Introduction: The Therapeutic Community Model narrows the gap in substance use disorder's network of assistance in Brazil by offering residential treatment to socially vulnerable populations. Due to a historical lack of evidence-based approaches, the government has established treatment guidelines and has been trying to implement training and monitoring methods.
Method: This study analysed real-world data from the monitoring system implemented in the largest network of institutions receiving public funds in the State of Sao Paulo.
Objectives: Although previous studies have investigated the role of religiosity in violence outcomes, there is a lack of studies including this aspect as a mediator for violence in childhood and adulthood. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between religiosity and violence in childhood, as well as the possible mediating role of religiosity between suffering violence in childhood and suffering and/or perpetrating violence in adulthood.
Design: Cross-sectional population-based study carried out from November 2011 to March 2012.
To evaluate the relationship between crack/cocaine use and domestic violence perpetration from the perspective of substance users' families. A secondary retrospective cross-sectional study, with 3162 family members of crack/cocaine users seeking treatment in the Recomeço Família Programme in São Paulo/Brazil was undertaken. Family members of crack/cocaine users reported that their relatives were more involved in domestic violence such as stealing (money and objects) at home [Odds Ratio Adjusted ORA = 2.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: We explored hospitalization patterns and the clinical and individual characteristics of a large cohort of patients who underwent involuntary psychiatric hospitalization in Brazil (n=64,685).
Methods: Data were collected from the District Attorney's Office of the State of São Paulo (Ministério Público do Estado de São Paulo) on all involuntary psychiatric hospitalizations in the city of São Paulo between January 2003 and February 2020. The annual involuntary psychiatric hospitalization rate was calculated and descriptive statistics of the characteristics were produced.
Int J Drug Policy
January 2022
Background: Smoked cocaine (i.e., crack use) is a severe health problem in Brazil, with the country being reported as having the largest crack market in the world.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe objective of this study was to provide rates of cannabis use and dependence and risk factors, proposing a conditional path model for cannabis addiction. A subsample of adult participants from a Brazilian household survey was analyzed to estimate cannabis dependence. Estimation of prevalence rates and association between dependence and age of cannabis use initiation were performed.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Crack-cocaine dependence is a serious public health issue, related to several psychiatric and psychosocial problems. Crack-cocaine users are usually embedded in a context of great social vulnerability, often associated with violence, poverty, family conflict and easy and early access to alcohol, tobacco and other drugs.
Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled a consecutive sample of 577 patients admitted to 20 therapeutic communities located in Southern Brazil, between September 2012 and September 2013.
Exp Clin Psychopharmacol
October 2022
Homeless substance users are particularly hard to treat. In this pilot study, we evaluated the acceptability and feasibility of incorporating Contingency Management (CM) into a public Abstinent-Contingent Housing (ACH) treatment program developed to treat currently homeless crack cocaine users. A total of 21 homeless crack cocaine users were randomized to receive 12 weeks of ACH alone (n = 9) or ACH plus CM (ACH + CM) (n = 12).
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRev Colomb Psiquiatr (Engl Ed)
October 2021
Objective: To evaluate the associations between relapse and admissions (voluntary and involuntary) in a sample of patients with substance dependence.
Methods: This is a cross-sectional study undertaken at a private medical therapeutic community specialised in treating addiction, located in a rural area of São Paulo, Brazil. Sociodemographic characteristics, the University of Rhode Island Change Assessment Scale (URICA), Stages Readiness and Treatment Eagerness Scale (SOCRATES), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-SCID were used.
Objective: To assess the efficacy of cannabidiol (CBD) in the management of crack-cocaine craving and the treatment of frequent withdrawal symptoms.
Methods: Thirty-one men with a diagnosis of crack-cocaine dependence were enrolled in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. We applied neuropsychological tests and assessed craving intensity, anxiety and depression symptoms, and substance use patterns at baseline and at the end of the trial.
Although there is a wide array of evidence showing the beneficial effect of religiosity on violence among adolescents, nationwide studies in the general population are scarce. This study aims to explore whether religiosity is associated or not with diminishing violence in a Brazilian population-based representative sample. This observational cross-sectional study was conducted in 2011-2012 using face-to-face interviews and included 4,608 individuals 14 years and older.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFUnlabelled: Studies of adolescents receiving inpatient substance use treatment remain limited. We explored the characteristics of adolescents who received substance use treatment as inpatients in a psychiatric hospital in Brazil and factors associated with length of time in this treatment.
Methods: A retrospective observational study was performed.
The objective of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of self-reported rape and its associations with other forms of violence and mental health outcomes. The Brazilian National Alcohol and Drugs Survey is a probabilistic household survey that collected data from 4,283 Brazilians aged 14 years and older in 2012. The prevalence of rape was 2.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTrends Psychiatry Psychother
February 2021
Introduction: This study describes the epidemiological scenario of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and syphilis at the biggest specialist drug addiction center in Brazil. The great challenge is to find strategies to reduce the impact of inequality and discrimination and develop policies to protect individuals living with - or at risk of - infections.
Methods: During the period from January 1 to May 31, 2016, a cross-sectional study was conducted on which all patients (N = 806) seeking inpatient treatment were enrolled.
Purpose: The heterogenic characteristics of affected family members (AFMs) of substance misusing relative (SMR) remain understudied. This study examined the occurrence and correlates of AFMs having more than one relative with substance use problems.
Material And Methods: A secondary analysis of a cross-sectional study on the characteristics of affected family members in Brazil was performed (N= 3157).
Objective: To describe the prevalence of substance use and the associations between adverse early life experiences, sexual behaviour and violence in sexual minority (SM) individuals.
Methods: The Brazilian National Alcohol and Drugs Survey is a probabilistic household survey performed in 2012, collecting data from 4067 Brazilians aged 14 years and older.
Results: 3.
Psicol Reflex Crit
July 2019
Background: Crack use has become a severe health problem in Brazil. Contingency management has shown robust evidence of efficacy in the treatment of cocaine use disorder (CUD) in high-income countries; however, it is still unclear how this intervention can impact treatment in low-income countries.
Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of contingency management in the treatment of CUD among individuals with a previous history of poor treatment response in Brazil.
This study aimed to evaluate the differences in gambling exposure and onset of gambling problems among male and female gamblers by comparing their demographic and behavioral profiles. This study utilized data from the gambling section of the First Brazilian National Alcohol Survey and Related Behaviors. Interviews were conducted with 3007 participants who were recruited after screening for at-risk gambling behaviors.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFTrends Psychiatry Psychother
July 2019
Introduction: Brazil is the world's biggest consumer of crack cocaine, and dependence is a major public health issue. This is the first study to investigate the prevalence of potentially harmful adulterants present in hair samples from Brazilian patients with crack cocaine dependence.
Method: We evaluated adulterants in hair samples extracted by convenience from 100 patients admitted at the 48 hour-observation unit of Centro de Referência de Álcool, Tabaco e Outras Drogas (CRATOD), Brazil's largest center for addiction treatment.
Objective: Cocaine use disorders (CUDs) represent a major public health problem in many countries. To better understand the interaction between the environmental modulations and phenotype, the aim of the present study was to investigate the DNA methylation pattern of CUD patients, who had concomitant cocaine and crack dependence, and healthy controls.
Methods: We studied DNA methylation profiles in the peripheral blood of 23 CUD patients and 24 healthy control subjects using the Illumina Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip arrays.