Comorbidity of problematic substance use and other addictive behaviors and anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder: a network analysis.

Background: Among those with common mental health disorders (e.g. mood, anxiety, and stress disorders), comorbidity of substance and other addictive disorders is prevalent.

Conceptualizing problematic use of medicinal Cannabis: Development and preliminary validation of a brief screening questionnaire.

The use of Medicinal Cannabis (MC) for treating chronic pain is increasing, globally, yet the definition of problematic MC use remains unclear. Defining problematic use of cannabis in medical and non-medical contexts may be fundamentally different since individuals prescribed MC often experience physical dependence, which do not necessarily imply pathology. We aimed to conceptualize problematic use of MC and develop a brief questionnaire for identifying and quantifying problematic MC use.

Reported Increase in Substance Use Following Mass Terrorism and the Role of Psychosocial Factors.

Importance: Research has shown evidence of increased substance use (ISU) in populations affected by mass terrorism; however, less is known regarding how psychosocial factors interact to estimate ISU following such events.

Objective: To examine which factors are associated with reporting ISU, test whether psychological distress (PD) mediated the association between exposure to trauma and reporting ISU, and whether the mediation effect differed among those with prior mental health (MH) difficulties and those without.

Design, Setting, And Participants: A partially representative cross-sectional survey of the adult Jewish population in Israel (aged 18-70 years) was conducted 4 weeks after October 7, 2023 (October 31 to November 5, 2023).

Test characteristics of shorter versions of the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) for brief screening for problematic substance use in a population sample from Israel.

Background: Substance use is a leading cause of preventable morbidity and mortality worldwide. Population-wide screening for problematic substance use in primary health care may mitigate the serious health and socio-economic consequences of such use, but the standard Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST 3.1) may be too long for wide-scale screening.

Negative experiences of patients using medicinal cannabis: A systematic review of qualitative studies.

Aims And Objectives: In this study, we systematically reviewed qualitative studies concerning patients' experience with medicinal cannabis (MC) use, to gain insight into the negative effects of MC.

Background: Over the past decades, the use of MC for therapeutic purposes has increased. However, there is conflicting and insufficient data on possible negative physiological and psychological effects of MC treatment.

The association between naturalistic use of psychedelics and co-occurring substance use disorders.

Objective: Classic psychedelics (LSD, psilocybin, and peyote/mescaline) have been used to support addiction treatment in a variety of contexts ranging from ceremonial use to clinical trials. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that past naturalistic use of classic psychedelics would be associated with decreased prevalence of substance use disorder, when controlling for known confounders.

Methods: This cross-sectional study used 2017 NSDUH survey data to evaluate the association between past use of the classic psychedelics LSD, psilocybin and peyote/mescaline and past year substance dependence or abuse.

Association of opioid use disorder with healthcare utilization and cost in a public health system.

Aim: To quantify the healthcare costs associated with opioid use disorder among members in a public healthcare system and compare them with healthcare costs in the general population.

Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Setting: Inpatient and outpatient care settings of Israel's largest public healthcare provider (that covers 4.

Shared Psychotic Disorder Associated With Bipolar Disorder in the Primary Case in the Context of Opioid Misuse.

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a serious chronic mood disorder associated with high rates of co-occurring substance use disorders. Shared psychotic disorder (SPD) is a rare clinical phenomenon and has been reported in only a few cases of individuals diagnosed with BD. Furthermore, reports concerning SPD being induced by substance use or withdrawal are lacking.

Medical cannabis and stigma: A qualitative study with patients living with chronic pain.

Aims And Objectives: To explore the ways in which stigma is experienced, and what strategies are used to manage stigma among patients using medical cannabis to ease suffering from chronic pain.

Background: Various jurisdictions have legalised medical cannabis in recent decades. Despite increasing prevalence and more liberal attitudes towards medical cannabis, it is possible that patients who use medical cannabis experience stigma.

The Psychedelic Renaissance in Clinical Research: A Bibliometric Analysis of Three Decades of Human Studies with Psychedelics.

Psychedelics were used in the treatment of psychiatric conditions prior to their prohibition in the late 1960s. In the past three decades, there is a revived research interest in the therapeutic potential of psychedelic drugs with expected FDA approvals for treatment of various conditions. Given the exponential scientific growth of this field, we sought to characterize, analyze, and visualize trends in its top-cited articles.

A Nationwide Study Comparing Mental Health Professionals' Willingness to Try Hallucinogenic Drugs in Basic Research or Clinical Practice.

This study explored whether personal attitudes toward drug users are associated with professional approaches and whether the association between personal and professional attitudes varies across different mental health professions. Participants (N = 347) included medical (psychiatrists and psychiatric nurses) and other (clinical psychologists and social workers) mental health professions from all 13 mental health centers in Israel. They completed questionnaires aimed to assess familiarity with medical usage of hallucinogenic drugs, personal attitudes toward recreational drug users and willingness to use five hallucinogens in research of clinical practice.

The Internet addiction test: Psychometric properties, socio-demographic risk factors and addictive co-morbidities in a large adult sample.

The Internet Addiction Test (IAT) (Young, 1998) is one of the most utilized diagnostic instruments to evaluate internet addiction. Despite the wide use of IAT in research and clinical settings, there is lack of an empirical validation of this scale among a largescale adult population. The present study aimed to: (1) investigate the psychometric properties of a Hebrew version of the IAT among large-scale Israeli adult sample.

Religiosity and substance use in U.S. adults: Findings from a large-scale national survey.

Background: In recent decades, the US religious landscape has undergone considerable change such as a decline in religious service attendance. These changes may indicate that religious social support structures have deteriorated, possibly leading to a decrease in strengths of associations with substance use. Considering this, and given limitations of past studies (e.

The association between type of trauma, level of exposure and addiction.

Exposure to trauma is considered a risk factor for the development of addictive disorders. Currently, there is a knowledge gap concerning specific links between types and levels of exposure to traumatic events and addiction.In this study we explored the associations between interpersonal trauma and risk of addictive behaviors, stratified by type of trauma (physical, weapon, sexual assault, and combat) and level of exposure (direct/indirect), focusing on a wide range of substances and behaviors.

The Epidemiology of Substance Use Disorders among the Adult Jewish Population in Israel.

Introduction: Substance use disorders (SUDs) are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, having a profound and global impact on health, well-being, safety, and productivity. Although traditionally the prevalence of SUDs in Israel has been estimated to be lower than those in high-income countries, estimates and characteristics of individuals with SUDs in the past decade are lacking. In this work, we explored the prevalence of SUDs among the adult Jewish population in Israel, per different classes of substances across sex, age group, and other sociodemographic factors.

Why Switch? - Motivations for Self-Substitution of Illegal Drugs.

Self-substitution is the conscious switch from one drug to another for reasons such as price, availability, desired effect, or perceived benefit of the substitute drug. This study aimed to describe drug use patterns and motivations associated with substitution. We examined correlates of lifetime substitution among individuals with substance use disorder.

Depression level, not pain severity, is associated with smoked medical marijuana dosage among chronic pain patients.

Background: The use of medical marijuana (MM) for the treatment of chronic pain is rapidly growing in the United States and Europe; however there is concern regarding the specificity of its therapeutic effects and the motivation underlying its use. While research indicates that among chronic pain prescribed opioids, depression has been associated with increased opioid dosage (regardless of pain levels), the extent to which depression and pain each contribute to MM dose among chronic pain patients is yet unknown.

Methods: This cross-sectional study included 209 chronic pain patients prescribed smoked MM, in flower or other plant form, with no concurrent opioid treatment.

Probability and correlates of transition from cannabis use to DSM-5 cannabis use disorder: Results from a large-scale nationally representative study.

Introduction And Aims: It has been previously reported that more than 34% of individuals who use cannabis may qualify for a diagnosis of DSM-IV cannabis abuse or dependence throughout their lifetime. The introduction of the DSM-5 cannabis use disorder (CUD) diagnostic criteria reflects several intrinsic changes in the perception of substance use disorders. However, little is known about the probability of transition from cannabis use to CUD over time nor about the sociodemographic and clinical correlates associated with this transition.

Does cannabis use increase anxiety disorders? A literature review.

Purpose Of Review: Cannabis is widely used worldwide and cannabis use disorders are highly comorbid with anxiety disorders. In this review, we consider the recent literature on the effects of cannabis on the incidence, course, and treatment outcomes of anxiety disorders.

Recent Findings: Although cannabis use is mostly found to be associated with increased incidence of anxiety disorders, these findings are generally not sustained in adjusted analyses controlling for multiple confounders.

[MEDICAL MARIJUANA DEPENDENCE AMONG CHRONIC PAIN PATIENTS SUFFERING FROM DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY].

Introduction: In recent years, medical marijuana (MM) is increasingly being used for the treatment of chronic pain. Depression and anxiety have been identified as risk factors for the problematic use of prescription opioids, yet their contribution to developing MM dependence hasn't been explored up to date. In this study we explored the association between depression and anxiety severity and the risk for cannabis dependence among chronic pain patients prescribed MM.

The association between cannabis use and psychiatric comorbidity in people with personality disorders: A population-based longitudinal study.

Both personality disorders (PD) and cannabis use are highly comorbid with various psychiatric disorders. While previous research indicates specific interactions between cannabis use and schizotypal PD associated with schizophrenia, research into cannabis use among individuals with other PDs and the development of several additional psychiatric disorders is scarce. We explored the prevalence and incidence of psychiatric disorders among individuals with PDs who use cannabis, and whether individuals with PDs who use cannabis are at increased risk for developing psychiatric disorders compared to cannabis users without a PD.

Cognitive Impairments in Abstinent Male Residents of a Therapeutic Community for Substance-Use Disorders: A Five-Year Retrospective Study.

Background And Objectives: Prior studies of residual cognitive deficits in abstinent substance-use disorder (SUD) patients, exhibited conflicting reports and a substantial patient selection bias. The aim of this study was to test the cognitive function of a sample of chronic abstinent SUD patients in a therapeutic-community.

Methods: The IntegNeuro cognitive test battery was used for a retrospective cross-sectional study of cognitive functioning of an unselected sample (n = 105) of abstinent male residents of a therapeutic-community.

The association between comorbid psychiatric diagnoses and hospitalization-related factors among individuals with schizophrenia.

Background: Though schizophrenia is associated with substantial psychiatric comorbidity, data pertaining to multiple comorbid psychiatric disorders among individuals with schizophrenia is missing. Furthermore, despite abundant research indicating that the course of schizophrenia is characterized by relapses, often leading to psychiatric emergency room visits and consequent hospitalizations, data regarding the association between different comorbid psychiatric diagnoses among schizophrenia patients, and these hospitalization-related factors is lacking. The aim of this study was to describe the number and types of comorbid psychiatric diagnoses of inpatients diagnosed with schizophrenia, and to explore whether these are associated with hospitalization-related factors.