Unprescribed cannabinoids and multiple sclerosis: a multicenter, cross-sectional, epidemiological study in Lombardy, Italy.

Introduction: Cannabinoids are approved for spasticity and pain in multiple sclerosis (MS). In 2017 the prevalence of current users in the Italian general population was 10.2%, while data on Italian MS patients are limited.

The Impact of COVID-19 Lockdowns in a Sample of Outpatients in a Mental Health Department of a Metropolitan Hospital in Milan.

: Italy was the first country in Europe to face the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and its consequences, which led to two phases of severe restrictions for its population. This study aims to estimate the connections between the trauma of the COVID-19 emergency and the clinical features of a sample of outpatients in a Milan Community Mental Health setting, comparing the first (April 2020) and second lockdowns (November 2020). : The sample included 116 consecutive outpatients recruited in April 2020 and 116 in November 2020.

Gambling at the time of COVID-19: Results from interviews in an Italian sample of gamblers.

The coronavirus pandemic affected the life of those suffering from addictive behaviors often confined to prolonged periods of self-isolation. To explore the variation of symptoms related to gambling, 46 outpatients of the mental health services in the Trento Province were invited to take part in a phone interview at the start of the national lockdown. Although only 2.

Correction: Lifetime prevalence of novel psychoactive substances use among adults in the USA: Sociodemographic, mental health and illicit drug use correlates. Evidence from a population-based survey 2007-2014.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Prescription Drug Misuse in "Clubbers" and Disco Goers in Ibiza.

Prescription drug misuse and its related risks are considered a worldwide public health issue. Current trends show that the extent of such phenomenon may not be limited to subjects with psychiatric disorders, as it also spreads to dance party and nightclub attendees, who often consume prescription drugs in combination with alcohol and psychoactive substances. This study aims to report the sociodemographic data and the psychiatric and clinical features of a sample of clubbers reporting prescription drugs use.

Lifetime prevalence of novel psychoactive substances use among adults in the USA: Sociodemographic, mental health and illicit drug use correlates. Evidence from a population-based survey 2007-2014.

Introduction: As Novel psychoactive substances (NPS) are conceived to mimic the effects of common illicit drugs, they represent a serious public health challenge due to the spike in intoxications and fatalities that have been linked to their use. This study aims to provide epidemiological data on NPS use in the USA, determining lifetime prevalence of use and defining demographic, socioeconomic, drug use patterns and mental health correlates.

Methods: This study uses secondary data from the US National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), which is a large cross-sectional population-based survey carried out annually in the USA.

Club Drugs: Psychotropic Effects and Psychopathological Characteristics of a Sample of Inpatients.

Background: Growing evidence supports the possibility of significant psychiatric consequences related to novel and traditional psychoactive substance consumption. The problem of differential diagnosis has hampered research on specific psychopathologies with unclear outcomes. The aim of our study was to report psychiatric and clinical features of subjects admitted to a psychiatric ward in Ibiza, Spain, with a clinical diagnosis of substance abuse or intoxication.

Novel Psychoactive Substances in Custodial Settings: A Mixed Method Investigation on the Experiences of People in Prison and Professionals Working With Them.

Introduction: Novel Psychoactive Substances (NPS), especially Synthetic Cannabinoid Receptor Agonists (SCRAs), pose a substantial challenge to health and the security of the prison environment. This study analyses the phenomenon from the perspective of people in prison and that of professionals working with them.

Methods: A phenomenological qualitative approach was used to analyze self-reported experiences with 'Spice' (NPS) among users in prison.

Mapping novel psychoactive substances policy in the EU: The case of Portugal, the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Poland, the United Kingdom and Sweden.

Introduction: The rapid rise in trade and use of NPS and the lack of information concerning their potential toxicity pose serious challenges to public health authorities across the world. Policy measures towards NPS taken so far have a special focus on their legal status, while the implementation of a public health strategy seems to be still missing. The aim of this study is to perform a general assessment of NPS-related policy (including regulatory measures and public health strategies) implemented by six European countries: Portugal, the Netherlands, Czech Republic, Poland, the United Kingdom and Sweden.

"Marvin, the Paranoid Android": The Case of an Alpha-PVP User in the Expanding Galaxy of NPS.

Alpha-PVP can be defined as a novel psychoactive substance (NPS)-more specifically, a novel synthetic cathinone with unpredictable stimulant effects in humans. "Marvin" arrived at a Dual Diagnosis Unit at Parco dei Tigli, Italy. He underwent a 30-day rehabilitation program to overcome his problematic Alpha-PVP use as a psychonaut.

Transitioning Bodies. The Case of Self-Prescribing Sexual Hormones in Gender Affirmation in Individuals Attending Psychiatric Services.

Self-prescribing of sexual hormones for gender affirmation is a potentially widespread and poorly studied phenomenon that many clinicians are unaware of. The uncontrolled use of hormones poses significant health hazards, which have not been previously reported in the literature. We have collected seven clinical cases in general adult psychiatry settings (both inpatient and outpatients), describing transgender and gender non-conforming individuals' (TGNC) self-prescribing and self-administering hormones bought from the Internet without any medical consultation.