substance misuse

A drug is a chemical substance that acts on the brain and nervous system, changing a person’s mood, emotion or state of consciousness. Drugs are often classified by the effect they have.
Stimulants, such as cocaine, make people feel full of energy. Depressants (or sedatives), such as heroin, make people feel relaxed. Hallucinogens, such as LSD, make people see, feel or hear things that are not real. Drug or substance misuse is when a person regularly takes one or more drugs to change their mood, emotion or state of consciousness.

Our substance misuse Blogs

Women, addiction and crime: what works? #WomenAndDrugs

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Some of the country’s leading experts on mental health and substance abuse will gather at the University of York tomorrow to “end the silence” surrounding women and addiction. We’ll be taking this #WomenAndDrugs event #BeyondTheRoom and I’m delighted to be publishing two relevant blogs, one today and the other tomorrow.

Here’s the first from regular elf blogger Ian Hamilton, who explores a recent narrative literature review on effective interventions for drug using women offenders.

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Tobacco smoking, cognition and first episode psychosis: time for a rethink?

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Marcus Munafo appraises a recent cross sectional study of tobacco smoking and its association with cognition in first episode psychosis patients.

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Personality disorders and alcohol treatment: is there any hope?

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Ian Hamilton and Kelly Davies provide some optimism after reading a new systematic review about personality disorders and alcohol treatment outcomes.

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Cannabis and psychosis: it’s high time for a review

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Joe Barnby considers the findings of a recent meta-analysis of cannabis use and symptoms severity in individuals at ultra-high risk for psychosis.

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Nicotine reverses hypofrontality in animal models of addiction and schizophrenia

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Marcus Munafo looks at a complex and sophisticated series of experiments that provide further insight into the relationships between genetic risk, cigarette smoking and schizophrenia.

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Novel Psychoactive Substances: important information for health professionals

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Harry Sumnall, Ian Hamilton and Mark Monaghan provide an overview of Novel Psychoactive Substances (NPS) aimed at health professionals and others who work with people who use these new psychoactive substances.

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New NICE guidance on dual diagnosis: sterile or infectious?

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Ian Hamilton and Mark Holland appraise new NICE guidance on dual diagnosis. Their blog highlights the ongoing inequity in service provision for people with serious mental illness and comorbid substance misuse.

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NICE one? Is NHS guidance on substance misuse fit for purpose?

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Ian Hamilton explains why the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence have missed a trick by not updating their 2007 guidance on psychosocial interventions for substance misuse.

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Substance misuse and addiction in people with intellectual and developmental disabilities

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Andrew Jones summarises a recent Canadian cohort study, which explores the extent of substance misuse and addictive disorders among adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

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OCD risk may increase following perinatal complications

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Alan Underwood summarises a population based cohort study of 2.4 million Swedish children, which highlights links between perinatal risk factors such as smoking during pregnancy, and later development of obsessive compulsive disorder.

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