"It's a delicate balance": clinicians' experiences of providing heroin-assisted treatment.

Background: Little attention has been paid to the experiences of clinicians and health personnel who provide heroin-assisted treatment (HAT). This study provides the first empirical findings about the clinicians' experiences of providing HAT in the Norwegian context.

Methods: 23 qualitative interviews were conducted with 31 clinicians shortly after HAT clinics opened in Norway's two largest cities: Oslo and Bergen.

Addressing the needs for cultural adaptation of DARE-keepin' it REAL among Brazilian students: strategies to improve implementation.

Background: The widely implemented prevention program in Brazil, PROERD (a translated version of the DARE-kiR program), showed no evidence of effect in preventing drug use in a recent trial. The lack of cultural adaptation and instructors' deviations from the curriculum were identified as potential reasons for its ineffectiveness. This study aims to identify points of inadequacy of the PROERD program for the Brazilian culture, suggesting strategies for revising the curriculum to improve implementation.

Longitudinal changes in reinforcement learning during smoking cessation: a computational analysis using a probabilistic reward task.

Despite progress in smoking reduction in the past several decades, cigarette smoking remains a significant public health concern world-wide, with many smokers attempting but ultimately failing to maintain abstinence. However, little is known about how decision-making evolves in quitting smokers. Based on preregistered hypotheses and analysis plan ( https://osf.

Willingness to Use Oral and Long-Acting Injectable PrEP in Substance-Using Men who have Sex with Men (SU-MSM) in High HIV Incidence Southern U.S. Cities: A NIDA Clinical Trials Network Study.

In Southern U.S. states with high HIV incidence and low HIV Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) uptake, enhanced efforts to increase interest in and willingness to use PrEP are needed.

Increased expression of plasma mir-9-3p and let-7b-3p in methamphetamine use disorder and its clinical significance.

Methamphetamine use disorder has emerged as a significant public health concern globally. This study endeavors to elucidate the alterations in expression changes of miRNAs in the plasma of methamphetamine use disorder and elucidate the alterations in miRNA expression in the plasma of individuals with methamphetamine use disorder and investigate the relationship between these differentially expressed miRNAs and the disorder itself, cravings for methamphetamine, and associated mental disorders. Furthermore, the study seeks to clarify the expression of downstream target molecules of specific miRNAs in the plasma of methamphetamine use disorder, assess the diagnostic utility of these miRNAs and their target molecules, explore their potential as biomarkers, and identify potential targets for the diagnosis and treatment of methamphetamine use disorder.

Rapid nongenomic estrogen signaling controls alcohol drinking behavior in mice.

Ovarian-derived estrogen can signal non-canonically at membrane-associated receptors in the brain to rapidly regulate neuronal function. Early alcohol drinking confers greater risk for alcohol use disorder in women than men, and binge alcohol drinking is correlated with high estrogen levels, but a causal role for estrogen in driving alcohol drinking has not been established. We found that female mice displayed greater binge alcohol drinking and reduced avoidance when estrogen was high during the estrous cycle than when it was low.

Supplemental Intervention for Alcohol Use Disorder Treatment Patients With a Co-Occurring Anxiety Disorder: Technical Development and Functional Testing of an Autonomous Digital Program.

Background: Anxiety disorders are common in alcohol use disorder (AUD) treatment patients. Such co-occurring conditions ("comorbidity") have negative prognostic implications for AUD treatment outcomes, yet they commonly go unaddressed in standard AUD care. Over a decade ago, we developed and validated a cognitive behavioral therapy intervention to supplement standard AUD care that, when delivered by trained therapists, improves outcomes in comorbid patients.

Social Norms Regarding Alcohol Use, Perceptions of Alcohol Advertisement and Intent to Drink Alcohol among Youth in Uganda.

The objective of this paper is to address the scarcity of research on alcohol marketing exposure and underage drinking in sub-Saharan Africa. This study examines perceptions of alcohol advertisements and perceived peer, adult, and parental attitudes regarding alcohol use and intentions to drink among vulnerable youth. The Kampala Youth Survey is a cross-sectional study conducted in 2014 with service-seeking youth (ages 12-18 years) living in the slums of Kampala (n=1,134) who were participating in Uganda Youth Development Link drop-in centers.

Acetylation of proximal cysteine-lysine pairs by alcohol metabolism.

Alcohol consumption induces hepatocyte damage through complex processes involving oxidative stress and disrupted metabolism. These factors alter proteomic and epigenetic marks, including alcohol-induced protein acetylation, which is a key post-translational modification (PTM) that regulates hepatic metabolism and is associated with the pathogenesis of alcohol-associated liver disease (ALD). Recent evidence suggests lysine acetylation occurs when a proximal cysteine residue is within ∼15 Å of a lysine residue, referred to as a cysteine-lysine (Cys-Lys) pair.

Gender and Intersecting Barriers and Facilitators to Access the HIV Cascade of Care in Manitoba, Canada, Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Qualitative Study.

Marginalized groups in Manitoba, Canada, especially females and people who inject drugs, are overrepresented in new HIV diagnoses and disproportionately affected by HIV and structural disadvantages. Informed by syndemic theory, our aim was to understand people living with HIV's (PLHIV) gendered and intersecting barriers and facilitators across the cascade of HIV care before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study was co-designed and co-led alongside people with lived experience and a research advisory committee.

Associations of the Korean patient placement criteria matching among individuals with alcohol-related problems with treatment completion and abstinence: an observational study.

Background: The American Society of Addiction Medicine Patient Placement Criteria (ASAM PPC) are guidelines for matching addiction patients to an optimal level of care (LOC). South Korea lacked a systematic approach to assigning alcohol use disorder patients to suitable treatment. To address this, Park et al.

EVALUATING ORAL AND MAXILLOFACIAL HEALTH CHALLENGES IN INTRAVENOUS DRUG USERS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY OF DRUG REPLACEMENT THERAPY PARTICIPANTS AND NON-PARTICIPANTS.

Introduction: Intravenous drug use has a significant impact on oral and maxillofacial health, often resulting in complications like tooth loss and osteomyelitis. This study investigates the differences in oral health between drug users enrolled in replacement therapy and those not yet participating, with the goal of assessing the impact of structured treatment programs.

Aim: to evaluate and compare the prevalence of oral and maxillofacial complications among drug users involved in replacement therapy and those newly registering for treatment.

Prevalence of substance use among adolescents residing in urban slums of Vellore: A cross-sectional study.

Background: Adolescent substance abuse is a growing public health concern. Adolescence is the starting point for adult substance misuse. The likelihood of acquiring dependence in adulthood is significantly decreased when substance use is not initiated during adolescence.

Exploring prevention and control mechanisms of youth substance use: a case of North Wollo and Waghimra, Northeast Ethiopia.

Background: Substance use among youths is a significant global and local issue. Youth who engage in substance use often experience various psychosocial, health, economic, and other problems. While governmental and non-governmental organizations in North Wollo and Waghimra Zones offer social services, their effectiveness in preventing and controlling substance use remains largely unstudied.

"When she's there, I no longer worry about her being arrested"-Family perspectives on compulsory drug rehabilitation in Vietnam and implications for community-based services.

Introduction: Compulsory drug rehabilitation continues to be a major governmental response to illicit drug use in East and Southeast Asia despite repeated calls for its discontinuation. Extensive evidence from individuals with substance use disorders and advocacy groups highlights the adverse health, social and economic outcomes associated with compulsory drug rehabilitation. However, the perspective of families on this issue remains relatively unexplored.

The Relationship Between Substance Abuse Proclivity and Spiritual Well-Being Levels of University Students in Türkiye.

Focusing on young adults constituting the most vulnerable and risky group regarding substance abuse, the present study was carried out in order to examine the relationship between the spiritual well-being levels of university students and their substance abuse proclivity. Having a descriptive and cross sectional design, this study was completed with 250 students studying at a Vocational High School of a university in Türkiye during the academic year 2021-2022. The data collection process was carried out by using the "Personal Information Form," the "Spiritual Well-Being Scale (SWBS)," and the "Substance Use Tendency Scale (SAPS).

Flexibility and resilience in equity-centered research: lessons learned conducting a randomized controlled trial of a family-based substance use prevention program for American Indian families.

Meaningful and effective community engagement lies at the core of equity-centered research, which is a powerful tool for addressing health disparities in American Indian (AI) communities. It is essential for centering Indigenous wisdom as a source of solutions and disrupting Western-centric perspectives and inequitable and exclusionary research practices. This paper reports on lessons learned implementing an effectiveness trial of the Thiwáhe Glúwaš'akapi program (TG) program (translated as "sacred home in which families are made strong")-a family-based substance use prevention program-in a post-pandemic era with an American Indian reservation community that has confronted extreme challenges.

The prevalence and profiles of adverse childhood experiences and their associations with adult mental health outcomes in China: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are common and associated with mental disorders. However, the prevalence and co-occurrence of ACEs and their association with mental health outcomes among Chinese adults have not been well demonstrated.

Methods: China Mental Health Survey, a cross-sectional nationally representative survey consisting of 28,140 adults, was conducted from July 2013 to March 2015.

Disrupting heroin-associated memory reconsolidation through actin polymerization inhibition in the nucleus accumbens core.

Background: Understanding drug addiction as a disorder of maladaptive learning, where drug-associated or environmental cues trigger drug cravings and seeking, is crucial for developing effective treatments. Actin polymerization, a biochemical process, plays a crucial role in drug-related memory formation, particularly evident in conditioned place preference paradigms involving drugs like morphine and methamphetamine. However, the role of actin polymerization in the reconsolidation of heroin-associated memories remains understudied.

Medically assisted integrated rehabilitation program for people with opioid dependence: a quasi-experimental evaluation using multi-criteria decision analysis.

Background: Opioid use disorders constitute a vast disease burden, need for comprehensive treatment, and substantial costs to individuals, families, and society. The multifaceted needs of people with opioid dependence call for integrated care. The study aims to assess the added value of an integrated medically assisted rehabilitation (MAR) program providing opioid agonist therapy for patients with opioid dependence as compared to the standard of care (SoC) in Norway.

Coordination in treatments for people who use anabolic androgenic steroid (AAS) - Experiences of professionals.

Research has identified the use of anabolic-androgenic steroids (AAS) as a gap between treatment needs and available facilities for substance use disorder (SUD) treatment in Norway. State policy emphasizes the need for measures to ensure coordinated treatment services. This study aims to explore whether clinical pathways of mental health and substance abuse and team-based organisation function as intended in the treatment of patients with AAS use.

Readiness to implement contingency management to promote PrEP initiation and adherence among people who inject drugs: results from a multi-site implementation survey.

Background: Contingency management (CM), an incentive-based intervention to encourage target behaviors, effectively promotes medication adherence. However, efforts to extend CM to HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) have been lacking. As part of a randomized clinical trial to promote HIV Prevention among people who inject drugs (PWID), we examined the readiness of staff in community-based organizations serving PWID to implement CM for PrEP uptake and adherence in this population.