12 research outputs found
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Prevention of Substance-Use with Student-Veterans: Beliefs System and Psychological Distress
In the second decade of the Global War on Terrorism, more than a million veterans are returning to higher education. Readjustment from military to academic life, however, poses unique challenges for veterans who may be at increased risk for mental and substance use disorders. Mental disorders, particularly post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and major depressive disorder (MDD), are prevalent among returning veterans and may confer risk for substance use problems. And yet, evidence on the links between psychological distress and problem drinking among this important population remains thin. Cognizant of this gap, the current study examines the associations between posttraumatic stress, depressive symptomatology, and problem drinking among college student veterans. Findings from the present study suggest that elevated levels of posttraumatic stress may be linked with increased risk for alcohol-related problems among college student veterans. Notably, no such relationship was identified between depressive symptomatology and alcohol-related problems and there does not appear to be a link between binge alcohol use and psychological distress among this population. Although preliminary, the results from the present study may have implications for practice and certainly point to the importance of conducting larger, longitudinal studies to examine the relationship between posttraumatic stress and problem drinking among this rapidly-growing and at-risk population.Social Wor
“We do it ourselves”: strengths and opportunities for improving the practice of harm reduction
Abstract Background Unprecedented increases in substance-related overdose fatalities have been observed in Texas and the U.S. since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and have made clear there is considerable need to reduce harms associated with drug use. At the federal level, initiatives have called for widespread dissemination and implementation of evidence-based harm reduction practices to reduce overdose deaths. Implementation of harm reduction strategies is challenging in Texas. There is a paucity of literature on understanding current harm reduction practices in Texas. As such, this qualitative study aims to understand harm reduction practices among people who use drugs (PWUD), harm reductionists, and emergency responders across four counties in Texas. This work would inform future efforts to scale and spread harm reduction in Texas. Methods Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with N = 69 key stakeholders (25 harm reductionists; 24 PWUD; 20 emergency responders). Interviews were transcribed verbatim, coded for emergent themes, and analyzed using Applied Thematic Analysis with Nvivo 12. A community advisory board defined the research questions, reviewed the emergent themes, and assisted with interpretation of the data. Results Emergent themes highlighted barriers to harm reduction at micro and macro levels, from the individual experience of PWUD and harm reductionists to systemic issues in healthcare and the emergency medical response system. Specifically, (1) Texas has existing strengths in overdose prevention and response efforts on which to build, (2) PWUD are fearful of interacting with healthcare and 911 systems, (3) harm reductionists are in increasing need of support for reaching all PWUD communities, and (4) state-level policies may hinder widespread implementation and adoption of evidence-based harm reduction practices. Conclusions Perspectives from harm reduction stakeholders highlighted existing strengths, avenues for improvement, and specific barriers that currently exist to harm reduction practices in Texas