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Acta Psychiatr Scand 2019 Jan 28. Epub 2019 Jan 28.

The National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark.

Objective: To examine the association between parental alcohol use disorder (AUD) with and without other mental disorders and offspring AUD.

Methods: Using data from Danish nationwide registers, we identified 15 477 offspring with parental AUD and 154 392 reference individuals from the general population. Parental AUD was defined as registration for AUD treatment. Read More

Alcohol Alcohol 2018 Dec 20. Epub 2018 Dec 20.

Division of Primary Care, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham, UK.

Aims: The aim of this study was to describe healthcare utilisation, morbidities and monitoring of alcohol use in patients prior to a diagnosis of alcoholic psychosis in order to inform the early identification of patients at risk.

Methods: Using linked general practice and hospitalisation data in England (April 1997 to June 2014), we identified 1731 individuals (≥18 years) with a clinical recorded diagnosis of alcoholic psychosis and 17,310 matched controls without the disorder, we examined all prior general practitioner (family doctor) visits, hospitalisations, medically recorded morbidities and alcohol assessment/interventions records. Poisson regression models were used to compare rates of healthcare utilisation in people with alcoholic psychosis to those without. Read More

Cureus 2018 Aug 23;10(8):e3195. Epub 2018 Aug 23.

Neurology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, USA.

Background Recent trends in the legalization of marijuana in many states are increasing the popularity of recreational marijuana use. Since current data on hospitalizations in marijuana users is sparse, we evaluated the primary reasons for admissions, procedures and associated healthcare burden in hospitalized recreational marijuana users. Methods The National Inpatient Sample (NIS) for the years 2010-2014 was queried for the hospitalizations with a history of recreational marijuana usage using applicable ICD-9 CM codes. Read More

J Basic Clin Physiol Pharmacol 2018 Oct 2;30(2):153-162. Epub 2018 Oct 2.

Clinical Research Unit, Children's Hospital Research Institute of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.

Wernicke encephalopathy (WE) and Korsakoff psychosis (KP), together termed Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome (WKS), are distinct yet overlapping neuropsychiatric disorders associated with thiamine deficiency. Thiamine pyrophosphate, the biologically active form of thiamine, is essential for multiple biochemical pathways involved in carbohydrate utilization. Both genetic susceptibilities and acquired deficiencies as a result of alcoholic and non-alcoholic factors are associated with thiamine deficiency or its impaired utilization. Read More

Psychol Addict Behav 2018 Nov 27;32(7):770-778. Epub 2018 Sep 27.

Research Institute on Addictions.

Diagnosis of mental illness (MI) inconsistently predicts aggressive behavior although co-occurrence of substance use appears to increase the frequency of aggression in MI populations. We propose that alcohol use should moderate the relationship between mental disorders marked by deficits in self-control and aggression and victimization. In the present study, alcohol use, physical aggression perpetration, physical aggression victimization, injury and psychiatric symptoms were assessed in a sample of 297 substance use disorder patients (102 women; = 38. Read More

Minerva Med 2018 Oct 2;109(5):369-385. Epub 2018 Jul 2.

Italian Society on Alcohol, Bologna, Italy.

Various epidemiological and biological evaluations and the recent publication of the DSM-V (diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders) has imposed on the scientific community a period of reflection on the diagnosis and treatment of what in the DSM-IV was defined as "addiction". To date, the term "addiction" has been replaced by the DSM-5, because there is no global scientific consensus that has unequivocally characterized its clinical characteristics. This, we will talk about substance/alcohol use disorders (SUDs/AUDs) and disorders related to behavioral alterations (DBA) that can generate organic diseases, mental disorders, and social problems. Read More

Int Psychogeriatr 2019 Jan 20;31(1):39-47. Epub 2018 Jun 20.

Centre of Excellence for Korsakoff and Alcohol-Related Cognitive Disorders,Vincent van Gogh Institute for Psychiatry,Venray,the Netherlands.

ABSTRACTObjectives:Errorless learning is a promising rehabilitation principle for learning tasks in patients with amnesia, including patients with Korsakoff's syndrome. Errorless learning might possibly also contribute to decreases in behavioral and psychiatric problems, as patients in long-term care facilities become more independent after training. The aim of this study was to examine the effects of errorless learning on potential changes in psychotic and affective symptoms, aggression and apathy, in contrast with a control group who received care as usual. Read More

Alcohol Alcohol 2018 Jul;53(4):448-452

Division of General Internal Medicine, Erie County Medical Center, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, 462 Grider Street, Buffalo, NY, USA.

Aims: Hospital readmissions serve as a major benchmark for the quality of care and alcohol withdrawal (AW) may lead to multiple hospitalizations and readmissions. We sought to evaluate readmission rates and predictors of having AW-related readmissions in a nationally representative sample.

Short Summary: In a nationally representative sample, AW readmission within 30 days and multiple readmissions during the year were high and were particularly predicted by discharge against medical advice (AMA), comorbid psychosis, comorbid depression, poor socioeconomic status, comorbid drug abuse and alcohol-related medical disease. Read More

J Epidemiol Community Health 2018 Jul 26;72(7):582-588. Epub 2018 Mar 26.

Department of Public Health and Community Medicine/Primary Health Care, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden.

Background: While risk of premature death is most pronounced among persons with severe mental illness, also milder conditions are associated with increased all-cause mortality. We examined non-psychotic mental (NPM) disorders and specific causes of natural death in a cohort of late adolescent men followed for up to 46 years.

Methods: Prospective cohort study of Swedish males (n=1 784 626) who took part in structured conscription interviews 1968-2005. Read More

Can J Psychiatry 2018 06 21;63(6):395-403. Epub 2018 Mar 21.

3 Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, Toronto, Ontario.

Objective: There is a dearth of information on people with first-episode psychosis who do not access specialized early psychosis intervention (EPI) services. We sought to estimate the proportion of incident cases of nonaffective psychosis that do not access these services and to examine factors associated with EPI admission.

Methods: Using health administrative data, we constructed a retrospective cohort of incident cases of nonaffective psychosis in the catchment area of the Prevention and Early Intervention Program for Psychoses (PEPP) in London, Ontario, between 1997 and 2013. Read More

J Stud Alcohol Drugs 2018 01;79(1):137-147

Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy Tübingen, University of Tübingen, Germany.

Objective: Cue reactivity is an automatic reaction to alcohol-related cues, contributing to the maintenance of drinking behavior and relapse in alcohol dependency. The identification of valid cue-reactivity features is a prerequisite for its clinical application. We were interested in the effects of visual features of alcohol cues (e. Read More

Rev Epidemiol Sante Publique 2017 Nov 27;65(6):443-452. Epub 2017 Oct 27.

Service d'addictologie, CHU Félix-Guyon, route de Bellepierre, 97405 Saint-Denis cedex, La Réunion; Fédération régionale d'addictologie de La Réunion, CHU Félix-Guyon, route de Bellepierre, 97405 Saint-Denis cedex, La Réunion. Electronic address:

Background: France has a complex system for the taxation of alcoholic beverages. In the French overseas territories (FOT), the system includes little-known specificities whose purpose is to preserve the sugar-cane-rum sector, a pillar for the weak economies in these territories. Taxes are reduced for traditional rums produced and sold locally. Read More

Aust N Z J Psychiatry 2017 Nov 1;51(11):1134-1141. Epub 2016 Dec 1.

2 Department of Psychiatry, The First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China.

Objective: As there is growing evidence outlining varying degrees of social, economic and cultural changes among minority groups in China, there was a need to undertake research to determine whether modernization and urbanization of China has had an impact on the mental health of individuals from minority groups. In 1979, the Jino ethnic minority group was the last minority group to be designated a minority by the Chinese Central Government. As a direct result of the Chinese Government intervention, the Jino society began transitioning from a traditional rural lifestyle existence to that of a more modern urban lifestyle. Read More

Int J Qual Health Care 2017 Oct;29(5):642-645

Department of Emergency Medicine, University of California at San Francisco, 1001 Potrero Ave, 1E21, San Francisco, CA 94110, USA.

Objective: To better characterize and understand the nature of a very conservative definition of 'avoidable' emergency department (ED) visits in the United States to provide policymakers insight into what interventions can target non-urgent ED visits.

Design/setting: We performed a retrospective analysis of a very conservative definition of 'avoidable' ED visits using data from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey from 2005 to 2011.

Participants: We examined a total of 115 081 records, representing 424 million ED visits made by patients aged 18-64 years who were seen in the ED and discharged home. Read More

BMC Geriatr 2017 09 18;17(1):219. Epub 2017 Sep 18.

Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.

Background: Few studies have addressed the relationship between dementia and crime. We conducted a study of persons who got a primary or secondary diagnosis of dementia or cognitive disorder in a forensic psychiatric examination.

Methods: In Sweden, annually about 500 forensic psychiatric examinations are carried out. Read More

Indian J Psychiatry 2017 Apr-Jun;59(2):149-156

Senior Research Fellow, Health Action by People, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, India.

Background: Estimates of psychiatric morbidity in the community will help service development. Participation of trained nonspecialist health-care providers will facilitate scaling up of services in resource-limited settings.

Aims: This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of priority mental health problems in populations served by the District Mental Health Program (DMHP). Read More

Drug Metab Pers Ther 2017 09;32(3):129-136

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Background: Haloperidol is used for the treatment of alcohol use disorders in patients with signs of alcohol-related psychosis. Haloperidol therapy poses a high risk of adverse drug reactions (ADR). Contradictory data, which include the effects of genetic polymorphisms in genes encoding the elements of haloperidol biotransformation system on haloperidol metabolism rate and plasma drug concentration ratio, are described in patients with different genotypes. Read More

J Dual Diagn 2017 Oct-Dec;13(4):247-253. Epub 2017 Jun 30.

c School of Education, Health & Social Studies , Dalarna University , Falun , Sweden.

Objective: It is common for persons with psychiatric disorders to also have alcohol problems. Studies in the general population as well as in clinical samples have found hazardous or harmful alcohol habits to be particularly prevalent in the presence of psychiatric disorders. This study sought to explore the relationships between drinking habits and health care utilization (psychiatric as well as general medical) in persons seeking psychiatric treatment and to investigate the associations among age, sex, and type or number of diagnoses and health care use and costs. Read More

Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2018 Apr 24;268(3):219-229. Epub 2017 Apr 24.

Klinik für Abhängiges Verhalten und Suchtmedizin, Zentralinstitut für Seelische Gesundheit, Medizinische Fakultät Mannheim, Universität Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.

Alcohol use disorders (AUD) have a high comorbidity with mental disorders. Vice versa, alcohol consumption plays an important role in affective disorders, anxiety disorders, ADHD, schizophrenic psychosis, and other mental disorders. In developing the current interdisciplinary, evidence-based treatment guideline on screening, diagnostics, and treatment of AUD, available research on comorbid mental diseases in AUD has been compiled to generate recommendations for treatment. Read More

Psychol Med 2017 Oct 20;47(14):2461-2471. Epub 2017 Apr 20.

Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine,Université de Montréal,Montreal, Quebec,Canada.

Background: Many studies have concluded that cannabis use disorder (CUD) negatively influences outcomes in first-episode psychosis (FEP). However, few have taken into account the impact of concurrent misuse of other substances.

Methods: This 2-year, prospective, longitudinal study of FEP patients, aged between 18 and 30 years, admitted to early intervention programs in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, examined the specific influence of different substance use disorders (SUD) (alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, amphetamines) on service utilization, symptomatic and functional outcomes in FEP. Read More

Psychiatry Res 2017 Feb 27;248:83-86. Epub 2016 Oct 27.

Addiction Unit (PROAD) - Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Brazil.

Vitamin D is associated with bone mineral density, and its deficiency is a global health problem. In psychiatry, low vitamin D levels have been associated with schizophrenia, depression, psychotic symptoms, and, more recently, alcohol use disorders. Alcohol use disorders are among the most prevalent mental disorders worldwide. Read More

Drug Alcohol Depend 2017 Jan 10;170:102-111. Epub 2016 Nov 10.

Mental Health Service Administration, Department of Mental Health, 88/20 Moo 4, Soi 4, Muang, Nonthaburi 11000, Thailand.

Introduction: Although underage drinking is a global concern, little is known about the relationship between age at first drink and development of various psychiatric comorbidities.

Methods: A secondary data analysis was done among 2928 lifetime drinkers from the Thai National Mental Health Survey 2013. Age at first drink, and onset of related psychiatric outcomes were inquired. Read More

Schizophr Bull 2017 01 21;43(1):32-43. Epub 2016 Nov 21.

Hearing the Voice, c/o School of Education, Durham University, Durham, UK.

Hallucinations constitute one of the 5 symptom domains of psychotic disorders in DSM-5, suggesting diagnostic significance for that group of disorders. Although specific featural properties of hallucinations (negative voices, talking in the third person, and location in external space) are no longer highlighted in DSM, there is likely a residual assumption that hallucinations in schizophrenia can be identified based on these candidate features. We investigated whether certain featural properties of hallucinations are specifically indicative of schizophrenia by conducting a systematic review of studies showing direct comparisons of the featural and clinical characteristics of (auditory and visual) hallucinations among 2 or more population groups (one of which included schizophrenia). Read More

Psychiatr Serv 2017 Apr 15;68(4):390-395. Epub 2016 Nov 15.

Dr. Poremski, Ms. Lim, and Mr. Alexander are with the Research Division, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore (e-mail: ). Dr. Kunjithapatham, Ms. Koh, and Dr. Lee are with Emergency Services, Institute of Mental Health, Singapore.

Objective: This study used administrative data to identify characteristics of frequent users of Singapore's largest specialized psychiatric emergency department (ED). Qualitative interviews were conducted to understand staff opinions of frequent visitors.

Methods: Data were from administrative records of all adult visits to the ED (N=16,123 visits of 10,108 individual users) in 2014. Read More

Psychol Med 2017 Mar 10;47(4):655-668. Epub 2016 Nov 10.

Department of Psychiatric Research,Diakonhjemmet Hospital,Oslo,Norway.

Background: Excessive alcohol use is associated with brain damage but less is known about brain effects from moderate alcohol use. Previous findings indicate that patients with severe mental illness, particularly schizophrenia, are vulnerable to alcohol-related brain damage. We investigated the association between levels of alcohol consumption and cortical and subcortical brain structures in schizophrenia and bipolar disorder patients and healthy controls, and investigated for group differences for this association. Read More

J Affect Disord 2017 Jan 14;208:316-324. Epub 2016 Oct 14.

NORMENT, KG Jebsen Centre for Psychosis Research, Oslo University Hospital and Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.

Background: Affective dysregulation is a core feature of bipolar disorder (BD), and inter-episodic affect lability is associated with more severe outcomes including comorbidity. Rates of daily tobacco smoking and substance use disorders in BD are high. Knowledge regarding relationships between affective lability and abuse of the most commonly used substances such as tobacco, alcohol and cannabis in BD is limited. Read More

J Psychiatr Res 2017 01 15;84:227-236. Epub 2016 Oct 15.

Department of Psychiatry, Research Unit of Clinical Neuroscience, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 5000, Peltolantie 17, 90014 Oulu, Finland.

Relatively little is known about fatal motor vehicle accidents (FMVA) involving drivers with psychiatric disorders. In this study of all drivers killed in FMVAs in Finland between 1990 and 2011, we aimed to study drivers' death rate trends in FMVAs, with special focus on drivers with a history of psychiatric disorders. Prevalence of drivers' hospital treated psychiatric disorders, and characteristics of drivers with psychiatric disorders were also studied. Read More

J Clin Psychopharmacol 2016 Oct;36(5):535-7

Department of Psychiatry, Jawaharlal Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), Puducherry, India. Department of Psychiatry, JIPMER, Puducherry, India Department of Psychiatry, JIPMER, Puducherry, India.

PLoS One 2016 24;11(3):e0152223. Epub 2016 Mar 24.

Department of Health and Social Care Systems, Health and Social Systems Research Unit, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland.

Unselected population-based nationwide studies on the excess mortality of individuals with severe mental disorders are scarce with regard to several important causes of death. Using comprehensive register data, we set out to examine excess mortality and its trends among patients with severe mental disorders compared to the total population. Patients aged 25-74 and hospitalised with severe mental disorders in 1990-2010 in Finland were identified using the national hospital discharge register and linked individually to population register data on mortality and demographics. Read More

Epilepsy Behav 2016 Apr 16;57(Pt B):234-7. Epub 2016 Feb 16.

Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London WC1N3BG, UK.

Associations between epilepsy and musical or poetic composition have received little attention. We reviewed the literature on links between poetic and musical skills and epilepsy, limiting this to the Western canon. While several composers were said to have had epilepsy, John Hughes concluded that none of the major classical composers thought to have had epilepsy actually had it. Read More

Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 2016 Apr 22;51(4):575-87. Epub 2016 Jan 22.

Departamento de Neurociências e Ciências do Comportamento, Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto-USP, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Avenida Bandeirantes 3900, Ribeirão Preto, SP, CEP: 14048-900, Brazil.

Purpose: This study aims to verify the impact that the length of stay has on the rates of readmission for patients who were first admitted to various inpatient psychiatric units in a large catchment area in a middle-income country.

Methods: The study included all patients who were first admitted to the 108 acute psychiatric beds available in the catchment area of Ribeirão Preto, Brazil, for a period of 8 years. Demographic features, inpatient unit of discharge, diagnosis and length of stay were assessed by bivariate analysis. Read More

Compr Psychiatry 2016 Feb 23;65:57-62. Epub 2015 Oct 23.

Alpert Medical School of Brown University Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Providence, RI, USA; Butler Hospital Psychosocial Research Program, Providence, RI, USA.

Background: Published data suggest that cannabis use is associated with several negative consequences for individuals with bipolar disorder (BD), including new manic episode onset, psychosis, and functional disability. Yet much less is known about cannabis use disorders (CUDs) in this population, especially in more acutely symptomatic groups.

Methods: To evaluate correlates of CUD comorbidity in BD, a retrospective chart review was conducted for 230 adult patients with bipolar I disorder (BDI) who were admitted to a university-affiliated private psychiatric hospital. Read More

PLoS Med 2015 Dec 1;12(12):e1001909. Epub 2015 Dec 1.

Department of Public Health, Erasmus University Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

Background: Socioeconomic inequalities in alcohol-related mortality have been documented in several European countries, but it is unknown whether the magnitude of these inequalities differs between countries and whether these inequalities increase or decrease over time.

Methods And Findings: We collected and harmonized data on mortality from four alcohol-related causes (alcoholic psychosis, dependence, and abuse; alcoholic cardiomyopathy; alcoholic liver cirrhosis; and accidental poisoning by alcohol) by age, sex, education level, and occupational class in 20 European populations from 17 different countries, both for a recent period and for previous points in time, using data from mortality registers. Mortality was age-standardized using the European Standard Population, and measures for both relative and absolute inequality between low and high socioeconomic groups (as measured by educational level and occupational class) were calculated. Read More

BMC Psychiatry 2015 Sep 25;15:230. Epub 2015 Sep 25.

Kenya Medical Research Institute, Nairobi, Kenya.

Background: Alcohol use and hazardous drinking have been studied in school children and in urban areas of Kenya, but there has been no adult survey of these issues in a rural household population.

Methods: This study reports the prevalence of alcohol consumption and hazardous drinking in a household survey of a demographic surveillance site in rural Kenya. Information collected included demographic characteristics, socio-economic factors, recent life events and perceived social support. Read More

J Addict Nurs 2015 Jul-Sep;26(3):120-8; quiz E1

Kylee J. Hagler, MS, Rosa E. Muñoz, MS, and Alyssa A. Forcehimes, PhD, Center on Alcoholism, Substance Abuse, and Addictions, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque. Samara L. Rice, PhD, Research Institute on Addictions, University of New York at Buffalo. Julie G. Salvador, PhD, Department of Psychiatry, Center for Rural and Community Behavioral Health, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque. Michael P. Bogenschutz, MD, Center on Alcoholism, Substance Abuse, and Addictions, University of New Mexico, and Department of Psychiatry, University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center, Albuquerque.

Most U.S. healthcare professionals encourage mutual-help group involvement as an adjunct to treatment or aftercare for individuals with substance use disorders, yet there are multiple challenges in engaging in these community groups. Read More

Lancet Psychiatry 2015 Aug;2(8):674-675

School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Academic Director for Old Age Psychiatry, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

Alcohol Alcohol 2016 Jan 3;51(1):71-6. Epub 2015 Jun 3.

Department of Behavioural Sciences in Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.

Aims: To investigate the prevalence and temporal patterns of hazardous drinking and risk factors during medical school for future hazardous drinking among doctors.

Methods: Two cohorts of graduating medical students (N = 1052) from all four Norwegian universities (NORDOC) were surveyed in their final year of medical school training (1993/94 and 1999) (T1) and again 4 (T2) and 10 (T3) years later. Longitudinally, 53% (562/1052) of the sample responded at all three time points. Read More

Addiction 2015 Sep 14;110(9):1443-52. Epub 2015 Jul 14.

Centre for Social Research on Alcohol and Drugs (SoRAD), Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.

Aims: To investigate age, period and cohort effects on time trends of alcohol-related mortality in countries with different drinking habits and alcohol policies.

Design And Setting: Age-period-cohort (APC) analyses on alcohol-related mortality were conducted in Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, France and Germany.

Participants: Cases included alcohol-related deaths in the age range 20-84 years between 1980 and 2009. Read More

Soc Psychiatry Psychiatr Epidemiol 2015 Aug 14;50(8):1267-76. Epub 2015 Feb 14.

Norwegian Institute of Public Health, P.O. Box 4404, Nydalen, 0403, Oslo, Norway,

Purpose: To compare the prevalence and pattern of comorbid substance use disorders (SUD) between patients with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and depressive illness.

Methods: Data on presence of alcohol use disorder (AUD) and non-alcohol drug use disorder (DUD) were retrieved from the Norwegian Patient Register for individuals born between 1950 and 1989 who in the period 2009-2013 were diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or depressive illness according to the 10th version of the WHO International Classification of Diseases. The prevalence of AUD only, DUD only, or both was compared between men and women across age and diagnostic groups. Read More

Alcohol Alcohol 2015 Mar 12;50(2):200-5. Epub 2015 Jan 12.

Grodno State Medical University, 80 Gorky Street, Grodno 230009, Belarus

Aims: To test the hypothesis of beverage-specific effect in Russia on the incidence rate of alcoholic psychoses (a known indicator of a population's alcohol-related problems).

Methods: Time series analytical modeling techniques (ARIMA) were used to examine the relation between the sales of different alcoholic beverages (vodka, wine, beer) and alcoholic psychoses incidence rate between 1970 and 2013.

Results: The analysis suggests that of the three beverages vodka alone was associated with alcoholic psychoses incidence rate. Read More

Acta Psychiatr Scand 2015 Jul 9;132(1):60-8. Epub 2015 Jan 9.

Division of Psychiatry Research, The Zucker Hillside Hospital, North Shore-Long Island Jewish Health System, Glen Oaks, NY, USA.

Objective: Cannabis use has been examined as a predictor of psychosis in clinical high-risk (CHR) samples, but little is known about the impact of other substances on this relationship.

Method: Substance use was assessed in a large sample of CHR participants (N = 370, mean age = 18.3) enrolled in the multisite North American Prodrome Longitudinal Study Phase 1 project. Read More

Drug Alcohol Depend 2014 Nov 3;144:127-33. Epub 2014 Sep 3.

Minneapolis VA Health Care System. One Veterans Drive, Minneapolis, MN 55417, USA; University of Minnesota Medical School. One Veterans Drive, Minneapolis, MN 55417, USA.

Background: American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/ANs) have high rates of tobacco use compared to the general population. AI/ANs also have elevated rates of psychiatric and substance use disorders associated with nicotine dependence. However, very few studies have examined the comorbidity between nicotine dependence and psychiatric and substance use disorders within this population. Read More

Psychol Med 2015 Apr 17;45(5):1103-13. Epub 2014 Sep 17.

Department of Psychology,University of Minnesota,Minneapolis,MN,USA.

Background: Co-morbidity among use of different substances can be explained by a shared underlying dimensional factor. What remains unknown is whether the relationship between substance use and various co-morbid mental disorders can be explained solely by the general factor or whether there remain unique contributions of specific substances.

Method: Data were from the 2007 Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing (NSMHWB). Read More

J Paediatr Child Health 2014 Sep 18;50(9):726-31. Epub 2014 Jun 18.

The Department of Adolescent Medicine, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Aim: The aim of this study is to review the operation of a specialist adolescent drug and alcohol consultation liaison service in a tertiary paediatric hospital.

Method: A retrospective review of patient records was conducted to identify patient characteristics and assess service utilisation.

Results: Two hundred adolescents were referred over 4 years. Read More

Nervenarzt 2014 Jul;85(7):816-21

Psychiatrische Klinik, Universität München, München, Deutschland,

Alcohol and drugs use are of great relevance for driving ability. The number of alcohol-related accidents with injuries in Germany showed a 40 % decline over the past decade (2011: 15,898 including 400 deaths, other drugs 1400). Road surveys indicate the risk of accidents to be high in psychostimulant users but only medium in opioid users. Read More

Schizophr Res 2014 Jul 14;156(2-3):277-80. Epub 2014 May 14.

Hotchkiss Brain Institute, Department of Psychiatry, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Electronic address:

Elevated rates of substance use (alcohol, tobacco, cannabis) have been reported in people at clinical high risk (CHR) of developing psychosis and there is some evidence that substance use may be higher in those who convert to a psychosis compared to non-converters. However little is known about the predictive value of substance use on risk of conversion to psychosis in those at CHR of psychosis. In the current study, 170 people at CHR of psychosis were assessed at baseline on severity of alcohol, tobacco and cannabis using the Alcohol and Drug Use Scale. Read More

Compr Psychiatry 2014 Jul 25;55(5):1116-21. Epub 2014 Feb 25.

Bipolar Disorder Program (PROMAN), Department of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil.

Objectives: To investigate prevalence rates and clinical correlates of alcohol use disorders (AUD) among bipolar disorder (BD) patients in a large sample from the Brazilian Bipolar Research Network.

Methods: Four hundred and eighty-three DSM-IV BD patients, divided according to the presence or absence of a lifetime AUD diagnosis (BD-AUD vs. BD-nonAUD), were included. Read More