scholarly journals The use of person-first language in scientific literature focused on drug-seeking behavior: a cross-sectional analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrick Sharp ◽  
Jaclyn Slattery ◽  
Austin Johnson ◽  
Trevor Torgerson ◽  
Ryan Ottwell ◽  
...  

Abstract Context: Person first language (PFL) – a way of referring to individuals with medical conditions or disability that emphasizes the person over their condition or disability – is important in reducing the stigma surrounding individuals who exhibit drug-seeking behavior. Drug-seeking behavior is generally associated with a negative connotation by healthcare professionals, which may create poor provider perceptions of these individuals and potentially impact patient care. Therefore, to reduce stigmatization surrounding drug-seeking behavior and to improve patient care in these individuals, the use of PFL should be promoted. Objectives: The primary objective of this study is to investigate how frequently research articles focused on drug-seeking behavior adhere to PFL. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional analysis systematically searching PubMed for articles published between May 1, 2011, and April 30, 2020, focused on drug-seeking behavior. To be included, the article must have met the following criteria: (1) published in a peer-reviewed journal; (2) relevant to drug-seeking behavior; and (3) must include human subjects and be retrievable in English. All articles were screened and data were extracted independently in a masked, duplicate fashion. Each article was reviewed for 19 predefined non-PFL terms with certain terms adopted from the American Medical Association Manual of Style. Results: Our search returned 699 articles related to drug-seeking behavior, of which 390 articles met inclusion criteria and were analyzed for non-PFL. Our analysis found only 13.6% (53/390) of articles adhered to PFL while 86.4% (337/390) of articles contained at least some form of non-PFL. There was no association between PFL adherence and extracted study characteristics. Conclusions: PFL adherence is uncommon among research literature focused on drug-seeking behavior. The power of language can be profound, and should be understood by researchers, health care providers, and educators alike, specifically when dealing with known and exhibited characteristics of substance use disorders. This is relevant because of the high prevalence of substance use disorders, limited amount of prior research, and the impact stigma has on patients and healthcare providers.

2020 ◽  
pp. 65-86
Author(s):  
Noelle C. Anastasio ◽  
Dennis J. Sholler ◽  
Brionna D. Davis-Reyes ◽  
Amanda E. Price ◽  
Michelle A. Land ◽  
...  

Vulnerability to initiate use of psychoactive drugs as well as relapse to drug-seeking in patients with established substance use disorders are precipitated by behavioral disinhibition or impulsivity (a predisposition toward rapid unplanned reactions to stimuli without regard to negative consequences) and attentional bias toward drug cues (cue reactivity). These behavioral phenotypes are not independent mechanistically nor neurobiologically, and preclinical analyses have demonstrated the complex nature of the interactions between these interlocked phenotypic behaviors, including aspects of their shared neurobiology and circuitry. This chapter focuses on impulsivity and drug-seeking behaviors from a preclinical perspective and summarizes studies exploring the impact of substances of abuse in the context of the neurobiology of impulsivity and drug-seeking behaviors in rodents.


BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. e029066
Author(s):  
Laure Lacoin ◽  
Michael Hurst ◽  
Nathan R Hill ◽  
Jason Gordon ◽  
Anna Maria Geretti ◽  
...  

ObjectiveTo evaluate the impact of treatment with new direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) on the prevalent hepatitis C virus (HCV) population in England.DesignA repeated cross-sectional analysis.SettingFour secondary care hospitals in England.ParticipantsPatients who, in 2015 and/or 2016, had chronic HCV infection and were alive were eligible, regardless of the type of HCV intervention received.Outcome measuresData including intravenous drug use (IVDU) status, HCV genotype, cirrhosis status, HCV treatment history, vital status and treatment outcomes were collected at two time points in 2015 and 2016 using electronic case report forms.ResultsThere were 1605 and 1355 patients with active chronic HCV in 2015 and 2016, respectively. Between 2015 and 2016, the proportion of patients with current IVDU increased (10.3% vs 14.5%, respectively), while that of patients with cirrhosis (28.2% vs 22.4%) and treatment-experienced patients (31.2% vs 27.1%) decreased. Among patients whose treatment outcome was known by 2016, high cure rates were observed, with an overall sustained virological response rate of 93.2%. From 2015 to 2016, there was a progressive increase in the proportion of treated patients who were non-cirrhotic, with current IVDU and non-liver transplant recipients.ConclusionsThe characteristics of patients with HCV remaining in contact with specialised care evolved with a changing landscape of treatment and related health policy. With increasing access to DAAs in UK, high cure rates were achieved in the study cohort.


2020 ◽  
Vol 70 (8) ◽  
pp. 570-577
Author(s):  
J C Zhang ◽  
N Carnide ◽  
L Holness ◽  
P Cram

Abstract Background Although the association of cannabis use with automobile accidents has been well-studied, the impact of cannabis on workplace safety and injuries is less clear. Aims The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between work-related injury and cannabis use in the past year. Methods We performed a cross-sectional analysis of the Canadian Community Health Survey (2013–16) of working individuals. We used multiple logistic regression modelling to calculate the odds of experiencing a work-related injury (defined as non-repetitive strain injury) among workers who reported using cannabis more than once during the prior 12 months as compared to non-users. We repeated the analysis among participants working in high injury risk occupational groups only. Results Among the 136 536 working participants, 2577 (2%) had a work-related injury in the last 12 months. Of these 2577 who had a work-related injury, 4% also reported being a cannabis user in the same period. We found no association between past-year cannabis use and work-related injury (odds ratio for work injury among users 0.81, 95% confidence interval 0.66–0.99). The association was unchanged in the subgroup analysis limited to high injury risk occupational groups. Conclusions We found no evidence that cannabis users experienced higher rates of work-related injuries. While awaiting prospective studies, occupational medicine practitioners should take a risk-based approach to drafting workplace cannabis policies.


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