydrug abusers (59.1%) were common.Conclusions: Our study revealed that in spite of having strict legislation for prohibition of substance abuse, people are still addicted with alcohol, cannabis, drugs etc. Substance use is prevalent in the studied area, with a higher prevalence in males. Substance users rarely seek treatment for substance use. This needs continuous awareness and community-level services for the treatment of substance use disorders.

Relationship between a network's indicators and basic factors with high-risk behavior of injection among injecting drug users (IDU) via the multiple membership multilevel model.

BackgroundAmong various methods and types of drug abuse, injection receives a great deal of importance because of its related dangerous behavior and health consequences. It seemed that some of the network’s indicators affect dangerous behavior of injection.ObjectiveTo determine the relationship between a network’s indicators and basic factors with high-risk behavior of injection among injecting drug users (IDU) via the multiple memberships multilevel model.MethodsIn this cross-sectional study, the data related to 147 IDUs in Kerman province, who were interviewed from October 2013 through March 2014, were used, and these addicts were chosen for interview from specific resorts used for common injection. In this study, for analyzing data, multiple membership multilevel model and MLwiN 2.02 software were used.ResultsIn this study, the mean age of people, who were mostly men, was 37.2±9.02. Based on the result, it becomes obvious that variables of in-degree with OR=1.49 (p=0.006) and the whole number of people related to the person with OR=1.18 (p=0.003) influences the high-risk behavior of injection. Also, none of the demographic variables influenced the high-risk behavior of injection.ConclusionTotally based on the results of this study, one can find a suitable method in the social network of IDUs in order to create essential strategies, reducing the risk throughout the country. In addition, in minimum time with fewer expenses, aggravation of dangerous behavior especially high-risk behavior of injection can be prevented.

Association between alcohol, cannabis, and other illicit substance abuse and risk of developing schizophrenia: a nationwide population based register study.

Several studies have examined whether use of substances can cause schizophrenia. However, due to methodological limitations in the existing literature (e.g. selection bias and lack of adjustment of co-abuse) uncertainties still remain. We aimed to investigate whether substance abuse increases the risk of developing schizophrenia, addressing some of these limitations. The longitudinal, nationwide Danish registers were linked to establish a cohort of 3 133 968 individuals (105 178 673 person-years at risk), identifying 204 505 individuals diagnosed with substance abuse and 21 305 diagnosed with schizophrenia. Information regarding substance abuse was extracted from several registers and did not include psychotic symptoms caused by substance abuse in the definition. This resulted in a large, generalizable sample of exposed individuals. The data was analysed using Cox regression analyses, and adjusted for calendar year, gender, urbanicity, co-abuse, other psychiatric diagnosis, parental substance abuse, psychiatric history, immigration and socioeconomic status. A diagnosis of substance abuse increased the overall risk of developing schizophrenia [hazard ratio (HR) 6.04, 95% confidence interval (CI) 5.84-6.26]. Cannabis (HR 5.20, 95% CI 4.86-5.57) and alcohol (HR 3.38, 95% CI 3.24-3.53) presented the strongest associations. Abuse of hallucinogens (HR 1.86, 95% CI 1.43-2.41), sedatives (HR 1.68, 95% CI 1.49-1.90), and other substances (HR 2.85, 95% CI 2.58-3.15) also increased the risk significantly. The risk was found to be significant even 10-15 years subsequent to a diagnosis of substance abuse. Our results illustrate robust associations between almost any type of substance abuse and an increased risk of developing schizophrenia later in life.

Substance Abuse among College Students: Prevalence, Predictors, and Prevention of Students Substance Use

Substance abuse among college students has become a subject of concern all over the world. Growing substance abuse and its crash on physical and psychosocial health is a global public health concern. Particularly disturbing fact is that the age of commencement of abuse is gradually falling. To plan effective interventions, it is essential to have information on the extent and type of substance abuse among students and their attitude towards its control. The current study was carried out to find out the prevalence of substance abuse among college students from urban areas in Bangalore and Mysore, data was collected from students in degree level (n=40), using the WHO ASSIST. This study aimed to show the prevalence of substance abuse among college students and also to understand the influence of legal and soft drugs on the future use of dangerous and hard drugs. Results of current study revealed that the prevalence of substance abuse among college students is high and causes significant physical and psychological problem in this population. A large proportion of those using drugs reported serious adverse effect, raising the necessity of targeted intervention to reduce the risk of subsequent substance and other deleterious consequence.

Substance abuse in early adolescents and HIV preventive behaviors: findings from a school-based cross-sectional survey for the period from 2009 to 2013, Bangkok Thailand

ABSTRACTThis study is first of its kind in Bangkok, and is a five-year (2009–2013) cross-sectional web-based survey to examine HIV preventive behaviors related to substance abuse among adolescents (N = 16,913). The questionnaire was self-administered. Logistic regression was used to analyze the data. The relationship between different types of substance abuse with risky and preventive behaviors was assessed. Male participants reported more substance abuse as compared to females. The risk behaviors observed among the substance abusers include increased sexual experience, multiple sex partners, no use of condoms, and injection drug use. The preventive behaviors include having a high self-risk assessment, going for HIV testing (highest in methamphetamine users), and screening for sexually transmitted infection. Logistic regression suggests that risky behaviors (e.g., sexual experience, injection drug use) are more common in substance abusers. Adolescents are clearly at a high risk. Behavioral preventive measures are needed to reduce or delay premature substance exposure to prevent a wide range of health problems and risks such as HIV and AIDS, injection drug use and unprotected sex.

Frequency of Serotonin Transporter Promote Gene Polymorphism in Opioid Addicts

Background: The human serotonin transporter promoter (5-HTT) gene genotype was previously reported to be associated with temperament and personality traits at risk for substance abuse in the subjects with antisocial behaviour. Association studies of polymorphism in the promoter region of this gene in addiction have shown conflicting results. A common 44-base pair insertion/deletion polymorphism in the region of 5-HTT has been observed. This biallelic functional polymorphism designated long (L) and short (S) promotors, which affect 5-HTT gene expression since the short variant is associated with lower transcriptional activity. Since there is strong evidence of a disturbance in brain serotonergic transmission among antisocial, impulsive, anxiety, and different kinds of addiction, the purpose of present study was to evaluate the frequency of these genotypes among adolescents with opioid addiction. Method: One hundred and forty opium dependent males, aged 20-50 years, entered the study, after signing informed written consent. They referred to the rehabilitation centre to treat their addiction. Three questionnaires, general, Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), genetic and family pedigree) were filled out by experts. Information obtained from these questionnaires included their age, gender, consanguinity of parents, type of substance abuse, socioeconomic position, psychiatric disorder and family history of drug abuse and any other diseases. First, behavioural disorders were studied in addict cases. Then, polymorphic region of the human serotonin transporter gene was evaluated and compared between 31 addicts and 31 normal volunteer matched in age, sex and socioeconomic situation as controls. Whole blood sample (2ml) from each participant was collected on sterile tube and stored for subsequent extraction of DNA using phenol-chloroform method. Then DNA was PCR-amplified. The PCR products were resolved in 2.5% agarose gel. Data were analysed using chi-square test and P < 0.05 was considered significant. Results: Short allele frequency in cases and controls were 0.532 and 0.387 respectively. Long allele frequency in cases and control were 0.468 and 0.613 respectively. Despite of OR =1.8 this study indicate no significant association between frequency of short allele and addiction to opioid. Conclusions: Although previous findings indicated association of short allele with addiction, this study did not confirm these results. Several possibilities exist for these discrepant results, including small sample size, potential population stratification, and categorical phenotypes.

Gabapentin Therapy in Psychiatric Disorders: A Systematic Review.

Gabapentin is commonly used off-label in the treatment of psychiatric disorders with success, failure, and controversy. A systematic review of the literature was performed to elucidate the evidence for clinical benefit of gabapentin in psychiatric disorders. Bibliographic reference searches for gabapentin use in psychiatric disorders were performed in PubMed and Ovid MEDLINE search engines with no language restrictions from January 1, 1983, to October 1, 2014, excluding nonhuman studies. For psychiatric references, the keywords bipolar, depression, anxiety, mood, posttraumatic stress disorder (posttraumatic stress disorder and PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (obsessive-compulsive disorder and OCD), alcohol (abuse, dependence, withdraw), drug (abuse, dependence, withdraw), opioid (abuse, dependence, withdraw), cocaine (abuse, dependence, withdraw), and amphetamine (abuse, dependence, withdraw) were crossed with gabapentin OR neurontin. The resulting 988 abstracts were read by 2 reviewers; references were excluded if gabapentin was not a study compound or psychiatric symptoms were not studied. The resulting references were subsequently read, reviewed, and analyzed; 219 pertinent to gabapentin use in psychiatric disorders were retained. Only 34 clinical trials investigating psychiatric disorders contained quality of evidence level II-2 or higher. Gabapentin may have benefit for some anxiety disorders, although there are no studies for generalized anxiety disorder. Gabapentin has less likely benefit adjunctively for bipolar disorder. Gabapentin has clearer efficacy for alcohol craving and withdrawal symptoms and may have a role in adjunctive treatment of opioid dependence. There is no clear evidence for gabapentin therapy in depression, PTSD prevention, OCD, or other types of substance abuse. Limitations of available data include variation in dosing between studies, gabapentin as monotherapy or adjunctive treatment, and differing primary outcomes between trials. Further research is required to better clarify the benefit of gabapentin in psychiatric disorders.