scholarly journals Inappropriate self-medication among adolescents and its association with lower medication literacy and substance use

PLoS ONE ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (12) ◽  
pp. e0189199 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chun-Hsien Lee ◽  
Fong-Ching Chang ◽  
Sheng-Der Hsu ◽  
Hsueh-Yun Chi ◽  
Li-Jung Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Substance Use ◽  
Self Medication

Exploring the Link Between Substance Use and Mental Health Status: What Can We Learn from the Self-medication Theory?

2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (2S) ◽  
pp. 113-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Lerissa Smith ◽  
Fengxia Yan ◽  
Mikayla Charles ◽  
Kamal Mohiuddin ◽  
Dawn Tyus ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Substance Use ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Mental Health Status ◽  
The Self ◽  
Self Medication

scholarly journals Changes in Drug Use Patterns During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Italy: Monitoring a Vulnerable Group by Hair Analysis

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alessio Gili ◽  
Mauro Bacci ◽  
Kyriaki Aroni ◽  
Alessia Nicoletti ◽  
Angela Gambelunghe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Substance Use ◽  
Drug Use ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Laboratory Data ◽  
High Risk Population ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Self Medication ◽  
Use Patterns ◽  
Drug Use Patterns ◽  
The Government

Abstract Background From March 22 until May 18, 2020, a complete lockdown in Italy was ordered by the government as a drastic and unprecedented countermeasure against the COVID-19 pandemic. Social isolation measures affect some populations more than others, and people with mental and drug and/or alcohol disorders are more likely to be adversely affected by home confinement. The literature on substance use during the COVID-19 pandemic is still nascent, but past research on other large-scale disasters suggests a modification in drug use patterns. This study presents for the first time experimental laboratory data on the use of alcohol and drugs in a high-risk population during Italy's first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods Thirty subjects with substance use disorders were monitored for the use of traditional drugs and alcohol every 3 months before, during and after lockdown by the analysis of hair, a biological matrix that permits retrospective evaluations. Results There was a general decrease in the use of traditional drugs during the lockdown: the number of samples positive for heroin, cocaine, MDMA and cannabis fell considerably and then resumed to pre-lockdown levels when the period of confinement was over. Interestingly, the consumption of benzodiazepines and alcohol followed the opposite trend. The number of benzodiazepine-positive samples increased and remained high even at the end of the lockdown. Similarly, alcohol consumption underwent a significant increase during the period of confinement and remained high even after the lockdown restrictions were lifted. Conclusions Confinement measures produced significant changes in drug/alcohol use patterns with a shift towards the use of substances that are more easily accessible and used for the self-medication of stress, anxiety, irritability, depressive symptoms and insomnia. Furthermore, the combined use of alcohol and benzodiazepines can alleviate the negative effects of abstinence from drugs that are no longer easily available. It is concerning that the levels of alcohol and benzodiazepine consumption have remained high even after the lockdown. Mixing benzodiazepines and alcohol can result in a number of serious short-term and long-term effects, which inevitably place further pressure on drug addiction and health services during and after the pandemic.

scholarly journals Psychedelic substance use in the Reddit psychonaut community. A qualitative study on motives and modalities

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jani Pestana ◽  
Franca Beccaria ◽  
Enrico Petrilli
Keyword(s):  
Substance Use ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Drug Users ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Practical Implication ◽  
Important Change ◽  
Western Society ◽  
Self Medication ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Responsible Drug

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate motives and modalities of psychedelic substance use in the psychonaut community that is hosted on the Reddit platform (r/psychonaut). Psychonauts are sometimes described as responsible drug users. Elements of responsible use include sharing stories, advice and experiences, reagent testing substances, proper dosing and education on harm reduction and its practical implication. Investigating psychonauts’ substance use can highlight what responsible use means for them and could inform best practices for psychedelic use. Design/methodology/approach Qualitative content analysis of posts and comments on the r/psychonaut subreddit was completed. In total, 350 posts were investigated. A combination of deductive and inductive methods was used to both structure the research and to allow room for novel information. To investigate participant’s motives, this combination was used to both collect and analyse the data. To examine modalities, concepts and keywords were formed out of the collected data and then analysed. Findings Motives for use ranged from self-knowledge, self-investigation and self-medication to increasing artistic expression, curiosity and recreation. Concerning modalities, the respondents put a high emphasis on preparation, set and setting, integration, dosage and gathering and sharing information through research, articles and trip reports. These features are identified in the literature as elements of responsible drug use. This investigation can help by unearthing best practices already in use by the community to inform the bourgeoning movement of psychedelic substance use – both in a medical and self-reflexive setting. Originality/value This paper is framed in the context of paucity of the academic literature on people taking psychedelic substances in Western society in non-rave and non-medical settings, with findings that indicate important change happening in the psychonaut subculture.

scholarly journals Mood and anxiety disorders and their association with non-medical prescription opioid use and prescription opioid-use disorder: longitudinal evidence from the National Epidemiologic Study on Alcohol and Related Conditions

2011 ◽  
Vol 42 (6) ◽  
pp. 1261-1272 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. S. Martins ◽  
M. C. Fenton ◽  
K. M. Keyes ◽  
C. Blanco ◽  
H. Zhu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Substance Use ◽  
Anxiety Disorder ◽  
Anxiety Disorders ◽  
Mood Disorders ◽  
Prescription Opioid ◽  
Opioid Use ◽  
Medical Prescription ◽  
Self Medication ◽  
Prescription Opioid Use

BackgroundNon-medical use of prescription opioids represents a national public health concern of growing importance. Mood and anxiety disorders are highly associated with non-medical prescription opioid use. The authors examined longitudinal associations between non-medical prescription opioid use and opioid disorder due to non-medical opioid use and mood/anxiety disorders in a national sample, examining evidence for precipitation, self-medication and general shared vulnerability as pathways between disorders.MethodData were drawn from face-to-face surveys of 34 653 adult participants in waves 1 and 2 of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions. Logistic regression models explored the temporal sequence and evidence for the hypothesized pathways.ResultsBaseline lifetime non-medical prescription opioid use was associated with incidence of any mood disorder, major depressive disorder (MDD), bipolar disorder, any anxiety disorder and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD in wave 2, adjusted for baseline demographics, other substance use, and co-morbid mood/anxiety disorders). Lifetime opioid disorder was not associated with any incident mood/anxiety disorders. All baseline lifetime mood disorders and GAD were associated with incident non-medical prescription opioid use at follow-up, adjusted for demographics, co-morbid mood/anxiety disorders, and other substance use. Baseline lifetime mood disorders, MDD, dysthymia and panic disorder were associated with incident opioid disorder due to non-medical prescription opioid use at follow-up, adjusted for the same covariates.ConclusionsThese results suggest that precipitation, self-medication as well as shared vulnerability are all viable pathways between non-medical prescription opioid use and opioid disorder due to non-medical opioid use and mood/anxiety disorders.

Cofactors of Substance Use among Male Street Prostitutes

1992 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 977-994 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward V. Morse ◽  
Patricia M. Simon ◽  
Stephanie A. Baus ◽  
Paul M. Balson ◽  
Howard J. Osofsky
Keyword(s):  
Substance Use ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Self Medication ◽  
Use Patterns ◽  
Polysubstance Use ◽  
Psychological Symptomatology ◽  
Street Prostitutes ◽  
Negative Feelings ◽  
Male Prostitutes

Two hundred and eleven male street prostitutes were surveyed using a semi-structured interview schedule and standardized self-report instruments. Information about substance use, occupational and lifestyle characteristics, levels of psychological symptomatology and self-esteem was gathered to delineate prostitutes' substance use patterns and possible cofactors to substance use. Results indicate that daily polysubstance use among male prostitutes is normative for both IDU and non-IDUs. Additionally, data demonstrate a direct link between substance use and economic dependence on prostitution. Most importantly, prostitutes' substance use was found to increase significantly while engaging in acts of prostitution and was exacerbated by the presence of psychological distress and conflicts about sexual orientation. Findings suggest that social policy surrounding interventions aimed at male prostitutes' substance use should not be conceptualized solely in terms of recreational and or addictive factors, but also as the resultant outgrowth of the need for self-medication to cope with negative feelings and/or conflicts associated with practicing prostitution.

Supportive-Expressive Psychodynamic Psychotherapy for the Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder

2021 ◽  
Vol 49 (3) ◽  
pp. 388-403
Author(s):  
William H. Gottdiener
Keyword(s):  
Substance Use ◽  
Substance Use Disorders ◽  
Psychodynamic Psychotherapy ◽  
The United States ◽  
Opioid Use Disorder ◽  
Opioid Use ◽  
Self Medication ◽  
The Core ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Opioid Use Disorders

The United States is in the midst of an opioid epidemic with over 200,000 deaths per year due to opioid overdoses. There are numerous psychotherapeutic and medication-assisted approaches to treating opioid use disorder, but psychodynamic approaches remain underappreciated and underused. The self-medication hypothesis of substance use disorders is a psychodynamic model, which argues that all substance use disorders serve to defend against intolerable affects. In the case of opioid use disorders, opioids are thought to help defend against intense intolerable feelings of rage and depression associated with trauma. Supportive-expressive psychodynamic psychotherapy is an empirically supported psychodynamic treatment for a wide range of psychological problems, including opioid use disorders. Supportive-expressive psychodynamic psychotherapy focuses on transference analysis using an operationalized conceptualization of transference called the core conflictual relational theme method. This article describes supportive-expressive psychodynamic psychotherapy for opioid use disorders and provides clinical examples of its use in practice. The article describes and illustrates the three phases of supportive-expressive psychodynamic psychotherapy, the formulation of the core conflictual relationship theme, how it is applied when treating people with an opioid use disorder, and how supportive-expressive psychodynamic psychotherapy can be used with other therapies, such as medication-assisted treatments and 12-step programs. Last, this article encourages psychodynamic therapists who are not involved in treating people with an opioid use disorder to engage in treating people with one using supportive-expressive psychodynamic psychotherapy.

A meta-analysis of negative symptoms in dual diagnosis schizophrenia

2005 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 431-440 ◽  
Author(s):  
STÉPHANE POTVIN ◽  
AMIR ALI SEPEHRY ◽  
EMMANUEL STIP
Keyword(s):  
Substance Use ◽  
Substance Use Disorders ◽  
Dual Diagnosis ◽  
Negative Symptoms ◽  
Meta Analysis ◽  
Random Effect ◽  
Random Effect Model ◽  
The Self ◽  
Self Medication ◽  
Patients Experience

Background. According to the self-medication hypothesis, schizophrenia patients would abuse psychoactive substances to get a relief from their negative symptoms. Studies testing the self-medication hypothesis in dual diagnosis (DD) schizophrenia have not been conclusive, with some studies showing that DD patients experience fewer negative symptoms, whereas other studies have failed to detect such differences. One potential confounding factor for this discrepancy lies in the diverse scales used to evaluate the negative symptoms. A systematic quantitative review of the literature using computerized search engines has been undertaken.Method. Studies were retained in the analysis if: (i) they assessed negative symptoms using the SANS; (ii) groups of schizophrenia patients were divided according to substance use disorders (alcohol, amphetamines, cannabis, cocaine, hallucinogens, heroin and phencyclidine).Results. Attainable published studies were screened. According to our inclusion criteria, 18 possible studies emerged. Data from 11 studies were available for mathematical analysis. A moderate effect size (total n=1135, 451 DD, 684 single diagnosis, adjusted Hedges' g=–0·470, p=0·00001) was obtained, within a random-effect model, suggesting that DD patients experience fewer negative symptoms. Groups did not differ in age, sex, and positive/general psychopathology.Conclusions. Using narrow criteria (e.g. SANS), the results of this meta-analysis show that schizophrenia patients with a substance use disorder experience fewer negative symptoms than abstinent schizophrenia patients. As such, these results suggest either that substance abuse relieves the negative symptoms of schizophrenia or that the patients with fewer negative symptoms would be more prone to substance use disorders.

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