The Brief Addiction Science Information Source (BASIS)

STASH, Vol.14(2) - 🍃🍃 Is that what they’re calling marijuana now?

This week, STASH reviews a study by Sean Simpson and his colleagues that demonstrates the usefulness of a computer programming technique to identify newly emerging terms for drugs by analyzing social media content. Read more →

STASH, Vol. 14(1) - Substance use: Housing First or treatment as usual?

This week, as part of our Special Series on Addiction and Homelessness, STASH reviews a study by Karen Urbanoski and her colleagues that explores how substance use disorder relates to the effectiveness of Housing First Programs. Read more →

STASH, Vol. 13(13): Does physician education have a role in the opioid epidemic?

The Centers for Disease Control suggest that every day, 91 Americans die from an opioid overdose[1]. The development of opioid dependence and addiction is complex, and some have focused on the contributing role of prescription medications to what has been commonly been called the opioid epidemic. One supply-side policy aimed at curbing the crisis involves reducing the over-prescription of opioids. This week, STASH reviews a study by Janet Currie and Molly Schnell that looks at how opioid prescription relates to physician education. What is the research question? Is the quality of physician education related to opioid prescribing? What did the... Read more →

STASH, Vol. 13(12) - Comparing Naltrexone and Buprenorphine-naloxone: Which reduces opioid relapse?

To prevent opioid relapse, doctors can turn to medication assisted treatment (MAT), which often includes combining counseling with medications such as methadone, Buprenorphine, or extended-release naltrexone. Previous research with criminal justice offenders has shown extended release naltrexone to reduce relapse by about 30%. However, little is known about how extended release naltrexone, a newer form of treatment, compared to more traditional forms of treatment, such as Buprenorphine for opioid relapse prevention within the general population. This week’s STASH reviews a study by Dr. Joshua Lee and his colleagues that assessed the effectiveness of both extended-release naltrexone and Buprenorphine-naloxone for opioid... Read more →

STASH, Vol. 13(11) - #NotHowThatDrugShouldBeUsed: Tweets on nonmedical use of prescription drugs

Recently, computer scientists have been developing algorithms for sifting through social media feeds and searching key terms and topics to predict diverse outcomes related to the stock market, shopping habits, depression, and more. This week’s STASH reviews surveillance of Twitter traffic by Janani Kalyanam and her colleagues. They searched millions of tweets for references to nonmedical use of prescription drugs. What was the research question? Is it possible to monitor Twitter traffic to detect trends in nonmedical use of prescription drugs? What did the researchers do? Between June and November 2015, Kalyanam and her colleagues used Twitter’s Application Programming Interface... Read more →

STASH, Vol. 13(9) - For work or pleasure: What’s influencing non-prescribed stimulant use among US adolescents?

Non-prescribed stimulant use (NPSU) among adolescents is estimated to be 16.7% by age 18. Although, among college students NPSU is often used as a study aid for academic achievement, much less is known about the reasons younger adolescents engage in NPSU. This week’s STASH kicks off our Special Series on Youth Risky Behavior with a review of a study from Kenneth Leon and Dr. Daniel Martinez published in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs, which examined risk factors associated with NPSU among middle and high school students. What was the research question? What factors predict NPSU among middle and high school... Read more →

STASH, Vol. 13 (8) - Understanding the facets of addiction stigma

Here at the BASIS, we are guided by our mission to increase awareness, to reduce stigma, and ultimately, to improve lives. More than 10 years ago, in an op-ed for The BASIS, we highlighted the dehumanization of patients with addiction that persists in our society, and the consequent challenges to recovery that it poses. In the decade since the publication of the op-ed, has there been sufficient progress in reducing stigma? Sadly, despite educational efforts, a knee-jerk reaction to a patient with addiction still is not uncommon. Too often, we are quick to associate addiction with some sort of moral... Read more →

STASH, Vol.13(7) - Examining the relationship between mental health and rates of prescription opioid use

Prescription opioid misuse has become a national crisis in the United States, impacting an estimated 2 million Americans in 2015. For some individuals, using a doctor-prescribed opioid to treat pain symptoms can lead to dependence and even death. A 2017 study by Matthew Davis, Lewei Lin, Haiyin Liu, and Brian Sites examined the relationship between mental health disorders and prescription opioid use. This week, STASH reviews their work. What was the research question? Are individuals with mental health disorders more likely to receive prescription opioids for pain than individuals without mental health disorders? What did the researchers do? The researchers... Read more →

STASH, Vol. 13(4) – Using mindfulness to prevent relapse and re-incarceration

About 85% of individuals experiencing incarceration in the United States meet criteria for alcohol or substance use disorders, or have extensive documented drug or alcohol use, which elevates risk for reincarceration. To combat this problem, many jurisdictions attempt to treat addiction during incarceration or as an alternative to incarceration. This week, as part of our Special Series on Mindfulness and Addiction, STASH reviews research by Katie Witkiewitz and her colleagues that assessed the effectiveness of mindfulness-based relapse prevention (MBRP) in preventing relapse for women in residential addiction treatment. What was the research question? Does MBRP reduce drug use frequency and... Read more →

STASH Vol. 13 (3): Double whammy? Problem gambling, substance use disorders, and illegal drug use

The perils of gambling-related problems and mental health/substance use disorders are diverse. By now, researchers have also come to understand that the two are frequent companions, and often unleash their destructive forces in tandem. To better understand the complicated relationship between co-occurring gambling-related problems and other mental health issues, researchers need to establish how these problems develop over time. In doing so, they will better understand how some mental health problems create risk for others. The BASIS, this week, reviews a study by Dr. Tracie Afifi and colleagues that uses data from young adults captured over several years to explore... Read more →