The Brief Addiction Science Information Source (BASIS)

The DRAM, Vol. 7(9) - Slipping through the cracks: Underdiagnosis of comorbid mental illness among repeat DUI offenders

This week, the DRAM continues its series focusing on driving under the influence (DUI). This is the last of five issues concentrating on the body of recent DUI research. In the first four issues, DRAM Vol. 7(5), DRAM Vol. 7(6), DRAM Vol. 7(7) , and DRAM Vol. 7(8), we addressed DUI-related trends, methods to detect heavy alcohol consumption and recidivism, the use of ignition interlock devices to reduce DUI behavior, and different psychiatric profiles among DUI offenders. Repeat DUI offenders represent a population of individuals who are at high risk for co-occurring psychiatric disorders (Lapham, C'De Baca, McMillan, & Lapidus,... Read more →

The WAGER, Vol. 16(9) – Help!… maybe: Facilitating treatment engagement among helpline callers

Few people who experience gambling problems seek help for those problems (Slutske, 2006). Some of these untreated individuals recover on their own. Others who might benefit from treatment avoid it due to ambivalence or barriers. For this second group, first points of contact might serve as important opportunities to promote treatment engagement. This week, the WAGER reviews a study that investigated factors that predict treatment engagement among individuals calling a gambling problem helpline (Weinstock et al., 2011). Method Participants were 2,912 individuals who called the West Virginia gambling problem helpline and were offered in-person assessments; 82% of these participants qualified... Read more →

STASH, Vol. 7(9): Taking Matters into Their Own Hands: Cannabis Use Following Inpatient Treatment for PTSD among a Sample of Military Veterans

Military Veterans who have experienced trauma are at increased risk for PTSD symptoms and cannabis use among other disorders (Bremner et al., 1996). In line with Khantzian’s self-medication hypothesis (Khantzian, 1985), people might turn to cannabis as an attempt to cope with PTSD symptoms, including anxious arousal and sleep disturbance. Research suggests that individuals who have experienced trauma are a particularly vulnerable population for relapsing to cannabis use after a period of discontinuation (Bremner et al., 1996). The study we review in this week’s STASH (Bonn-Miller et al., 2011) was the first to examine cannabis use among American Veterans following... Read more →

Addiction & the Humanities, Vol. 7(8): Are We “Hooked”? The Success of Addiction Memoirs

With the number of available addiction memoirs, one would expect that the last thing the public wants is yet another story about addiction and recovery. However, the genre of addiction memoirs has thrived for a very long time. Writers and non-writers alike have documented their battles with drug addiction in books that have become popular with readers who are in recovery, as well as readers who simply are curious about the issue. Despite their popularity, many observers continue to criticize addiction memoirs as being everything from unnecessary to dangerous. Readers’ reviews on websites like Amazon.com and GoodReads.com include these reproaches.... Read more →