Mental health among northern New Hampshire young adults: depression and substance problems higher than nationwide

This brief uses data on depressive and substance abuse symptoms from two surveys administered in 2011—the Coös Youth Study and the National Survey on Drug Use and Health—to compare mental health patterns among young adults in Coös County, New Hampshire, to patterns among rural young adults nationwide. The analyses focus on 214 Coös young adults and 1,477 young adult respondents, ages 18 to 21, who were living in non-metropolitan areas in 2011 and who provided usable data on depressive and substance abuse symptoms. Author Karen Van Gundy reports that Coös County young adults are more likely than rural young adults nationwide to suffer from symptoms of depression and substance abuse, and these patterns vary by sex. Coös young women tend to experience more depressive symptoms than their national counterparts, and Coös young men tend to experience more substance abuse symptoms than their national counterparts. Van Gundy concludes that programs fostering community attachment could lessen adult substance abuse in Coös County and that combined or co-occurring symptoms of depression and substance abuse in Coös County require careful consideration

Individual and Environmental Factors Associated with Tobacco Smoking, Alcohol Abuse and Illegal Drug Consumption in University Students: A Mediating Analysis

[Abstract] Substance abuse is a major and prevalent public health concern among university students. Tobacco smoking, risky alcohol behavior, and illegal drug consumption may lead to health problems and behavioral and academic issues. Several individual and environmental factors associate with substance abuse in this population, and the mediating effect of alcohol abuse in the relationship between tobacco smoking and drug consumption is yet to be explored. The purposes of this study were to evaluate the association of individual and environmental factors and substance use, and to analyze the relationship between tobacco smoking, alcohol abuse, and drug consumption, considering alcohol abuse as a possible mediator. A total of 550 Spanish undergraduate and postgraduate students completed several questionnaires regarding their smoking status, alcohol use, and drug consumption during the last six months. Bivariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to explore associations between factors. Direct, indirect and mediating effects were tested using a partial least squares approach (PLS-SEM). The results indicated that substance abuse is associated with being male, living with other students, and combined substance consumption. PLS-SEM showed a significant effect of tobacco smoking and alcohol abuse on drug consumption. Alcohol abuse plays a mediating role in the relationship between tobacco smoking and drug use

The Link Between Intimate Partner Violence, Substance Abuse and Mental Health in California

Presents findings about how Californians who have been victims of intimate partner violence as adults are more likely to report serious psychological distress, violence-related substance abuse, and need for mental health and/or substance abuse services

Guidelines for Organizing Art Exhibitions on Addiction and Recovery

Outlines the Innovators Combating Substance Abuse program's model for exhibiting art by those in addiction recovery as a way to offer insight into substance abuse and recovery. With lessons learned and submissions, selection, and installation guidelines

Young adults in the workplace

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration funded the multisite Young Adults in the Workplace (YIW) initiative to study the effectiveness of diverse approaches to workplace-based prevention of substance abuse. Six teams adapted evidence-based programs to target young employees and then implemented the programs in retail, restaurant, health care, construction, skilled trade, and transportation industry workplaces. This book describes the programs, the adaptation and implementation processes, and the YIW cross-site evaluation.Publishe

Trends and correlates of substance use disorders among probationers and parolees in the United States 2002–2014

BACKGROUND: Substance use and crime/recidivism are irrevocably linked. We explore the nuances of this association by highlighting the prevalence, trends, and correlates of substance use dsorders in a large group of probationers/parolees. METHODS: We examined SUDs among probationers and parolees in the United States using data from the National Study on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). Logistic regression models were computed to examine eight distinct outcomes: alcohol abuse, illicit drug abuse, marijuana/hashish abuse, comorbid alcohol and illicit drug abuse, alcohol dependence, illicit drug dependence, marijuana/hashish dependence, and comorbid alcohol and illicit drug dependence. RESULTS: Probationers/parolees have high prevalence rates across all SUDs categories and these trends have been relatively constant. Prevalence rates for alcohol abuse and dependence are two to six times higher than for marijuana and other illicit drug abuse and dependence. Key correlates of substance abuse for probationers/parolees include: age, gender, race/ethnicity, education, income, risk propensity, crime/violence measures, and comorbid substance abuse. Similar correlates were found for substance dependence, in addition to employment and mental health treatment. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that SUDs are higher among probationer/parolees as compared to their non-supervised counterparts − between four and nine times higher − and these levels have changed little in recent years. Effectively responding to SUDs in this population may enhance adherence to supervision requirements, prevent recidivism, and improve public safety. We may be better served using limited funds for further development of evidence-based policies and programs, such as drug courts, which demonstrate reductions in both drug use and recidivism

Public spending for illegal drug and alcohol treatment in hospitals: an EU cross-country comparison

Background: In view of the current economic crisis and the resulting austerity measures being implemented by governments across Europe, public expenditure for substance abuse treatment has increasingly become a subject of discussion. An EU cross-country comparison would allow an estimation of the total amount of public resources spent on substance abuse treatment, compare various substance abuse treatment funding options, and evaluate the division of expenditures between alcohol and illegal drugs. The purpose of this study is to estimate the public spending of EU countries for alcohol and illegal drug abuse treatment in hospitals. Methods: Our study uses a uniform methodology in order to enable valid cross-national comparisons. Our data are drawn from the Eurostat database, which provides anno 2010 data on government spending for the treatment of illegal drug and alcohol abuse in 21 EU member states. The cross-country comparison is restricted to hospitals, since data were unavailable for other types of treatment providers. The systematic registration of in- and outpatient data is essential to monitoring public expenditures on substance abuse treatment using international databases. Results: Total public spending for hospital-based treatment of illegal drug and alcohol abuse in the 21 EU member states studied is estimated to be 7.6 billion euros. Per capita expenditures for treatment of illegal drug abuse vary, ranging from 0.1 euros in Romania to 13 euros in Sweden. For alcohol abuse, that figure varied from 0.9 euros in Bulgaria to 24 euros in Austria. These results confirm other studies indicating that public expenditures for alcohol treatment exceed that for illegal drug treatment. Conclusions: Multiple factors may influence the number of hospital days for alcohol or illegal substance abuse treatment, and expenditures fluctuate accordingly. In this respect, we found a strong correlation between gross domestic product (GDP) per capita and public expenditures per hospital day. The prevalence of problematic ( illegal or legal) drug use in a country did not correlate significantly with the number of hospital days. Other factors must be included in the analysis of public expenditures for the treatment of substance abuse, such as the drug policy in a given country and the social norms regarding alcohol consumption

Homelessness and Substance Abuse: Is Mandatory Treatment the Solution?

For the government to be successful in addressing homelessness, it must focus on the link between homelessness and substance abuse. In New York City and elsewhere, advocates are reluctant to publicize the connection between substance abuse and homelessness. Federal laws and programs that attempt to deal with homelessness, such as welfare, Social Security, federal housing laws, and the McKinney Act and other various federal acts do not provide a comprehensive approach to treatment of those who are both homeless and substance abusers. Because the Supreme Court has held that the Constitution does not provide a right to shelter, advocates have turned to state court. Unfortunately, few state constitutions have constitutional language providing for a right of the poor to care and housing. Additionally, the substance abuse problems seen in the homeless complicate any state statutes. This Article proposes a federal solution, arguing that the only long-term approach with any chance of achieving real success is a national remedy that includes treatment for substance abuse as a condition attached to housing