The Brief Addiction Science Information Source (BASIS)

The WAGER, Vol. 13(2) - Chickens, Eggs, and Psychiatric Comorbidity Among PGs

People with gambling-related problems also are likely to qualify for other psychiatric disorders (McIntyre et al., 2007; Shaffer et al., 2007). Understanding the temporal sequence of PG and comorbid disorders can provide information about how PG relates to other disorders and suggests causal links. Unfortunately, there is little research that clarifies how the onset of PG relates temporally to the onset of other disorders. This week’s WAGER reviews a large epidemiological study by Kessler, Hwang, LaBrie, Petukhova, Sampson, Winters & Shaffer (2008), which investigated comorbid disorders among people with PG. In addition, this study examined the temporal onset of PG... Read more →

STASH Vol. 4(2) - College students going green: Can college students use cannabis responsibly?

Despite the illegality of cannabis in the United States, between 30 and 40 percent of college students report having used cannabis during the past year (Eaton et al., 2006; Johnston, O'Malley, Bachman, & Schulenberg, 2007; Mohler-Kuo, Lee, & Wechsler, 2003). There is little evidence about the prevalence of Cannabis Use Disorder (American Psychiatric Association, 1994) among college students. This week’s STASH examines research conducted by Caldeira, Arria, O'Grady, Vincent, & Wish (2008) examining rates of Cannabis Use Disorder and cannabis-related problems among first-year college students. Researchers administered a brief survey to 3,401 incoming first-year students (89% of the freshman class)... Read more →

Addiction & The Humanities Vol. 4(2) - Live Fast, Die Young? Maybe Not.

Media reports and speculation associate celebrity status with early death. Supporting this relationship, qualitative research has concluded that celebrities are more likely to suffer from stress, substance use, and depression, which are risk factors for early death (Patalano, 2000; Raeburn, 1999). This week’s BASIS explores quantitative research about this topic. In “Elvis to Eminem,” Mark Bellis and his colleagues hypothesized that “popstars” would have a higher mortality rate than individuals from matching demographics (e.g., age, sex, and race) in the general population (Bellis et al., 2007). Bellis et al. focused on European and North American music stars within six genres:... Read more →

ASHES Vol. 4(2) - Can You Teach an Old Dog New Tricks? Smoking Cessation Interventions among Older Adults

Smoking cessation interventions vary in effectiveness (West, McNeill, & Raw, 2000) and scant research has examined how age impacts effectiveness. Most participants in smoking cessation studies are relatively young (Connolly, 2000). Perhaps investigators assume that older adults would not be interested in, or benefit from, smoking treatment, or that it would be easier to enroll younger adults in research. However, there is evidence that older adults are as responsive to cessation programs as younger adults (Glynn, 1988; Morgan et al., 1996). In this week’s ASHES, we examine recent research on a smoking cessation intervention among older adults. Tait, Hulse, Waterreus,... Read more →