The Brief Addiction Science Information Source (BASIS)

STASH, Vol. 10(2) - Intimate partner violence and substance use disorders: Is integrated treatment best?

There is a strong relationship between substance use and intimate partner violence (e.g., Kraanen, Vedel, Scholing, & Emmelkamp, 2013); many people who perpetuate IPV also struggle with substance use disorders. An integrated treatment program—one that targets both IPV and substance use concurrently—might be more effective than non-integrated treatment in reducing both IPV and risky substance use. This week, The STASH reviews a study that compared the effectiveness of an integrated program against one that primarily addresses substance use disorders (Kraanen, Vedel, Scholing, & Emmelkamp, 2013). Methods The participants were 53 adults (mean age = 36 years; 70% men) recruited from... Read more →

Introduction to Special Series on Homelessness and Economic Hardship

No segment of the population is immune from the effects of addiction to substances or harmful behaviors. However, some groups are especially hard-hit. During the month of January, when many communities conduct point-in-time estimates of their homeless populations, the BASIS is dedicating its attention to the experience of addiction among people who are homeless or struggling with economic hardship. The relationship between addiction and economic hardship is complicated: for some people, experiencing substance use disorders and other forms of addiction might contribute to economic hardship and homelessness; among others, the strained caused by financial and housing instability might contribute to... Read more →

ASHES, Vol. 10(1) - Homeless or not, where there’s smoke, there’s desire: Smoking and desire to quit among homeless individuals

In the absence of affordable alternatives, some people turn to risky behaviors as a way to cope with stress. Homelessness presents a unique set of challenges that could exacerbate risky health behaviors such as smoking cigarettes. Research has identified higher rates of smoking in homeless populations compared to the general population (CDC, 2011). In this fourth installment of our Special Series on Homelessness and Economic Hardship, we examine the links among homelessness, smoking behavior, and the desire to quit smoking. Methods Researchers used results from the 2009 Health Center Patient Survey, a cross-sectional survey administered to 2678 patients at community... Read more →

Announcing The BASIS 2014-2015 Editorial Board

The BASIS is proud to announce the members of its 2014-2015 Editorial Board. We appreciate their service and look forward to incorporating their expertise into our content over the next two years. Mark J. Albanese, MD Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry Harvard Medical School Medical Director, Addictions Cambridge Health Alliance Bo J. Bernhard, PhD Assistant Professor Departments of Sociology and Hotel Management Director of Gambling Research, International Gaming Institute University of Nevada, Las Vegas Kah Sin Cho, MA, CAS UNAIDS Country Director for Indonesia Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) Nancy Costikyan, MSW, LICSW Director, Office of Work/Life Lecturer... Read more →

The DRAM, Vol. 10(1) – Inhibition or indulgence? Changes in drinking behavior during the great recession

During the Great Recession of 2007-2009, the unemployment rate in the United States doubled from just under 5% during 2007 up to a high of 10% during 2009 (Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), 2013). It is unclear how economic hardship affects drinking behaviors (Catalano, Dooley, & Wilson, 1993; Ruhm & Black, 2002). This week the DRAM reviews a study that attempts to shed some light upon this issue by examining drinking habits in the US changed during the recent recession (Bor, Basu, Coutts et al., 2013), as part of our Special Series on Homelessness and Economic Hardship. Methods Researchers used... Read more →

The WAGER, Vol. 19(1) - From full house to no house: Housing stability and gambling-related problems

Housing stability refers to individuals’ likelihood of maintaining (or not) a permanent home. Although researchers have found that low-income individuals are likely to engage in gambling (Nower, Eyrich-Garg, Pollio, & North, 2014), surprisingly few studies of gambling and homelessness are available (e.g., Afifi et al., 2010; Declan et al., 2007). This week’s WAGER reviews a study that examined the relationship between housing stability and gambling-related problems (Gattis & Cunningham-Williams, 2011), as part of our Special Series on Homelessness and Economic Hardship. Methods The authors recruited 315 individuals via advertising in newspapers and flyers. The 312 survey participants included individuals who... Read more →

STASH, Vol. 10(1) - I get high with a little help from my friends

Homeless youth are more likely to have substance-using peers than housed youth (Greene, Ennett, & Ringwalt, 1997). As a result, among homeless youth, peers might tend to reinforce high-risk behaviors, a process known as “deviancy training” (Dishion & Dodge, 2005). However, we know little about which peer characteristics predict shared drinking and drug use among homeless youth, and this information will be important to designing the most effect interventions. Today’s STASH reviews a study examining the characteristics of people with whom homeless youth engage in substance use (Green et al., 2013), as part of our Special Series on Homelessness and... Read more →