Stigma towards mental illness in Asian nations and low-and-middle-income countries, and comparison with high-income countries: A literature review and practice implications.

Background: Stigma related to mental illness (and its treatment) is prevalent worldwide. This stigma could be at the structural or organizational level, societal level (interpersonal stigma), and the individual level (internalized stigma). Vulnerable populations, for example, gender minorities, children, adolescents, and geriatric populations, are more prone to stigma.

IRP commission: sexual minorities and mental health: global perspectives.

Sexual orientation is a key determinant of the identity of human beings. It has also been seen as a social determinant of health. People whose sexual orientation is non-heterosexual or sexual minorities or sexually diverse are included in the broad umbrella term LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) which is a commonly used acronym in activism, social policy, and subsequently cultural literature.

Technological Addictions.

Modern technology rewards constant engagement and discourages sparing use, opening the door to unhealthy use and even addiction. The technological addictions (TAs) are a newly described set of disorders that come with the technological advances that define the new era. Internet gaming disorder (IGD) is already codified as a proposed diagnosis in the 5th Edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5) of the American Psychiatric Association.

Technological Addictions.

Purpose Of Review: Modern methods of communication and engagement, such as social media, video games, and online shopping, use a variety of behavioral techniques to encourage and reward frequent use, opening the door to addiction. The technological addictions (TAs) are a set of disorders that accompany the technological advances that define the digital age. The TAs are an active source of research in the literature, with promising treatment options already available.

DATA 2000 waiver training for medical students: Lessons learned from a medical school experience.

In the midst of this national opioid crisis, it has become apparent that there is a large shortage in the workforce of treatment providers equipped to deliver evidence-based care for opioid use disorders (OUD). Medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), such as buprenorphine, are crucial in reducing mortality in those with OUD, and yet prescribers must meet federal waiver requirements under the Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 (DATA 2000). There are now several pathways for medical schools to satisfy these waiver requirements for all graduates, but this has not yet become widespread.

Bench to Bedside: From the Science to the Practice of Addiction Medicine.

The current understanding of addiction is based on a biopsychosocial model of illness. From a neurobiological perspective, addiction can be seen as the hijacking of the pleasure-reward pathways of the brain with a concomitant weakening of its executive function. The fundamental model has been expanded to include newer concepts such as multiple levels of severity of illness, motivational circuitry, and anti-reward pathways.

Safe methadone induction and stabilization: report of an expert panel.

Objectives: Methadone is a well-studied, safe, and effective medication when dispensed and consumed properly. However, a number of studies have identified elevated rates of overdose and death in patients being treated with methadone for either addiction or chronic pain. Among patients being treated with methadone in federally certified opioid treatment programs, deaths most often occur during the induction and stabilization phases of treatment.

Statement of the American Society Of Addiction Medicine Consensus Panel on the use of buprenorphine in office-based treatment of opioid addiction.

Objectives: Opioid addiction affects over 2 million patients in the United States. The advent of buprenorphine and the passage of the Drug Addiction Treatment Act in 2000 have revolutionized the opioid treatment delivery system by granting physicians the ability to administer office-based opioid treatment (OBOT), thereby giving patients greater access to treatment. The purpose of this consensus panel was to synthesize the most current evidence on the use of buprenorphine in the office-based setting and to make recommendations that will enable and allow additional physicians to begin to treat opioid-addicted individuals.

Gamma hydroxybutyrate: an ethnographic study of recreational use and abuse.

Gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB) is a psychoactive substance with complex neurophysiological activity and significant potential for abuse, addiction, and dangerous toxicity. In this study, a semistructured interview was administered to 17 subjects to investigate GHB use, including: manner of use; setting; positive and negative consequences; other drug history; and sexual practices. Respondents were overwhelmingly male, but otherwise had a broad demographic background.

Evaluation of medical student attitudes toward alcoholics anonymous.

This is a two-phase study on attitudes of medical students toward Alcoholics Anonymous. The first phase compares views of addiction faculty to third-year medical students on the importance of spirituality in addiction treatment. We administered a questionnaire to assess attitudes toward spiritual, biological, and psychosocial approaches to addiction treatment.

A comparison between dually diagnosed inpatients with and without Axis II comorbidity and the relationship to treatment outcome.

Unlabelled: The presence of a personality disorder (PD) has been associated with certain types of poor treatment outcomes in patients with substance use disorders (SUDs). The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of comorbid PDs in psychiatrically hospitalized adults with both non-SUD Axis I disorders and SUDs, and to assess the relationship between Axis II psychopathology and degree of pretreatment addiction severity and treatment outcome.

Method: One hundred consecutive inpatients admitted to a mixed dual diagnosis inpatient unit were assessed using semistructured interviews for SUDs, non-SUD Axis I disorders, and PDs.

Educational best practices.

There are few reports from the behavioral health field that focus on educational best practices. This article summarizes a panel presentation from the Annapolis Conference in which four different programs were described: (1) a provider educational initiative, (2) a tool-kit project related to evidence-based services, (3) a multidisciplinary faculty training program in addictions, and (4) an AIDS education project. While such innovative educational practices appear to be the exception rather than the norm, they do offer ideas and strategies for challenging and energizing current educational practices in behavioral health.

Correlates of HIV transmission risk factors and considerations for interventions in homeless, chemically addicted and mentally ill patients.

A study was conducted to ascertain correlates of HIV high risk behaviors and attitudes toward HIV. A questionnaire was administered to 103 men living in a modified therapeutic community (TC) for homeless, chemically addicted and mentally ill men. The psychiatric diagnoses of the sample population included psychotic disorders (48%), depressive disorders (36%), and bipolar disorders (16%).