Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse最新文献

This study aims to determine the self-stigma of individuals with alcohol dependence in Turkey. In this study, a qualitative research approach and content analysis were used. Also, the phenomenological design was implemented, which is one of the qualitative research approaches. The study group of the research consisted of 37 alcohol-dependent individuals receiving inpatient treatment in an addiction treatment center (AMATEM) in Turkey. The data for this study were collected between January 14 and May 22, 2020. Two main themes emerged: 1) Opinions of Alcohol-Dependent Individuals on Themselves 2) Opinions of Society on Alcohol-Dependent Individuals. Also, seven sub-themes emerged regarding these themes. This study determined the self-stigmatization of alcohol-dependent individuals, their regrets, and the effect of culture and Islamic religion on self-stigmatization. At the research, alcohol-dependent individuals stated that they stigmatized, despised, and loathed themselves and alcohol consumers in general. In line with these results, combatting against social stigma toward alcohol-dependent individuals and providing the individuals stigmatizing themselves (self-stigma) or addicted to alcohol with training on alcohol dependence and stigma prevention are recommended.

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a devastating increase in morbidity and mortality; however there is limited understanding of the continued toll of COVID-19 on mental health, opioid and alcohol related deaths.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional, retrospective study designed using the Wide Ranging Online Data for Epidemiologic Research database from the United States (US) Center for Disease Control. This database contains all death certificate information on US residents. We examined trends of excess death by mental health and substance abuse (opioid and alcohol) among racial groups. Excess death was defined as the difference between observed number of deaths in a time period compared to the historic/expected number of deaths in a prior period. We compared mortality rates in the reference period 2018-2019 (pre-pandemic) with 2020-2021 (early pandemic), and 2022-2023 (late pandemic). We compared excess mortality in racial subgroups of Black and White individuals. Mental health deaths were attributed by International Statistical Classification of Diseases (ICD) F06, F10-F19, F20-F29, F51, F51-F60 opioid deaths (ICD X40-X44, X60-X64, X85, Y10-Y14), and alcohol deaths (ICD E24.4, F10, G31).

Results: Compared to referent period (2018-2019), there was an increase in deaths attributed to Mental and Behavioral Disorders by 35.9% in 2020-2021 (early) and by 30.1% in 2022-2023 (late). This was consistent across opioid related mortality with an increase by 43.5% in 2020-2021 and 36.1% in 2022-2023, and increase in alcohol related deaths by 35.3% in 2020-2021 and 28.1% in 2022-2023. On subgroup analysis Black compared to white individuals demonstrated significantly increased rates of mortality due to Mental health (43.6% vs 34.4% p = 0.0029) in 2020-2021. This disparity was especially seen in excess opioid mortality in Black compared to white individuals (75.3% vs 36.8% p < 0.0001 in 2020-2021, and 89.5% vs 24.7% in 2022-2023 p < 0.0001). Black individuals compared to white individuals had excess death due to alcohol (43.5% vs 33.6%, p value 0.0002) in 2020-2021.

Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to significant and persistent increase in mental health and substance abuse mortality. Excess mortality has significantly and disproportionately affected Black individuals compared to white individuals, highlighting the need for future studies to identify and eliminate the healthcare disparities.

Adolescent drug abuse is a growing issue globally, including in Malaysia, with increasing rates. However, there is limited research on tools assessing adolescents' vulnerability to substance abuse, particularly using Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Theory. To fill this gap, this study aimed to develop and validate the Environmental Factors in Drug Abuse Tendency Instrument content validation and statistical analyses. Content validity was established through expert reviews, with 10 experts assessing the questionnaire. The instrument achieved a high Content Validity Index (CVI) of >0.80, indicating strong agreement among experts. Construct validity was examined using Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA), revealing that from the original 43 items, only 10 items were retained due to empirical factor loadings. The final instrument measured a single environmental factor contributing to 19.1% of the total variance, with factor loadings ranging from .352 to .674. Additionally, the reliability assessment using Cronbach's alpha demonstrated a high internal consistency of 0.793, exceeding the acceptable threshold of 0.70. These findings suggest that while content validity was robust, the construct validation process led to significant item reduction, highlighting the importance of rigorous statistical validation. This instrument provides a validated measure for assessing environmental influences on adolescent drug abuse tendencies. It offers valuable insights for policymakers, educators, and intervention programs in designing targeted strategies to mitigate adolescent substance abuse.

Background: Illicit substances can make their way into the circulation of hospitalized individuals who received blood units from unverified donors, endangering their lives in the process. This study aimed to investigate the percentage and the types of drugs of use in donated blood of Palestinians in the North West Bank.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at two major hospitals in Nablus. Three hundred eighty-two male donors aged 18-65 were recruited, surveyed by questionnaires, and tested for illicit substances (12 drugs) by multidrug urine tests.

Results: Out of the 12 drugs tested, five were found to be positive in the participant's urine, and 11.8% of participants had positive results for at least one drug. 7.1%, 6.3%, 5.5%, 4.2%, and 1.8% tested positive for benzodiazepines, amphetamine, methamphetamine, tetrahydrocannabinol and barbiturates, respectively. Moreover, 5.0% of the participants tested positive for a single drug, 4.2% for two drugs, and 2.9% for three drugs, 1.3% for four substances simultaneously, and 0.3 for five drugs. Waterpipe smoking (OR = 2.348, p-value = 0.016) and e-cigarette use (OR = 2.965, p-value = 0.020) were significantly associated with illicit substance use. Benzodiazepines' users were more likely to barbiturates (OR = 44.783, p-value = 0.004) and methamphetamine (OR = 12.158, p-value = 0.013) users.

Conclusion: The present study highlights the importance of screening blood and blood products in blood banks for commonly used drugs, in addition to regular checkups for infectious diseases. It is advised to make this step a routine in blood screening as much as the facilities permit. Controlling and confiscating drugs of use and illegal substances requires better strategies and procedures.

The aim of this study is to examine the correlation between mindfulness and relapse prediction in individuals with substance use disorder. The study was conducted on individuals who were diagnosed with substance use disorders and were receiving at the psychiatry outpatient clinic of a university hospital in Turkey. In the study, 193 individuals with substance use disorders were reached. The study was conducted with descriptive and correlational design and the "Personal Description Form," the "Mindful Attention Awareness Scale," and the "Relapse Prediction Scale" were employed to collect the data. The findings of study determined that as the strength of substance use urge increased, so did the likelihood of using, and the level of Mindfulness decreased as the strength of substance use urge and the likelihood of using increased.

This paper presents a qualitative report of semi-structured interviews with 10 Panjabi women who are caregivers to men (specifically husbands) with substance use disorder (SUD) in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. Core themes identified depict the significant burden caregivers carry due to managing simultaneous financial and parenting duties, negative emotional impacts of caregiving, and attempts to conceal substance use by both the participants and their husbands. Despite this, all participants shared nuanced reasons to stay in their marriage, including for their children, for financial stability or to avoid stigmatization. Participants emphasized the need for culturally competent care, family involvement in SUD treatment, compassion toward people with SUD and increased resources for women caregivers.

The COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted various aspects of mental health among university students, including their academic performance. The transition to online learning, changes in tasks, and isolation at home all contributed to increased burnout among students. The current study aimed to test the association between COVID-19 anxiety and burnout among university students, and whether hope, adaptability, and anti-mattering mediate the association between COVID-19 anxiety and burnout. The study involved 450 university students from three states Canada, Russia, and Iran, consisting of 390 females and 60 males. Among the participants, 9.8% had a higher diploma, 63.8% held a master's degree, and 2.2% possessed a PhD. Results of the correlational analysis that COVID-19 anxiety was positively correlated with burnout (r = 0.31, p < .01) and anti--mattering (r = 0.44, p < .01). Conversely, COVID-19 anxiety was negatively correlated with hope (r = -0.20, p < .01) and adaptability (r = -0.10, p < .05). Regarding mediation analysis, the findings revealed that hope, adaptability, and anti-mattering mediated the association between COVID-19 anxiety and burnout among university students. The findings of the current study emphasize the need to promote hope, social adjustment, and a mattering among university students, as these factors could help enhance their mental health and prevent issues such as substance abuse, which students might resort to as negative coping strategies to deal with psychological stress and burnout related to pandemics.

The global incidence of ischemic stroke among young adults has risen, with emerging evidence suggesting a potential link to increased cannabis use. Despite widespread perceptions of cannabis as a relatively safe substance, its association with ischemic stroke remains unclear, especially as legalization and use rates grow. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to synthesize the current literature to assess the relationship between cannabis use and the risk of ischemic stroke. Following PRISMA guidelines, a comprehensive search was conducted across PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, Embase, and Google Scholar (up to March 2025) to identify studies evaluating the association between cannabis use and ischemic stroke risk. Inclusion criteria required studies to compare cannabis users with non-users and report quantitative risk estimates (odds ratios, hazard ratios, or relative risks with 95% confidence intervals). Quality assessment utilized the Joanna Briggs Institute checklist. Data were pooled using a random-effects model, and heterogeneity was assessed with the I² statistic. From 821 initial records, seven studies (published 2007-2023; case-control, cohort, and cross-sectional designs) met inclusion criteria. The meta-analysis revealed a statistically significant association between cannabis use and increased risk of ischemic stroke (pooled OR = 2.05, 95% CI: 1.46-2.87; p < .001, I²=68.9%, p = .007). Cannabis use is associated with a significantly elevated risk of ischemic stroke, particularly among young adults. These findings highlight the need for further research to clarify causality and inform public health policy as cannabis use continues to rise globally.

The present study determined the association between identifying as American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) and ever having had an opioid-related overdose, housing status, prior diagnosis of a psychiatric illness, and utilization of syringe service and drug checking services. We recruited and surveyed people who use drugs in community-settings using targeted samplings methods in eight Oregon counties (N = 468). We conducted logistic regression analysis to assess whether AI/AN people had higher odds of opioid overdose. We found that the adjusted odds of ever having had an opioid related overdose was significantly higher for AI/AN people (Adjusted Odds Ratio = 2.23; 95% Confidence Interval [CI] = 1.24, 4.02) compared to non-AI/AN people. These findings suggest the need for policies and interventions that prioritize access to culturally informed substance use disorder treatment and harm reduction services to reduce disparities in opioid-related overdoses among AI/AN people.

Smoking among adolescents remains a public health concern globally, including in Malaysia. Effective execution of the dentist-led school-based smoking cessation program relies on the engagement and insights of important stakeholders. This qualitative study aims to evaluate the Malaysian school-based smoking cessation program delivered by the school dental team, named the KOTAK program. Using a semi-structured interview guide and focus group discussion, the strengths, weaknesses, and recommendations to improve the program were explored among nine homogenous groups of dentists (3 groups), teachers (2 groups), and adolescents (4 groups). The data were analyzed using thematic analysis, resulting in three main domains and seven themes. The three main domains were the KOTAK program's strengths, weaknesses, and recommendations for improving the program. The themes touched on the issues of the school's conducive setting, the dentist's unique role, and the program's perceived effectiveness. Operational and collaboration-related themes emerged under the main domains of the program's weaknesses and improvement recommendations. The dentists, teachers, and adolescents positively perceived the KOTAK program to influence adolescents' smoking habits. In addition, shared opinions of the program's shortcomings were concerned with the lack of training and clear guidelines before the program's execution. Further improvement in the operational and collaboration-related aspects is recommended to improve the program outcomes. Future research should explore the socio-cultural factors that can aid in constructing a tailored intervention program.