Substance Use Disorder

The National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors has received a $1.1 million grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The grant is designed to help states maximize the use of limited substance abuse resources to advance services delivery systems and care.

When parents find out their teen is abusing drugs or alcohol, the family’s immediate focus is generally on getting help for the teen. But parents are often in great need of help themselves. A new toll-free, bilingual phone helpline is providing that assistance.

Despite concern that few substance abuse clinics are enrolled in Medicaid, a new report finds that 64 percent of publicly funded facilities that deliver substance use disorder treatment accept Medicaid.

Actor Martin Sheen returned to Congress this week to testify in favor of authorizing drug court funding for veterans in 2012.

Injection drug users have higher rates of abuse and dependence and have a greater need for substance abuse treatment compared with non-injecting drug users, a new study suggests.

Missouri Governor Jay Nixon has signed into law a bill that requires drug screening for people applying for or receiving welfare benefits.

A study that scanned the brains of binge drinkers ages 18 to 25 shows that regularly having many drinks in one sitting can affect an area of the brain related to paying attention, making decisions and controlling impulses.

Treatment admissions for prescription drug abuse and alcohol abuse problems are on the rise, according to a new report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

A program that aims to promote a culture of recovery at several U.S. universities is showing promise, a new study suggests.

Children and Family Futures will present “Putting the Pieces Together for Children and Families: The National Conference on Substance Abuse, Child Welfare and the Courts,” September 14-16, 2011, at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center on the Potomac in National Harbor, MD.

A new study suggests that girls with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are more likely than boys with ADHD to abuse drugs and alcohol.

Preschool may be an effective tool in the fight against addiction, a new study suggests. The study of more than 1,500 children found those who had attended preschool were 28 percent less likely to develop substance abuse problems.

Treatment for abuse of benzodiazepines—which are used to treat anxiety, insomnia and seizure disorders—almost tripled from 1998 to 2008, according to a new national study.

Alcohol use, depression, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder together account for 45 percent of disabilities among young people ages 10 to 24 worldwide, about four times as much as that caused by unintentional injuries, according to a study of data from the World Health Organization.

Recovery schools provide students recovering from substance abuse with a safe learning environment conducive to their situation and needs, and where the likelihood of relapse is minimized. While many recovery schools show clear success rates, each is not without its own unique challenges.

High school students who are gay, lesbian or bisexual are more likely than heterosexual students to smoke, drink, use drugs and engage in other unhealthy behaviors, according to a survey by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A type of problem-solving therapy called cognitive behavioral therapy may help treat depression in people within residential treatment programs for drug and alcohol abuse, a new study suggests.

Female prisoners who are not enrolled in a drug treatment program after they are released are 10 times more likely to return to custody within a year compared with prisoners not in a drug program, a new study finds. More than a third of female prisoners who are not participating in a drug program return to prison within the first six months.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a significant risk factor for developing substance use disorders and cigarette smoking in both boys and girls, new research indicates.

Robert Morrison, Executive Director of the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors, discusses key issues impacting substance abuse prevention, treatment, recovery and policy.

Teenagers who are involved in sports or exercising are less likely to use drugs and smoke cigarettes compared with teens who are not as active, a new study suggests. However, Reuters reports that the study found high school athletes on teams drank more alcohol than their classmates who weren’t on a team.

Two leading substance abuse experts from Columbia University and The Partnership at Drugfree.org will offer professionals and parents the opportunity to learn more about teen mental health as it relates to risky teen behaviors, like substance use, and the proper methods to identify the most prevalent risk factors in teens.

Laws regarding involuntary commitment for substance abuse vary widely among states, according to a study presented at the American Psychiatric Association meeting this week.

Some Illinois prison inmates have to wait years for substance abuse treatment because of the state’s growing prison population, according to a prison watchdog group.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has announced the availability of the 2011 Campaign for Social Inclusion Awards. These awards fund selected statewide peer-run organizations across the United States to promote social inclusion on state and local levels, and to counter the negative perceptions, attitudes and beliefs associated with mental health and/or substance use problems.