Spirituality, Religiosity and Addiction Recovery: Current Perspectives

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Livia Beraldo ◽  
Felipe Gil ◽  
Antonio Ventriglio ◽  
Arthur G. de Andrade ◽  
Antonio Geraldo da Silva ◽  
...  

Substance use disorders are an important public health problem with a multifactorial etiology and limited effective treatment options. Within this context, spirituality-based approaches may provide interesting and useful options in managing substance use disorders. This kind of intervention can have positive effects in alleviating some core symptoms associated with substance use, such as aggressiveness. Improvement in cessation rates for alcohol, cocaine and opioid use disorders have also been described in some clinical studies. However, spirituality may not play a beneficial role in some subgroups, such as among individuals with crack cocaine and cannabis use disorders. A widely available intervention for alcohol use disorders is Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), which can be seen as a spirituality-based intervention. Spirituality also seems to be especially beneficial for minorities such as Latinos, African-Americans and Native-Americans. Moreover, spiritual-based interventions are also helpful alternatives in many rural environments where conventional healthcare for substance use disorders may not be easily available. However, spiritual-based interventions may be considered as a possible adjunctive therapeutic option to conventional treatments. There is a need for prospective studies outside U.S., especially where spiritual-based approaches are available. It may be difficult to carry out randomized controlled trials because of the nature of the spiritual/ religious dimensions. However, prospective studies that evaluate mediation effect of spirituality and religiosity on recovery would be helpful. Qualitative studies combined with quantitative design offer excellent options to evaluate the recovery process, especially among special populations.

2021 ◽  
Vol 221 ◽  
pp. 108555
Author(s):  
Peggy O’Brien ◽  
Rachel Mosher Henke ◽  
Mary Beth Schaefer ◽  
Janice Lin ◽  
Timothy B. Creedon

Author(s):  
Sarah C Snow ◽  
Gregg C Fonarow ◽  
Joseph A Ladapo ◽  
Donna L Washington ◽  
Katherine Hoggatt ◽  
...  

Background: Several cardiotoxic substances contribute to the development of heart failure (HF). The burden of comorbid substance use disorders (SUD) among patients with HF is under-characterized. Objectives: To describe the national burden of comorbid SUD (tobacco, alcohol, or drug use disorders) among hospitalized HF patients in the U.S. Methods: We used data from the 2014 National Inpatient Sample to calculate the proportion of hospitalizations for a primary HF admission with tobacco, alcohol, or drug use disorder diagnoses, accounting for demographic factors. Drug use disorder analysis was further sub-divided into specific illicit substance categories. Results: There were a total of 989,080 HF hospitalizations of which 35.3% (n=348,995) had a documented SUD. Tobacco use disorder (TUD) was most common (n= 327,220, 33.1%) followed by drug use disorder (DUD) (n=34,600, 3.5%) and alcohol use disorder (AUD) (n=34,285, 3.5%). Female sex was associated with less TUD (OR 0.59; 95% CI, 0.58-0.60), AUD (OR 0.23; 95% CI, 0.22-0.25) or DUD (OR 0.58; 95% CI 0.55-0.62). Tobacco, alcohol, cocaine, and opioid use disorders were highest among HF patients age 45 to 55, while cannabis and amphetamine use was highest in those <45 years. Native American race (versus White) was associated with increased risk of AUD (OR 1.67; 95% CI 1.27-2.20). Black race was associated with increased risk of AUD (OR 1.09; 95% CI 1.02-1.16) or DUD (OR 1.63; 95% CI 1.53-1.74). Medicaid insurance (versus Medicare) was associated with greater TUD (OR 1.27; 95% CI 1.23-1.32), AUD (OR 1.74; 95% CI 1.62-1.87), and DUD (OR 2.15; 95% CI 2.01-2.30). Decreasing quartiles of median household income were associated with increasing SUD. Conclusions: Comorbid SUD disproportionately affects certain HF populations, including men, younger age groups, lower SES patients, and race/ethnic minorities. Further research on interventions to improve prevention and treatment of SUD among hospitalized HF patients are needed given the high rates of SUD in this population. Systematically screening hospitalized HF patients for SUD may reveal opportunities for treatment and secondary prevention.


2020 ◽  
pp. 267-324
Author(s):  
Arash Ansari ◽  
David N. Osser

The chapter on treatments for substance use disorders discusses and reviews the use of medication-assisted treatments with (a) methadone, buprenorphine/naloxone, and naltrexone for opioid use disorders; (b) disulfiram, acamprosate, naltrexone, and several off-label medications for alcohol use disorders; and (c) nicotine replacement therapies, bupropion, and varenicline for tobacco use disorders. The chapter reviews the mechanisms of action, clinical characteristics, potential medication interactions, and adverse effects of these medications, followed by an in-depth discussion of their clinical use in these disorders. The chapter also briefly reviews several non-Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved medicines studied for cocaine, cannabis, and amphetamine use disorders. It also briefly discusses complementary and alternative pharmacotherapies, such as the use of cannabinoids. It also discusses the use of these medicines in women of childbearing age, notably for pregnancy and breastfeeding considerations. Finally, the chapter includes a table of approved substance use disorder medicines that includes each medicine’s generic and brand names, usual adult doses, pertinent clinical comments, black box warnings, and FDA indications.


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. 1058 ◽  
Author(s):  
Albert Batalla ◽  
Hella Janssen ◽  
Shiral S. Gangadin ◽  
Matthijs G. Bossong

The endogenous cannabinoid (eCB) system plays an important role in the pathophysiology of both psychotic disorders and substance use disorders (SUDs). The non-psychoactive cannabinoid compound, cannabidiol (CBD) is a highly promising tool in the treatment of both disorders. Here we review human clinical studies that investigated the efficacy of CBD treatment for schizophrenia, substance use disorders, and their comorbidity. In particular, we examined possible profiles of patients who may benefit the most from CBD treatment. CBD, either as monotherapy or added to regular antipsychotic medication, improved symptoms in patients with schizophrenia, with particularly promising effects in the early stages of illness. A potential biomarker is the level of anandamide in blood. CBD and THC mixtures showed positive effects in reducing short-term withdrawal and craving in cannabis use disorders. Studies on schizophrenia and comorbid substance use are lacking. Future studies should focus on the effects of CBD on psychotic disorders in different stages of illness, together with the effects on comorbid substance use. These studies should use standardized measures to assess cannabis use. In addition, future efforts should be taken to study the relationship between the eCB system, GABA/glutamate, and the immune system to reveal the underlying neurobiology of the effects of CBD.


10.2196/21015 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (11) ◽  
pp. e21015
Author(s):  
Erica Francis ◽  
Kara Shifler Bowers ◽  
Glenn Buchberger ◽  
Sheryl Ryan ◽  
William Milchak ◽  
...  

Background Given that youth alcohol use is more common in rural communities, such communities can play a key role in preventing alcohol use among adolescents. Guidelines recommend primary care providers incorporate screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) into routine care. Objective The aim is to train primary care providers and school nurses within a rural 10-county catchment area in Pennsylvania to use SBIRT and facilitate collaboration with community organizations to better coordinate substance use prevention efforts. Methods To build capacity to address underage drinking and opioid use among youth aged 9-20 years, this project uses telehealth, specifically Project ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes), to train primary care providers and school nurses to address substance use with SBIRT. Our project will provide 120 primary care providers and allied health professionals as well as 20 school nurses with SBIRT training. Community-based providers will participate in weekly virtual ECHO sessions with a multidisciplinary team from Penn State College of Medicine that will provide SBIRT training and facilitate case discussions among participants. Results To date, we have launched one SBIRT ECHO project with school personnel, enrolling 34 participants. ECHO participants are from both rural (n=17) and urban (n=17) counties and include school nurses (n=15), school counselors (n=8), teachers (n=5), administrators (n=3), and social workers (n=3). Before the study began, only 2/13 (15.5%) of schools were screening for alcohol use. Conclusions This project teaches primary care clinics and schools to use SBIRT to prevent the onset and reduce the progression of substance use disorders, reduce problems associated with substance use disorders, and strengthen communities’ prevention capacity. Ours is an innovative model to improve rural adolescent health by reducing alcohol and opioid use. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/21015


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandria S. Coles ◽  
Dunja Knezevic ◽  
Tony P. George ◽  
Christoph U. Correll ◽  
John M. Kane ◽  
...  

Objectives: Co-occurring substance use disorders (SUDs) among individuals with schizophrenia are a prevalent and complex psychiatric comorbidity, which is associated with increased symptom severity, worsened illness trajectory and high rates of treatment non-adherence. Recent evidence suggests that the use of long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics may provide an effective treatment option for individuals with this dual-diagnosis.Methods: A systematic review of the literature was conducted using the databases PubMed, PsychInfo and Google Scholar for English-language studies, investigating the use of LAIs in co-occurring schizophrenia and substance use disorders (SCZ-SUDs).Results: Eight reports [one case study (n = 1), one case series (n = 8), three open-label retrospective studies (n = 75), and three randomized controlled trials (n = 273)] investigated the use of LAI antipsychotics in 357 participants with SCZ-SUDs [alcohol use disorder: 5 studies, n = 282; cocaine use disorder: 5 studies, n = 85; amphetamine use disorder: 1 study, n = 1; cannabis use disorder: 3 studies, n = 160; opioid use disorder: 3 studies, n = 19; methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) use disorder: 2 studies, n = 9; ketamine use disorder: 1 study, n = 4] and were included in this systematic review. Findings indicate significant improvements in substance use related outcomes across 7 of 8 studies, while in 6 of 8 studies, significant improvements in psychopathology-related outcomes were reported.Conclusions: LAI antipsychotics may be an efficacious intervention option for the treatment of SCZ-SUDs. However, varying methodological rigor, generally small sample sizes and heterogeneity of samples, settings, substances of abuse, tested LAIs and comparators, as well as psychosocial cotreatments and level of reported detail across studies requires that these findings be considered preliminary and interpreted with caution. Further research is required to better understand the effects of LAIs among individuals with SCZ-SUDs.


Author(s):  
Sarah E. Wakeman ◽  
Josiah D. Rich

Drug addiction treatment is increasingly complex. Only 5% of prisons and 34% of jails offer any detoxification services, and only 1% of jails offer methadone for opioid withdrawal. Even fewer facilities offer medication assisted therapy (MAT) for alcohol or substance use disorders despite the tremendous evidence base supporting the use of medications to treat addiction. Untreated opioid dependence both within corrections and in the community is associated with HIV, Hepatitis C, crime, and death by overdose. Substantial evidence argues that these risks are reduced through long-term treatment with agonist medications such as methadone and buprenorphine. Only a minority of prisoners receive any addiction treatment while incarcerated. Those that do are usually offered behavioral interventions, which when used alone have extremely poor outcomes. Although there are limited studies on the outcomes of drug treatment during incarceration, there are nearly 50 years of evidence documenting the efficacy of methadone given in the community in reducing opioid use, drug-related health complications, overdose, death, criminal activity, and recidivism. Buprenorphine is similarly an effective, safe, and cost-effective long-term treatment for opioid dependence that reduces other opioid use and improves health and quality of life outcomes. There is a growing role for MAT in jails, and to a lesser degree in prisons for the treatment of alcohol and opiate dependence. This chapter presents the current state of evidence based practice in correctional MAT models.


2021 ◽  
Vol Publish Ahead of Print ◽  
Author(s):  
Edeanya Agbese ◽  
Bradley D. Stein ◽  
Benjamin G. Druss ◽  
Andrew W. Dick ◽  
Rosalie L. Pacula ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Sierra Castedo ◽  
Lori Holleran Steiker

Collegiate recovery programs (CRPs) offer support to college students in recovery from substance use disorders. That support is centered around a community of students in recovery, recovery-supportive programming, and a space on campus where recovery is actively celebrated and normalized. While the first CRP was established 40 years ago, recent proliferation of these programs across the United States has led to a diversity of models and practices that is not yet well catalogued. National surveys of CRPs are helpful in demonstrating the range of variation among CRPs and the positive effects these programs have on the students they serve, although there are methodological limitations. A case study of the CRP at the University of Texas at Austin provides an example of a CRP model at one end of the spectrum of variation. These programs provide a unique opportunity for institutions of higher education and the communities in which they are embedded to support college students in recovery from substance use disorders.


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