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

Nitrous oxide may be harmful for ‘heavy users’ according to new review, but more research needed

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Ian Hamilton looks at a recent literature review on the presence and prevalence of substance use disorder symptoms in recreational nitrous oxide users.

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Are e-cigarettes more addictive than tobacco?

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Tuba Saygin Avsar reviews a study on the perceived addiction of e-cigarettes, which used data from the International Tobacco Control Smoking and Vaping England Survey, to suggest that most UK vapers consider e-cigarettes less addictive than tobacco.

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How can we provide integrated care for people with co-occurring addiction and severe mental health problems?

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Akansha Naraindas considers a new review which offers insights to support the evaluation and restructuring of services for people with comorbid severe mental problems and substance use conditions.

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New meta-analysis finds methadone better than buprenorphine for treatment retention in opioid dependence

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Ian Hamilton considers a new Lancet Psychiatry systematic review and meta-analysis that examines the effectiveness of buprenorphine versus methadone for the treatment of opioid dependence, drawing from observational and randomised controlled studies.

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New US research suggests that primary care practices can help people who drink too much alcohol, so why aren’t we doing it?

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Sally Adams on new research from the US (a cluster randomised implementation trial) that integrates alcohol-related prevention and treatment into primary care.

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The burden of perinatal mental illness in migrant women: new evidence on prevalence and risk factors

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In her debut Mental Elf blog, Gilda Spaducci explores the global prevalence of perinatal mental disorders among migrant women; summarising a recent review which finds that “one in four experience perinatal depression, one in five perinatal anxiety, and one in eleven perinatal PTSD”.

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Smoking and bipolar disorder: the physical and mental health impact of tobacco cessation

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Hannah Walsh explores the clinical and research implications of this French cohort study on bipolar disorder and smoking status, and how risks differ for current, former and never smokers.

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Integrating smoking cessation treatment into routine care for people with mental illness: how will the NHS cope?

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Amelia Talbot summarises a qualitative study on people’s views of integrating smoking cessation treatment into routine care for people with mental illness.

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

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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.

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

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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.

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