Emerging trends in drugs, addictions, and health最新文献

Background

One of the most common types of addiction after narcotic or stimulant materials is the alcohol addiction. This study investigated the relationship between self-concept and attributional styles with group spiritual care in the Alcoholics anonymous (AA) group in Mashhad city.

Methods

This correlation study was conducted on 300 persons of AA of Mashhad which were selected by the simple random sampling method. The data collection tools were Attributional Styles Questionnaire (ASQ) of Seligman & Singh, Self-concept Questionnaire (SCQ) of Raj Kumar Saraswat and Spirituality and Spiritual Care Rating Scale (SSCRS) Questionnaire. The data were analyzed using SPSS software (version 22) and Pearson's correlation statistic tests and multivariate regression analysis.

Results

The results of regression variance analysis of attributional style and self-concept components with group spiritual care in the studied persons showed that the attributional styles and the self-concept components can explain together about 27 % of the group spiritual care in the studied persons, which was statistically significant (P <0.001 and 20/15 = F).Also, there is a positive and significant relationship between the attributional style and the self-concept component with group spiritual care in the studied persons.

Conclusions

According to the results, it is suggested that the members of AA Association should be aware of the attributional styles, the self-concept components, and group spiritual care in order to discover their own suitable attributional styles and self-concept components and benefit from them to strengthen the group spiritual care.

Novel psychoactive substances (NPS) is an umbrella term used to describe a heterogeneous group of compounds that mimic the effects of existing drugs and whose demand and use rapidly emerge, change, or even vanish in the drug market. The novelty of this global phenomenon and its dynamic nature represent major challenges for the scientific community that constantly requires timely evidence-based inputs. Our aim is to review the literature on NPS and compare its temporal evolution according to the topics presented at the International Conference series on NPS over the past decade. Our analysis shows that some new clusters of research recently emerged in comparison to a previous review and that the material presented at the NPS Conferences anticipates the scientific literature by approximately 2.5 years. Such findings not only provide new original insights on the latest NPS trends but also address existing knowledge gaps in the NPS field, while emphasizing the importance of face-to-face thematic events supported by faster publication processes to inform prompt interventions and policy making.

University undergraduates in Nigeria use prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medications for cognitive enhancement and relaxation during examination periods. Such practices can lead to increased toxicity, drug interactions, and other adverse effects. This study investigated the prevalence and pattern of use of prescription and OTC medications amongst undergraduate students at the University of Lagos. Quantitative data were collected from 386 students in 2018. The collected data was analysed using SPSS version 22. The study found that 68% of respondents frequently used prescription and OTC medications, such as non-medical analgesics, caffeine-containing drugs, cough syrups containing codeine, diphenhydramine combinations, bromazepam, antimalarials, and antibiotics, during the examination period. The medications were accessed through community pharmacies and leftover medications at home. The findings highlight the ease of access to these medications as a major contributor to their non-medical use by students. This suggests the need for legislation and a functional regulatory framework to control the sale of medications without a prescription from a qualified medical practitioner and sustained public awareness campaigns on medication use and the potential danger of self-medication.

Background

In a time of unprecedented global change, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a surge in demand of COVID-19 vaccines and related certifications. Mainly due to supply shortages, counterfeit vaccines, fake documentation, and alleged cures to illegal portfolios, have been offered on darkweb marketplaces (DWMs) with important public health consequences. We aimed to profile key DWMs and vendors by presenting some in-depth case studies.

Methods

A non-systematic search for COVID-19 products was performed across 118 DWMs. Levels of activity, credibility, content, COVID-19 product listings, privacy protocols were among the features retrieved. Open web fora and other open web sources were also considered for further analysis of both functional and non functional DWMs. Collected data refers to the period between January 2020 and October 2021.

Results

A total of 42 relevant listings sold by 24 vendors across eight DWMs were identified. Four of these markets were active and well-established at the time of the study with good levels of credibility. COVID-19 products were listed alongside other marketplace content. Vendors had a trusted profile, communicated in English language and accepted payments in cryptocurrencies (Monero or Bitcoin). Their geographical location included the USA, Asia and Europe. While COVID-19 related goods were mostly available for regional supply, other listings were also shipped worldwide.

Interpretation

Findings emerging from this study rise important questions about the health safety of certain DWMs activities and encourage the development of targeted interventions to overcome such new and rapidly expanding public health threats.

Funding

CovSaf, National Research centre on Privacy, Harm Reduction and Adversarial Influence Online (REPHRAIN), Commonwealth Fund.

The Internet offers increased availability and accessibility of medicinal pharmaceuticals including those containing opioids, sedatives and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) drugs through both legal and illegal routes. Sourcing concerns have been further heightened due to the current severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (COVID-19) pandemic which reduced face-to-face access for non-COVID-19 related health conditions and to drug treatment services. This study is the second of a two stage study comprising interviews with three key stakeholders who were policy makers, health care professionals or police, and three individuals who sourced medicinal products online (ISOs). An in-depth case study approach was adopted. Thematic analysis of in-depth case narratives revealed the following key themes; Motivations, initiation, and making the move online; Process of sourcing online; Supply issues and COVID-19; Perception of control; Quality of medications; and Public health recommendations. Motivations for purchasing online are complex and methods to divert and control the supply of medicinal pharmaceuticals are equally complex and difficult to navigate. Novel routes to access now include Telegram, a cross-platform messaging service with enhance encryption and privacy. Whilst stakeholders and ISOs had similar views on the prevalence and ease of access to medication, there were also some substantial differences primarily in terms of perceptions of risk. This study highlights the need for enhanced pharmacovigilance of non-regulated online vendors and the imperatives of continued health messaging around the potential self-directed use of these controlled drugs and the dangers of using websites purporting to be regulated pharmacies.

Background

In Western societies, individuals are increasingly exposed to external stimuli and performance demands. Some individuals are more susceptible than others to both negative and positive environmental conditions. Specifically, high « sensory processing sensitivity » (SPS) can make it difficult to adjust to certain demands. Psychoactive substance use can sometimes be used as a means to reduce external stimulation, but to date there have been few community based studies on this topic.

Methods

We used data from the 2018 French TEMPO based cohort study (n = 862 adults, 25–44 years) to study the relationship between sensory processing sensitivity and use of psychoactive substances including tobacco (regular use), alcohol (AUDIT), cannabis (CAST), and illicit drugs (lifetime use). To ascertain SPS, we used the 12-item Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) scale questionnaire. Data were analysed using logistic regression models adjusted on participants’ demographic characteristics, including gender, age, marital status, educational level, employment status, as well as juvenile history of externalizing problems in 1991 or 1999.

Results

High SPS was observed among 14% of subjects. No association was observed between SPS and psychotropic use. Nevertheless, each additional point on the SPS score was associated with a 20% increase in the odds of alcohol abuse, which came close to statistical significance.

Conclusions

In the community based TEMPO cohort study, we observed no association between SPS and psychotropic substance use among adults. Additional studies in younger samples would be of interest to test the role of this trait on the onset of substance-related difficulties.

Background

Chemsex refers to the use of drugs (e.g. mephedrone, gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB)/gamma-butyrolactone (GBL), methamphetamine, and ketamine) before or during sexual activity. Men who have sex with men (MSM) are a population in which chemsex engagement is prevalent. This poses risks of harm for mental and psychosocial health resulting in the use of healthcare services. This review aims to analyse the extent to which current prevention and harm reduction strategies concerning chemsex meet the healthcare needs of MSM who engage in chemsex in France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, and the United Kingdom.

Methods

Published papers reporting prevention and harm reduction interventions concerning MSM who engage in chemsex were identified through PubMed and Scopus. By utilising a holistic care perspective, data was synthesised concerning social norms within the MSM community, experiences with care providers, healthcare needs, experienced barriers to seek care, and structural barriers to providing care.

Results

Literature search identified 154 unique publications, of which 17 were included in the data synthesis. The cultural acceptance of drug use in both sexual and non-sexual contexts is high within the MSM community. Whereas there is a lack of awareness of chemsex-specific care by sexual health clinics (SHCs), standard drug and health clinics are often experienced negatively. The ability of SHCs to offer support tailored to the needs of MSM who engage in chemsex is often limited by lack of training or lack of referral chains.

Conclusion

As the MSM community and especially MSM who engage in chemsex are quick to adapt to new drug trends, it is important to increase support system resilience for chemsex care. There is a need for training, interorganisational cooperation, and expertise sharing and awareness of quality chemsex services and information. Integrated chemsex care, rapid referral chains, and their evaluations are required to align provided care with healthcare preferences.