Solutions to housing problems of the homeless in Ukraine against the situation in Poland

In this article approaches toward solving housing problems of the homeless in Ukraine and in Poland are compared. Particular attention is paid to the types of housing objects and their location. The report on the situation in Poland became a basis to formulate recommendations for new Ukrainian housing policy concerning the homeless. In the group of almost several hundred thousand homeless people in Ukraine, the majority are citizens of working age and with secondary education. Although single people largely prevail in this group, the numer of those with families is increasing. According to the official estimates, in Poland there are 30–40 thousand homeless people. This group consists mainly of middle-aged unqualified men, mostly single ones. It is observed that the period of being homeless is extending each year. Similarly, the share of highly educated homeless is increasing. Both in Poland and Ukraine, people deprived of their homes concentrate in urban agglomerations and big cities. The authors conclude that shaping Ukrainian housing policy ought not focus on shelters, which are oriented towards chronic homeless, but on dwellings which enable rehabilitation, socialisation and re-integration of the excluded people with the society. Social rehabilitation should consist of 2–4 stages depending on individual cases. For each of the stages a type of dwelling is suggested. The article provides also some remarks on location of dwellings for the homeless. They are aimed at minimizing tensions between the homeless and the community where the institution is supposed to operate.W artykule podjęto się porównania podejść do rozwiązywania problemów mieszkaniowych osób bezdomnych na Ukrainie i w Polsce. Szczególną uwagę poświęcono rodzajom obiektów mieszkaniowych oraz ich lokalizacji. Omówienie aktualnej sytuacji w Polsce stało się podstawą do sformułowania rekomendacji odnośnie kształtowania nowej polityki mieszkaniowej w zakresie lokalizacji i projektowania obiektów mieszkaniowych dla bezdomnych na Ukrainie

Visuospatial working memory impairment in current and previous ecstasy/polydrug users

Objective: Previous research suggests that ecstasy users are impaired in processing visuospatial information. However, for the most part, the deficits observed appear to involve the recall and recognition of complex visual and geometric patterns. The present research sought to determine whether ecstasy use was associated with deficits in serial spatial recall and visuospatial working memory (VSWM). Methods: Thirty‐eight current ecstasy/polydrug users, 16 previous ecstasy/polydrug users and 52 non ecstasy users completed serial simple spatial recall and VSWM tasks. Results: Both the current and previous users of ecstasy exhibited deficits on the VSWM task. Following controls for group differences in aspects of cannabis and cocaine use, the overall group effect fell to just below statistical significance. However, the difference contrast comparing users with nonusers continued to demonstrate a statistically significant ecstasy‐related VSWM deficit. Conclusions: Ecstasy users were impaired in processing visuospatial information especially under conditions of high processing demand. The results are consistent with ecstasy‐related impairment either in the short‐term posterior parietal and occipital area store or the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex processes, which augment it under conditions of higher processing demands. Further research is needed to pinpoint the actual source of the ecstasy/polydrug‐related VSWM deficits that have been observed here and elsewhere

Orbitofrontal and caudate volumes in cannabis users: a multi-site mega-analysis comparing dependent versus non-dependent users.

Cannabis (CB) use and dependence are associated with regionally specific alterations to brain circuitry and substantial psychosocial impairment.The objective of this study was to investigate the association between CB use and dependence, and the volumes of brain regions critically involved in goal-directed learning and behaviour-the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and caudate.In the largest multi-site structural imaging study of CB users vs healthy controls (HC), 140 CB users and 121 HC were recruited from four research sites. Group differences in OFC and caudate volumes were investigated between HC and CB users and between 70 dependent (CB-dep) and 50 non-dependent (CB-nondep) users. The relationship between quantity of CB use and age of onset of use and caudate and OFC volumes was explored.CB users (consisting of CB-dep and CB-nondep) did not significantly differ from HC in OFC or caudate volume. CB-dep compared to CB-nondep users exhibited significantly smaller volume in the medial and the lateral OFC. Lateral OFC volume was particularly smaller in CB-dep females, and reduced volume in the CB-dep group was associated with higher monthly cannabis dosage.Smaller medial OFC volume may be driven by CB dependence-related mechanisms, while smaller lateral OFC volume may be due to ongoing exposure to cannabinoid compounds. The results highlight a distinction between cannabis use and dependence and warrant examination of gender-specific effects in studies of CB dependence

Effects of ecstasy/polydrug use on memory for associative information

Rationale Associative learning underpins behaviours that are fundamental to the everyday functioning of the individual. Evidence pointing to learning deficits in recreational drug users merits further examination. Objectives A word pair learning task was administered to examine associative learning processes in ecstasy/polydrug users. Methods After assignment to either single or divided attention conditions, 44 ecstasy/polydrug users and 48 non-users were presented with 80 word pairs at encoding. Following this, four types of stimuli were presented at the recognition phase: the words as originally paired (old pairs), previously presented words in different pairings (conjunction pairs), old words paired with new words, and pairs of new words (not presented previously). The task was to identify which of the stimuli were intact old pairs. Results Ecstasy/ploydrug users produced significantly more false-positive responses overall compared to non-users. Increased long-term frequency of ecstasy use was positively associated with the propensity to produce false-positive responses. It was also associated with a more liberal signal detection theory decision criterion value. Measures of long term and recent cannabis use were also associated with these same word pair learning outcome measures. Conjunction word pairs, irrespective of drug use, generated the highest level of false-positive responses and significantly more false-positive responses were made in the divided attention condition compared to the single attention condition. Conclusions Overall, the results suggest that long-term ecstasy exposure may induce a deficit in associative learning and this may be in part a consequence of users adopting a more liberal decision criterion value

Prospective memory functioning among ecstasy/polydrug users: evidence from the Cambridge Prospective Memory Test (CAMPROMPT)

Rationale: Prospective memory (PM) deficits in recreational drug users have been documented in recent years. However, the assessment of PM has largely been restricted to self-reported measures that fail to capture the distinction between event-based and time-based PM. The aim of the present study is to address this limitation. Objectives: Extending our previous research, we augmented the range laboratory measures of PM by employing the CAMPROMPT test battery to investigate the impact of illicit drug use on prospective remembering in a sample of cannabis only, ecstasy/polydrug and non-users of illicit drugs, separating event and time-based PM performance. We also administered measures of executive function and retrospective memory in order to establish whether ecstasy/polydrug deficits in PM were mediated by group differences in these processes. Results: Ecstasy/polydrug users performed significantly worse on both event and time-based prospective memory tasks in comparison to both cannabis only and non-user groups. Furthermore, it was found that across the whole sample, better retrospective memory and executive functioning was associated with superior PM performance. Nevertheless, this association did not mediate the drug-related effects that were observed. Consistent with our previous study, recreational use of cocaine was linked to PM deficits. Conclusions: PM deficits have again been found among ecstasy/polydrug users, which appear to be unrelated to group differences in executive function and retrospective memory. However, the possibility that these are attributable to cocaine use cannot be excluded

Parental Substance Abuse As an Early Traumatic Event. Preliminary Findings on Neuropsychological and Personality Functioning in Young Drug Addicts Exposed to Drugs Early.

open5noParental substance use is a major risk factor for child development, heightening the risk of drug problems in adolescence and young adulthood, and exposing offspring to several types of traumatic events. First, prenatal drug exposure can be considered a form of trauma itself, with subtle but long-lasting sequelae at the neuro-behavioral level. Second, parents’ addiction often entails a childrearing environment characterized by poor parenting skills, disadvantaged contexts and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), leading to dysfunctional outcomes. Young adults born from/raised by parents with drug problems and diagnosed with a Substance Used Disorder (SUD) themselves might display a particularly severe condition in terms of cognitive deficits and impaired personality function. This preliminary study aims to investigate the role of early exposure to drugs as a traumatic event, capable of affecting the psychological status of young drug addicts. In particular, it intends to examine the neuropsychological functioning and personality profile of young adults with severe SUDs who were exposed to drugs early in their family context. The research involved three groups, each consisting of 15 young adults (aged 18–24): a group of inpatients diagnosed with SUDs and exposed to drugs early, a comparison group of non-exposed inpatients and a group of non-exposed youth without SUDs. A neuropsychological battery (Esame Neuropsicologico Breve-2), an assessment procedure for personality disorders (Shedler-Westen Assessment Procedure-200) and the Symptom CheckList-90-Revised were administered. According to present preliminary results, young drug addicts exposed to drugs during their developmental age were characterized by elevated rates of neuropsychological impairments, especially at the expense of attentive and executive functions (EF); personality disorders were also common but did not differentiate them from non-exposed youth with SUDs. Alternative multi-focused prevention and intervention programs are needed for children of drug-misusing parents, addressing EF and adopting a trauma-focused approach.openParolin, Micol; Simonelli, Alessandra; Mapelli, Daniela; Sacco, M.; Cristofalo, P.Parolin, Micol; Simonelli, Alessandra; Mapelli, Daniela; Sacco, M.; Cristofalo, P

Clinical trials of medicinal cannabis for appetite-related symptoms from advanced cancer: a survey of preferences, attitudes and beliefs among patients willing to consider participation

© 2016 Royal Australasian College of Physicians Background: Australian clinical trials are planned to evaluate medicinal cannabis in a range of clinical contexts. Aims: To explore the preferences, attitudes and beliefs of patients eligible and willing to consider participation in a clinical trial of medicinal cannabis for poor appetite and appetite-related symptoms from advanced cancer. Methods: A cross-sectional anonymous survey was administered from July to December 2015 online and in eight adult outpatient palliative care and/or cancer services. Respondents were eligible if they were ≥18 years, had advanced cancer and poor appetite/taste problems/weight loss and might consider participating in a medicinal cannabis trial. Survey items focused on medicinal rather than recreational cannabis use and did not specify botanical or pharmaceutical products. Items asked about previous medicinal cannabis use and preferences for delivery route and invited comments and concerns. Results: There were 204 survey respondents, of whom 26 (13%) reported prior medicinal cannabis use. Tablets/capsules were the preferred delivery mode (n = 144, 71%), followed by mouth spray (n = 84, 42%) and vaporiser (n = 83, 41%). Explanations for preferences (n = 134) most commonly cited convenience (n = 66; 49%). A total of 82% (n = 168) of respondents indicated that they had no trial-related concerns, but a small number volunteered concerns about adverse effects (n = 14) or wanted more information/advice (n = 8). Six respondents volunteered a belief that cannabis might cure cancer, while two wanted assurance of efficacy before participating in a trial. Conclusion: Justification of modes other than tablets/capsules and variable understanding about cannabis and trials will need addressing in trial-related information to optimise recruitment and ensure that consent is properly informed

The differential effects of ecstasy/polydrug use on executive components: shifting, inhibition, updating and access to semantic memory

Rationale/Objectives Recent theoretical models suggest that the central executive may not be a unified structure. The present study explored the nature of central executive deficits in ecstasy users. Methods In study 1, 27 ecstasy users and 34 non-users were assessed using tasks to tap memory updating (computation span; letter updating) and access to long-term memory (a semantic fluency test and the Chicago Word Fluency Test). In study 2, 51 ecstasy users and 42 non-users completed tasks that assess mental set switching (number/letter and plus/minus) and inhibition (random letter generation). Results MANOVA revealed that ecstasy users performed worse on both tasks used to assess memory updating and on tasks to assess access to long-term memory (C- and S-letter fluency). However, notwithstanding the significant ecstasy group-related effects, indices of cocaine and cannabis use were also significantly correlated with most of the executive measures. Unexpectedly, in study 2, ecstasy users performed significantly better on the inhibition task, producing more letters than non-users. No group differences were observed on the switching tasks. Correlations between indices of ecstasy use and number of letters produced were significant. Conclusions The present study provides further support for ecstasy/polydrug-related deficits in memory updating and in access to long-term memory. The surplus evident on the inhibition task should be treated with some caution, as this was limited to a single measure and has not been supported by our previous work