Just Seeing Green Space May Ease Cravings for Alcohol, Cigarettes, Junk Food

A new study shows a link between being able to see green spaces from your home and reduced cravings for alcohol, cigarettes, and harmful foods. Read PsychCentral article here

Many Ex-Smokers Crave Lost Social Identity

Many ex-smokers begin smoking again because they want to recapture a sense of lost social identity, according to new British research published in the Journal of Substance Use. In fact, according to the findings, many smokers experience quitting as a “loss." Click here for PsychCentral article

Our Invisible Addicts

This report highlights the need for clinical services to focus more on the needs of older people as growing numbers of baby-boomers seek help for substance misuse. It makes a series of recommendations including the need to enhance training at all levels – such as training more addictions psychiatrists and old age psychiatrists to manage the specific needs to older substance misusers. Click here for Kings Fund blog

Surviving stigma: an interview with a recovering addict

In this podcast, Diane Goslar, a recovering alcoholic, talks with brutal honesty about the stigma she faced among family, friends and work colleagues as she battled alcohol addiction. To view podcast from RCPsych click here

Poisons from cigarettes reach major body organs in seconds

Public Health England (PHE) releases a new TV advert highlighting the dangers of tar in cigarettes, as England’s 7 million smokers are urged to make a quit attempt with help from Smokefree this New Year. The latest campaign shows how poisons from tar in cigarettes enter the bloodstream, spreading around the body within seconds and causing damage to major organs. Click here to read PHE press release

Giving up alcohol for a year salvaged my mental health

As the clocks strike midnight on New Year’s Eve, I will finish a 12-month stretch of self-imposed sobriety. A year ago I had got to a point where I was drinking and smoking too much and – until the moment when I decided to quit – I was largely in denial about the impact it was having on my health. The scale of my drinking was normal for the social circles I was in. Whether the people I was with came together through work, football or friendship, drinking was commonplace. Click here to read news article

NHS to consider routine use of ‘drunk tanks’ to ease pressure on A&Es

NHS England Chief Executive Simon Stevens today announced that the NHS will decide this year whether “drunk tanks” should routinely be used take pressure off hard-pressed A&E departments and 999 ambulance services during the seasonal holiday period. Click here to see NHS England post

Childhood psychiatric disorders increase risk for later adult addiction

Children's health and well-being while growing up can be indicators of the potential health issues they may encounter years later. A new study suggests that a childhood psychiatric disorder increases the risk of developing addiction later in life.

Child’s Mental Health Can Influence Adult Addictions

New research suggests that some childhood psychiatric disorders increase the risk of developing addiction later in life. Experts believe the findings emphasize the need for early detection and intervention for childhood mental health issues.

In the study, investigators combined a large amount of data from previous studies (meta-analysis) and discovered a correlation between various psychiatric disorders among children and later risk of developing addictions.

Government funds school resource for drug and alcohol prevention

Public Health England announces new funding to expand Mentor UK’s ADEPIS resource into more schools and community settings.

The programme helps equip young people with the life skills and resilience to deal with the challenges they face with alcohol and drugs.

Drug misuse prevention: targeted interventions

National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE)

This guideline highlights the role that local authorities can play in targeting people who use drugs or are at risk from doing so. It argues that local authorities can work together with gyms, nightclubs, festivals, sexual health services and supported accommodation for homeless people to make clear the support services and advice that are available.

• Guideline
• Press release

Reward-Based Therapy Can Be Helpful for Alcohol Abuse

New research suggests that offering rewards can be an effective, low-cost treatment for alcohol abuse. The findings are important as alcohol abuse is the nation’s third leading preventable cause of death.

Researchers at Washington State University studied Seattle-area participants with serious mental illness — a population whose lifespan is estimated to be 20-25 years shorter than the average person’s.

The reward-based intervention provided simple prizes for addiction treatment attendance and negative urine test results for alcohol use.

A surprise benefit of the treatment was that it also decreased study participants’ tobacco and drug use.

Prescription Drug Misuse Among Youth a Global Concern

Prescribing drugs to those in need while simultaneously curbing nonmedical use of these same drugs may be one of the world’s most difficult challenges, according to a perspective article published in the journal World Psychiatry.

Nonmedical prescription drug use is defined as using without a prescription or for reasons other than what the medication is intended for. It is a global problem primarily driven by the increasing nonmedical use of prescription opioids among young people.

NHS England launches new measures to help GPs and patients access the care they need

A world-first nationally funded service to support GPs and GP trainees suffering mental ill-health and addiction goes live next week while 11 areas have been chosen to pilot new ways of retaining GPs who are considering leaving the profession so their skills can continue benefitting patients.

From Monday January 30, the NHS GP Health Service will provide confidential mental health support for GPs and GP trainees suffering from mental ill-health and addiction.

An evidence review of the outcomes that can be expected of drug misuse treatment in England

Public Health England 

This review gives policy makers and local areas an objective assessment of what drug treatment outcomes are achievable, and compares outcomes in England to the evidence and to other drug treatment systems. It reviews the impact of housing problems, unemployment and social deprivation on treatment engagement and outcomes. The review also considers how drug treatment will need to be configured to meet future need and recommends an appropriate set of measures or indicator for treatment evaluation.

• Report
• Public Health England - publications

Psychiatric Conditions May Up Risk of Opioid Use

A wide range of pre-existing psychiatric and behavioral conditions, as well as the use of psychoactive drugs, could be important risk factors leading to long-term use of opioid pain medications, according to new research.

For the study, published in PAIN, the official publication of the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP), researchers used a nationwide insurance database to identify 10.3 million patients who filed insurance claims for opioid prescriptions between 2004 and 2013.

Alcohol Use and Abuse on Rise in Older Adults

New research finds that alcohol use is on the rise in adults age 50 and over, a factor that may led to dangerous behavior and deleterious physical health issues among both women and men.

Experts explain that alcohol is the most commonly used psychoactive substance among older adults. In this cohort, alcohol consumption is linked to unique risks — in even lower amounts — compared to younger persons.

Families Influence Gambling Behavior in Kids

New research finds that when family members gamble to relieve stress, it is a good chance that their children will also. However, adolescents do not always mimic parental behavior when family members find escape in alcohol or drugs.