addiction

Addiction is defined as not having control over doing, taking or using something to the point where it could be harmful to you.

Addiction is most commonly associated with gambling, drugs, alcohol and smoking, but it’s possible to be addicted to just about anything, including work, the internet, shopping, solvents and sex.

Our addiction Blogs

Minimum unit pricing policy for alcohol saved lives in Scotland according to new research

shutterstock_153758024

Ian Hamilton reviews a new controlled interrupted time series study published in The Lancet evaluating the impact of alcohol minimum unit pricing on deaths and hospitalisations in Scotland.

[read the full story...]

Psychedelics-assisted psychotherapy for alcohol use disorder: room for more evidence

zulian-firmansyah-sEUAJeFn5mE-unsplash

In her debut blog, Heidi Stevens reviews a recent US randomised controlled trial on psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy for adults with alcohol use disorder, which leaves us with more questions than answers.

[read the full story...]

Intimate partner violence among non-binary people who use drugs and alcohol: what do we know?

a multi coloured rainbow with two white stickers in the centre that say 'they' and 'them'

Vishal Bhavsar explores the largest ever study on experiences and perpetration of intimate partner violence and abuse in non-heterosexual relationships, with data from the Global Drug Survey, COVID Special Edition.

[read the full story...]

Mental disorder and homicide: are rates and sentencing patterns changing?

featured

Danny Whiting reports on a study of mental health problems and long-term national trends in rates and court outcome for people convicted of homicide.

[read the full story...]

Ask about alcohol use in adults affected by divorce, bereavement or illness

sergio-alves-santos-PeDrafNlY2Y-unsplash

Sally Adams considers a recent Finnish longitudinal study, which examines heavy alcohol consumption before and after negative life events in late mid-life.

[read the full story...]

A human rights approach to integrating HIV and substance misuse services

Business,Creative,Solution,Concept,-,Jigsaw,On,The,Blackboard

Andie Ashdown and Theophanis Kyriacou summarise a recent paper on integrating HIV and substance misuse services, which draws on a person-centred approach that is grounded in human rights.

[read the full story...]

Temptation can be strong: how can we resist alcohol?

Thinking Man

Ian Hamilton summarises a survey of British people, which focuses on the self-reported strategies we use to cut down drinking, reduce alcohol consumption, and usual drinking frequency.

[read the full story...]

What’s the link between neurodevelopmental or mental disorders and school absence or exclusion?

tim-mossholder-WE_Kv_ZB1l0-unsplash

Chris Fielding summarises a Welsh cohort study which finds that neurodevelopmental and mental disorders are linked to school absenteeism and exclusion.

[read the full story...]

Cannabis use in college: genetic predispositions less influential than social environment

nick-harsell-7NpU3EdryP0-unsplash

Sally Turner reviews a recent study exploring cannabis use in college, which provides useful evidence relating to how universities could promote a sense of community, belonging and support to students who use cannabis.

[read the full story...]

#SmokingAndMentalHealth conversations: NIHR 3 schools webinar

Tom 01 Smoking and Mental Health cover

SmokingAndMentalHealth – Carolyn Chew-Graham summarises the conversations that took place at the Smoking and Mental Health webinar on 28th September 2022.

[read the full story...]