Development of loneliness and social isolation after spousal loss: A systematic review of longitudinal studies on widowhood.

Background: Spousal loss is a stressful life event that is associated with loneliness and social isolation, both of which affect mental and physical health. The primary objective of this paper was to synthesize longitudinal studies that investigated loneliness and social isolation in widowhood.

Methods: A systematic search of the literature was conducted using three electronic databases.

Associations between vicarious racism and psychoactive substance use depend on strength of ethnic identity.

Racism is a pervasive threat to health with differential impact based on race and ethnicity. Considering the continued perpetration and visibility of racism online and in the news, vicarious racism, or "secondhand" racism when hearing about or witnessing racism being committed against members of one's ethnic or racial group, is a particularly urgent threat in the context of such disparities and their subsequent health consequences. The current study examines if frequency of exposure to vicarious racism and the emotional impact of those experiences are linked to psychoactive substance use, and explores the role of ethnic identity in moderating these relationships.

Bone Health Management in Elective Orthopaedic Surgery: A Claims-Based Observational Study.

Introduction: There are limited data on the management of bone health, including bone mineral density (BMD) evaluation and osteoporosis (OP) treatment, in patients undergoing elective orthopaedic surgeries.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study using administrative claims data from Symphony Health, PatientSource for patients aged ≥50 years with documented kyphoplasty/vertebroplasty (KP/VP), total knee arthroplasty (TKA), and total hip arthroplasty (THA). Risk stratification to identify patients at very high risk for fracture (VHRFx) was based on clinical practice guideline recommendations to the extent information on variables of interest were available from the claims database.

Experiences of Aging with Opioid Use Disorder and Comorbidity in Opioid Treatment Programs: A Qualitative Analysis.

Background: The number of older adults entering opioid treatment programs (OTPs) to treat opioid use disorder (OUD) is increasing. However, the lived experiences of aging in OTPs have not been examined.

Objective: To explore the aging experience with OUD and barriers to medical care for older adults who receive care in OTPs.

Health Conditions and Treatment Utilization Among Older Male Veterans Incarcerated in Prisons.

Background: More than 50,000 older male veterans incarcerated in prisons are expected to return to their communities and utilize the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and community healthcare systems. To support the continuity of healthcare and overall successful community reentry of older incarcerated veterans, an understanding of their health profiles and treatment utilization while in correctional care is needed.

Objective: To assess the health status of older male veterans incarcerated in state prisons and explore demographic, military, and VHA-related factors associated with medical conditions, disabilities, behavioral conditions, and medical and behavioral treatment utilization.

Trends in past-month cannabis use among US adults across a range of disabilities and health conditions, 2015-2019.

Introduction: While there is increasing interest in the use of cannabis to manage a range of health-related symptoms, little is known about trends in recent cannabis use with respect to various health conditions.

Methods: We examined data from a US representative sample of noninstitutionalized adults age ≥ 18 from the 2015-2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (N = 214,505). We estimated the pooled prevalences followed by linear time trends, overall, and by disability (i.

Prevalence and Correlates of Past Year Ecstasy/MDMA Use in the United States.

Objectives: 3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) (also known as "ecstasy" or "Molly") has regained attention in recent years for its efficacy in treating posttraumatic stress disorder, and the drug was granted breakthrough therapy designation for such use by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2017. However, little is known about the current epidemiology of recreational ecstasy/MDMA use.

Methods: We estimated past-year prevalence and correlates of ecstasy/MDMA use based on a representative sample of noninstitutionalized US individuals 12 years or older from the 2015-2020 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (N = 315,661).

Expert consensus-based guidance on approaches to opioid management in individuals with advanced cancer-related pain and nonmedical stimulant use.

Background: Clinicians treating cancer-related pain with opioids regularly encounter nonmedical stimulant use (i.e., methamphetamine, cocaine), yet there is little evidence-based management guidance.

Co-occurring Medical Multimorbidity, Mental Illness, and Substance Use Disorders Among Older Criminal Legal System-Involved Veterans.

Background: Older veterans involved in the criminal legal system (CLS) may have patterns of multimorbidity that place them at risk for poor health outcomes.

Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of medical multimorbidity (≥2 chronic medical diseases), substance use disorders (SUDs), and mental illness among CLS-involved veterans aged 50 and older.

Research Design: Using Veterans Health Administration health records, we estimated the prevalence of mental illness, SUD, medical multimorbidity, and the co-occurrence of these conditions among veterans by CLS involvement as indicated by Veterans Justice Programs encounters.

Cannabis use for Sleep Disturbance Among Older Patients in a Geriatrics Clinic.

Cannabis use is growing among older adults to manage medical concerns including poor sleep. In this study, we characterized how patients seen at a geriatrics clinic use cannabis to address sleep disturbance. Specifically, we conducted an anonymous survey of 568 adults, including 83 who reported cannabis use within the past 3 years, to inquire about such use.

Trends in major depressive episodes and mental health treatment among older adults in the United States, 2010-2019.

Background: Despite concerns about increasing trends in depression over the past two decades, little is known about recent trends in depression and mental health (MH) treatment among older adults and whether these trends differ by demographic characteristics.

Methods: We examined data from a US representative sample of noninstitutionalized adults aged ≥65 from the 2010-2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (N = 31,502). We estimated trends in the prevalence of past-year major depressive episode (MDE) overall and by demographic characteristics.

Past-month binge drinking and cannabis use among middle-aged and older adults in the United States, 2015-2019.

The aging United States population, which includes the large Baby Boomer generation, is leading to an increasing number of middle-aged and older adults who engage in psychoactive substance use. Due to the size of this cohort, and their changing attitudes around psychoactive substance use, there has been a sharp increase in prevalence of past-month cannabis use among adults aged ≥50; however, little is understood about recent trends in the use of both cannabis and excess alcohol use, such as binge drinking, in this population. The current use of both alcohol and cannabis has important health implications for older adults, given their higher prevalence of chronic diseases and prescribed medications.

Epidemiology of cardiovascular disease and its risk factors among refugees and asylum seekers: Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: This is the first systematic review and meta-analysis assessing cardiovascular disease incidence and risk factors among refugees and asylum seekers.

Methods And Results: PubMed, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and Embase databases were searched for studies in English from January 1, 1977, to March 8, 2020. Inclusion criteria were (1) observation of refugee history in participants; (2) diagnosis of CVD (coronary artery disease, heart failure, stroke, or CVD mortality) and risk factors (hypertension, diabetes, tobacco use, hyperlipidemia, obesity, psychosocial factors); (3) assessment of effect size and spread, (4) adjustment for sex; and (5) comparison with non-refugee migrants or natives.

Ketamine use in relation to depressive symptoms among high school seniors.

Background And Objectives: Ketamine is efficacious in treating treatment-resistant depression in medical settings and the drug was approved for such use by the US Federal Drug Administration in 2019. However, little is known about how use outside of medical settings relates to depression. We determined whether recreational ketamine use, relative to the use of other drugs, is related to the current experience of depression among adolescents.

Trends in binge drinking prevalence among older U.S. men and women, 2015 to 2019.

Background: Recent literature suggests that the gap in prevalence of binge drinking between men and women is closing, but little is known about sex-specific differences in trends and correlates of binge drinking among older Americans.

Methods: A total of 18,794 adults, aged 65 years and older were surveyed in the 2015-2019 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. We estimated trends in prevalence of past-month binge drinking (≥5 drinks on the same occasion for men and ≥4 drinks for women), stratified by sex.

Prevalence of Psychoactive Substance Use Among Middle-aged and Older Adults With Visual Impairment in the US.

This cross-sectional study estimates the prevalence of psychoactive substance use among middle-aged and older adults with visual impairment in the US.

Multimorbidity and Inpatient Utilization Among Older Adults with Opioid Use Disorder in New York City.

Background: Nationally, there is a sharp increase in older adults with opioid use disorder (OUD). However, we know little of the acute healthcare utilization patterns and medical comorbidities among this population.

Objective: This study describes the prevalence of chronic conditions, patterns of inpatient utilization, and correlates of high inpatient utilization among older adults with OUD in New York City (NYC).