scholarly journals Effects of COVID-19 on Substance Use in Singapore

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 ◽  
pp. 117822182110305
Author(s):  
Ho Teck Tan ◽  
Boon Ceng Chai ◽  
Yit Shiang Lui
Keyword(s):  
Substance Abuse ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Healthcare System ◽  
Current Literature ◽  
Drug Users ◽  
Street Drugs ◽  
Provision Of Care ◽  
The Impact

This review examines the impact of COVID-19 on the substance-abuse landscape and climate with particular attention on Singapore’s. Substance-abuse has received the least attention during the COVID-19 outbreak and this pandemic has further sheared the problem’s visibility and the provision of care for this population of sufferers. The authors examine the current literature to look at the access and utility of street drugs due to border closure, the influence of the pandemic on prevailing drug behaviours as well as the effect of social distancing on drug-users. Two case studies are described. The paper serves to illuminate the ever-present problem of substance-abuse even during a viral pandemic and to remind the local government and healthcare system to continue efforts in caring for this group of patients.

MODELING THE IMPACT OF REHABILITATION, AMELIORATION AND RELAPSE ON THE PREVALENCE OF DRUG EPIDEMICS

2013 ◽  
Vol 21 (01) ◽  
pp. 1350001 ◽  
Author(s):  
HATSON JOHN BOSCOH NJAGARAH ◽  
FARAI NYABADZA
Keyword(s):  
Substance Abuse ◽  
Steady State ◽  
Drug Use ◽  
Drug Users ◽  
Globally Asymptotically Stable ◽  
Susceptible Population ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Drug Free ◽  
Globally Stable ◽  
Different Levels

Substance abuse remains a global menace in spite of recurrent warnings, seizures, social and pharmacological effects associated with addiction to drugs. In this paper, we use a mathematical model which is a combination of the classical SIS and SIR models to investigate the dynamics of substance abuse. Initiation into drug use is based on contact of those at risk (the susceptible population) with drug users at different levels of drug use. We evaluate the threshold number and use it to analyze the model. We show that when this threshold number is less than unity, the drug-free steady state is globally asymptotically stable and when this threshold number is greater than unity the drug-persistent steady state is also globally stable. The impact of amelioration, rehabilitation and re-initiation on drug epidemics is investigated. Amelioration in presence of quitting for light users is observed to reduce the prevalence of substance abuse and this is supported by numerical simulations. The results show that both prevention and treatment/rehabilitation are necessary strategies for reduction of drug epidemics. Our recommendation is that preventive strategies should be directed toward reducing the contact rate and treatment should be combined with psychotherapy to accelerate quitting and reduce re-initiation.

Management of Chronic Mental Illnesses and Substance Use Disorders

2019 ◽  
pp. 1-23
Author(s):  
Pallavi Sinha ◽  
Amit Garg ◽  
Prerna Khanna ◽  
Amit Khanna
Keyword(s):  
Substance Abuse ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
Substance Use Disorders ◽  
Demographic Characteristics ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
Prevalence Rates ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Impact On Treatment ◽  
The Impact

There is vast literature available about prevalence and pattern of substance use in patients with Chronic mental illness such as Schizophrenia. Many of these studies have also investigated the issues related to the impact of substance use on the course and prognosis of the mental illness and vice versa. The factors affecting the use and its impact on treatment have also been studied to some extent in the Western countries. Estimates of the prevalence of substance abuse in schizophrenia and major affective disorder vary as a function of settings (e.g., community, hospital-in-patient vs. out-patient), demographic characteristics of the sample and assessment methods, with most prevalence rates ranging between15% to 65%. Patients with Chronic Mental illnesses and Substance use disorders are difficult to treat and many models for their management have been proposed. This chapter will deal with some of these issues.

The Affordable Care Act, Substance Use Disorders, and Low-Income Clients: Implications for Social Work

Social Work ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
pp. 227-233 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heather A. McCabe ◽  
Elizabeth A. Wahler
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Substance Abuse ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Affordable Care Act ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Social workers are leaders in the substance abuse services field and may often work in substance use disorder (SUD) education, prevention, assessment, treatment, or resource coordination and case management roles. As the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) (2010) drives changes in the fields of health and behavioral health, social workers have an opportunity to lead structural changes at the micro and macro levels that will have a positive impact on low-income clients with SUDs. In this article, authors examine the current state of SUDs and health care access, the impact of the ACA on the field, and implications for social work practice and education. Social workers should seek specialized education and credentialing in SUD services, know how to help clients apply for health care coverage, and advocate for integrated substance abuse treatment and health care programs and an expansion of Medicaid in their local communities. Social workers are well positioned to be a voice for clients to ensure that the current structural changes result in a better, integrated system of care that is able to respond to the needs of low-income clients with SUDs.

scholarly journals A Review of Existing Treatments for Substance abuse among the Elderly and Recommendations for Future Directions

2013 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. SART.S7865 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexis Kuerbis ◽  
Paul Sacco
Keyword(s):  
Substance Abuse ◽  
Randomized Controlled Trials ◽  
Healthcare System ◽  
Behavioral Therapy ◽  
Specific Treatment ◽  
Internal Validity ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Controlled Trials ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
The Impact

Background With population aging, there is widespread recognition that the healthcare system must be prepared to serve the unique needs of substance using older adults (OA) in the decades ahead. As such, there is an increasingly urgent need to identify efficient and effective substance abuse treatments (SAT) for OA. Despite this need, there remains a surprising dearth of research on treatment for OA. Aims of review This review describes and evaluates studies on SAT applied to and specifically designed for OA over the last 30 years with an emphasis on methodologies used and the knowledge gained. Methods Using three research databases, 25 studies published in the last 30 years which investigated the impact of SAT on OA and met specific selection criteria were reviewed. Results A majority of the studies were methodologically limited in that they were pre-to-post or post-test only studies. Of the randomized controlled trials, many were limited by sample sizes of 15 individuals or less per group, making main effects difficult to detect. Thus, with caution, the literature suggests that among treatment seeking OA, treatment, whether age-specific or mixed-age, generally works yielding rates of abstinence comparable to general populations and younger cohorts. It also appears that with greater treatment exposure (higher dosage), regardless of level of care, OA do better. Finally, based on only two studies, age-specific treatment appears to potentiate treatment effects for OA. Like younger adults, OA appear to have a heterogeneous response to treatments, and preliminary evidence suggests a possibility of treatment matching for OA. Conclusions Expansion of research on SAT for OA is urgently needed for maximum effectiveness and efficiency of the healthcare system serving these individuals. Future research needs to include laboratory and community based randomized controlled trials with high internal validity of previously vetted evidenced-based practices, including Motivational Interviewing, cognitive behavioral therapy, and medications such as naltrexone, to determine the best fit for OA.

Management of Chronic Mental Illnesses and Substance Use Disorders

2017 ◽  
pp. 101-122
Author(s):  
Pallavi Sinha ◽  
Amit Garg ◽  
Prerna Khanna ◽  
Amit Khanna
Keyword(s):  
Substance Abuse ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
Substance Use Disorders ◽  
Demographic Characteristics ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
Prevalence Rates ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Impact On Treatment ◽  
The Impact

There is vast literature available about prevalence and pattern of substance use in patients with Chronic mental illness such as Schizophrenia. Many of these studies have also investigated the issues related to the impact of substance use on the course and prognosis of the mental illness and vice versa. The factors affecting the use and its impact on treatment have also been studied to some extent in the Western countries. Estimates of the prevalence of substance abuse in schizophrenia and major affective disorder vary as a function of settings (e.g., community, hospital-in-patient vs. out-patient), demographic characteristics of the sample and assessment methods, with most prevalence rates ranging between15% to 65%. Patients with Chronic Mental illnesses and Substance use disorders are difficult to treat and many models for their management have been proposed. This chapter will deal with some of these issues.

scholarly journals Ideology based incapacity on hydropolitics in South Africa Sudáfrica: an ontological assessment

2020 ◽  
pp. 289-304
Author(s):  
Roy Jankielsohn ◽  
Rami Zahrawi Haj-Younes
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Water Resources ◽  
Local Government ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Water Scarcity ◽  
State Education ◽  
Current Water ◽  
Local Government Level ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Government Level

The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of hydropolitics in South Africa. The country remains one of the driest countries in the world with a below average rainfall of 450 mm per annum. The country’s economic hub in the Gauteng province is largely dependent on water from the neighbouring Kingdom of Lesotho. On a geopolitical level the country also shares various water sources with neighbouring states. This is especially relevant due to the dependence on South Africa, as the regional hegemon, for access to markets and income. However, large areas of South Africa experience extreme water scarcity due to a combination of factors that include climate change related drought, urbanisation and government-related water management failures. In many local government municipalities across the country the lack of government capacity to supply water resources and manage waste water have reached crisis proportions. Many towns and communities across South Africa have been left with unreliable access to sustainable water resources. This is mainly due to a combination of corruption, poor management and the lack of institutional capacity at local government level. The institutional incapacity of government is a result of the governing party African National Congress’ ideological approach to government, combined with political factionalism, which has stripped the civil service of expertise and led to the exodus of skilled individuals from both government and the country. The government’s implementation of the communist  ?  based Leninist democratic centralism, commonly known as a cadre deployment strategy, has resulted in large scale state capture and corruption that has had a devastating impact on the delivery of basic services such as water. Hydropolitical civil unrest has increased to an extent that, in instances such as the Majakeng and Maluti-a-Phofung municipalities, unrest became extremely violent and disrupted businesses and well as state education and health facilities. This article is an ontological investigation into the hydropolitical impact of, and ideological reasons for, state incapacity to manage water resources and deliver safe and sustainable supply of water to the population. While reference will be made to the general situation in the country, the Majakeng and Maluti-a-Phofung municipalities will be used as a case studies for the impact of water insecurity on political stability. On the other hand, the City of Cape Town’s ability to manage water scarcity and avert a drought related “day zero” scenario is used as an example of what can be achieved through sound management. The article will combine ideological considerations with theoretical explanations of ideology and state failure within a hydropolitical context in order to explain the current water crisis at local government level in South Africa and the threat that this poses to the political order in the country. Being a regional hegemon, any political disruptions in South Africa also threaten the geopolitical stability of the entire Southern African region. There remains a great deal of scope for future geopolitical co-operation around water within the Southern African Development Community that can secure a sustainable sources of future water supplies for South Africa and generate further income for the country’s neighbours. The article evaluates the current water situation in the country, explains the water related geopolitical considerations that the country has to take into account, investigates the ideological basis for government policy and institutional strategy and the impact that this has on the capacity of the state to deliver sustainable and reliable water access to local communities, and then evaluates some case studies that include both failures and a success story. This assessment includes various sources of literature that supply a theoretical conceptual basis for terms such as hydropolitics and ideology. These academic concepts provide the basis for the practical considerations that are an integral part of the ideologically ? based hydropolitical ontological assessment. The article concludes with some broad recommendations on how the country could mitigate some of the hydropolitical challenges that it faces.

scholarly journals A NATIONAL NEED: REHABILITATION SPECIALIST IN SUBSTANCE ABUSE DISORDER

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-2
Author(s):  
Dr. Nooreen Begum
Keyword(s):  
Substance Abuse ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Substance Use Disorder ◽  
Drug Users ◽  
Social Groups ◽  
Substance Abuse Disorder ◽  
Demand And Supply ◽  
High Prevalence ◽  
Transit Route

Substance Use Disorder (SUD) is a category of symptoms consisting of behavioral, cognitive, and physiological characteristics arising from the persistent use of the substance despite significant substance-related difficulties in life. Substance usage is growing consistently across the globe as well as in Pakistan. According to one of the studies conducted in 2018; Pakistan has had up to 6.7million drug users, more than 4 million of whom meet the criteria of Substance Use Disorder. Another study also identified a high prevalence of substance use disorders among young adults; making it a national concern. The high prevalence of drug use in the country is attributed to a rise in social adversities and health disparities. Since Pakistan is a transit route for drugs to other countries, it becomes more vulnerable to substance use. It is difficult to provide a strong monitoring system; therefore there must be a way to minimize the demand and supply. Also previously substance use was perceived to be a moral act and a deficiency in character, now it is changing from a taboo to a social status in some social groups which further increases its consumption among young adults

Management of Chronic Mental Illnesses and Substance Use Disorders

2019 ◽  
pp. 486-508
Author(s):  
Pallavi Sinha ◽  
Amit Garg ◽  
Prerna Khanna ◽  
Amit Khanna
Keyword(s):  
Substance Abuse ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
Substance Use Disorders ◽  
Demographic Characteristics ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
Prevalence Rates ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Impact On Treatment ◽  
The Impact

There is vast literature available about prevalence and pattern of substance use in patients with Chronic mental illness such as Schizophrenia. Many of these studies have also investigated the issues related to the impact of substance use on the course and prognosis of the mental illness and vice versa. The factors affecting the use and its impact on treatment have also been studied to some extent in the Western countries. Estimates of the prevalence of substance abuse in schizophrenia and major affective disorder vary as a function of settings (e.g., community, hospital-in-patient vs. out-patient), demographic characteristics of the sample and assessment methods, with most prevalence rates ranging between15% to 65%. Patients with Chronic Mental illnesses and Substance use disorders are difficult to treat and many models for their management have been proposed. This chapter will deal with some of these issues.

scholarly journals 2094 Validation of a set of “healthcare trust” scales for women seeking substance abuse treatment in community-based settings

2018 ◽  
Vol 2 (S1) ◽  
pp. 76-77
Author(s):  
Joshua Cockroft ◽  
Deondria Matlock ◽  
Susie Adams
Keyword(s):  
Substance Abuse ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
Substance Abuse Treatment ◽  
Substance Use Disorder ◽  
Target Population ◽  
Treatment Programs ◽  
Community Based ◽  
History Of ◽  
Abuse Treatment ◽  
The Impact

OBJECTIVES/SPECIFIC AIMS: To validate previously published psychometric scales capturing interpersonal or healthcare-related trust in a target population of women with a history of substance use disorder seeking substance abuse treatment in a community-based setting. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: Participants are enrolled at The Next Door, Inc. (TND) and Renewal House (RH), 2 community agencies in metropolitan Nashville that provide substance abuse treatment and post-incarceration re-entry services for women with a history of substance use disorder. We will enroll 300 participants to provide sufficient power for statistical psychometric validation. Inclusion criteria include adult women with self-identified history of substance use disorder seeking substance abuse treatment within seven days of initiation of inpatient residential or intensive outpatient treatment at TND or RH. Participants complete a one-time online survey comprising a demographics questionnaire, Rotter Interpersonal Trust Scale, Wake Forest Trust in Physician Scale, Revised Health Care System Distrust Scale, 5-item RAND Social Desirability Scale, and Adverse Childhood Events Survey. Participants then individually participate in a modified protocol of the “Trust Game.” Predictor variables for multivariate analysis collected include age, race/ethnicity, gender identification, number of days in current treatment, number of prior substance abuse treatment programs, and number of adverse childhood events. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: Each individual scale will be assessed for item analysis, factor analysis, construct validity, content validity, and reliability and compared with general population sample values published in the literature. We will use multivariate analysis to determine the impact of potential predictor variables on specific types of interpersonal or healthcare-related trust. We anticipate having preliminary results to present in April. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: Women who seek substance abuse treatment in the community face unique challenges compared to their male counterparts, including higher rates of prior interpersonal trauma, co-occurring psychiatric diagnoses, and more serious physical health problems. Characteristics such as these highlight the need for regular healthcare engagement in the setting of an increased risk of decreased interpersonal or healthcare-related trust. Prior qualitative research demonstrates that trust building is seen as an essential component of care in ongoing substance abuse treatment for women in this population. Validation of psychometric healthcare-related trust scales in a population of women seeking substance abuse treatment in a community based setting will provide a framework for future quantitative inquiry into the impact of healthcare-related trust on health outcomes, healthcare engagement, and treatment retention for this target population. Similarly, it will also facilitate inquiry into the effectiveness of specific treatment programs or interventions on improving therapeutic trust building.

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