Analysis of the Genetic and Neurological Components of Opioid Addiction, with Public Health Perspectives of the Opioid Epidemic in the United States of America

Opioid addiction has reached epidemic levels around the world, with over-prescription of opioid pain relievers being an often-cited reason for the epidemic in the USA. This project looks at opioid addiction from three perspectives: a review of literature dealing with the neural pathways involved in opioid use and addiction; the underlying genetic differences that can increase the risk of opioid use disorder; and an overview of the public health aspects of the epidemic. The paper will conclude with a review of current and new treatments based upon a growing neurobiological and molecular understanding of opioid use disorder

The Relationship Between Parental Criminal History and Substance Use on Child Mental Health

Background: Since 1991, the number of children with incarcerated mothers has increased by 98% and those with incarcerated fathers has increased by 58%. Estimates from the National Survey of Children’s Health suggest that more than 5.1 million children have had a parent incarcerated at some point. Parental incarceration and parental substance abuse can have broad negative impacts on children. Both are considered “adverse childhood experiences” that cause high levels of toxic stress and can lead to lasting harms, both psychologically and physically. Objective: This research analyzes the relationship between two ACES – parental criminal history and parental substance use – on children’s mental health outcomes, specifically, internalizing, externalizing, and adaptive behaviors among a sample of individuals who were in treatment at drug courts. Methods: That study was conducted at four drug courts in the Atlanta region from 2013-2016, and used a quasi-experimental design involving four drug courts (two adult drug courts and two family treatment courts). As part of that study, families (i.e., a drug court client, their child, and a co-parents) were interviewed at baseline and up to three years following baseline. This analysis uses data from this study; only baseline data from the drug court clients were used. Results: Parent criminal history was positively related to externalizing behavior indicating that parents with greater levels of criminal history reported children with more externalizing behaviors. Parental substance use did not predict externalizing behavior, internalizing behavior, or adaptive behaviors. Discussion: This study indicates that the relationship between traumas experienced can be impacted by the child’s age and gender. There are many social and contextual factors which are also at play when analyzing children’s mental health symptoms. Nevertheless, parental incarceration, parental substance use, and other adverse childhood experiences should be considered when reviewing children’s behaviors over time