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

London,,England,-,August,,2014:,Nitrous,Oxide,Bulbs,,Laughing,Gas

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

[read the full story...]

Are e-cigarettes more addictive than tobacco?

Girl,Soars,On,A,Black,Background,Vape

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.

[read the full story...]

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

karla-hernandez-LrlyZzX6Sws-unsplash

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.

[read the full story...]

Trauma informed care on acute inpatient units: reducing self harm and restrictive practices

aaron-burden-tQF8FCNYNrk-unsplash

Dr Kirsten Lawson is back! In this blog, Kirsten explores a service evaluation of trauma informed care practices in acute inpatient units, looking specifically at reductions in self-harm and restraint practices.

[read the full story...]

What factors predict youth mental health service use?

austin-pacheco-FtL07GM9Q7Y-unsplash

In her debut blog, Oleta Williams writes with Nick Meader and Nina Higson-Sweeney to summarise a secondary analysis of NHS administrative data to identify predictors of mental health service use in children and young people.

[read the full story...]

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

Opioid,Crisis,Text,On,Pill.,Unhealthy,Addiction,Metaphor.,Molecule,And

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.

[read the full story...]

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

jamie-street-kD2daMYsrXM-unsplash

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

[read the full story...]

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

Flock,Of,Geese,Flying,In,V-formation

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”.

[read the full story...]

Is persistent anxiety and depression in childhood a one-way road to adverse outcomes in adulthood?

selina-farzaei-SnCHQ7HmC0o-unsplash

In her latest blog, Laura Hankey summarises a longitudinal study using ALSPAC data that explored associations between anxiety, depression, and comorbid anxiety/depression in childhood and adverse outcomes in young adulthood.

[read the full story...]

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...]