Background:

People who have problems with using opioids or other drugs and inject them have shorter lives than most people. Liver diseases, especially, contribute to this. Checking liver stiffness might help find liver problems early. This study looks at how common liver disease is in people who use drugs and how different factors like types of drugs used, hepatitis C, alcohol, weight, age, diabetes, and cholesterol affect liver stiffness.

Methods:

From May 2017 to March 2022, data was collected from 676 people in Western Norway. Most were getting treatment for opioid addiction , while some...

Background

There is little research on lifetime trauma exposure among individuals undergoing medication treatment for opioid use disorder (MOUD). A multisite study examined the prevalence of lifetime trauma and explored differences based on gender, PTSD status, and chronic pain.

Methods

A cross-sectional study examined baseline data from participants (N = 303) enrolled in a randomised controlled trial of a mind–body intervention as an adjunct to MOUD. All participants were stabilised on MOUD. Measures included the Trauma Life Events Questionnaire (TLEQ), the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), and...

Background

Physical or mental health commorbidities are common among people with substance use disorders undergoing opioid agonist therapy. Exercise provides many health benefits and can be used both as a preventive and treatment strategy. However, exercise programs for people with substance use disorders on opioid agonist therapy are limited. This study aims to explore their experiences with physical activity, as well as the perceived barriers and facilitators.

Method

Fourteen qualitative interviews were conducted with individuals receiving opioid agonist therapy in outpatient clinics in...

INTRODUCTION: More than four decades of war and tragedy have destroyed most of the public infrastructure in Afghanistan. Currently, drug use is a major public health crisis in the country and drug treatment services have extremely limited coverage. This article is a review of substance use problem and treatment situation prior to the reinstatement of Taliban. The aim of this article is to provide evidence-based recommendations for policy makers to improve substance use treatment services and to integrate some components of this sector into primary health care and to ensure sustainability of...

Background

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other LGBTQ populations (LGBTQ+; e.g., asexual individuals) have higher rates of substance use (SU) and disorders (SUD) compared to heterosexual and cisgender populations. Such disparities can be attributed to minority stress, including stigma and discrimination in healthcare settings. LGBTQ+-affirming SU treatment and related services remain limited. The purpose of this exploratory qualitative descriptive study was to characterise LGBTQ+ people’s experiences in SU services and recommendations for LGBTQ+- affirming care.

Methods

We...

Background

People with opioid use disorder (OUD) are frequently in contact with the court system and have markedly higher rates of fatal opioid overdose. Opioid intervention courts (OIC) were developed to address increasing rates of opioid overdose among court defendants by engaging court staff in identification of treatment need and referral for opioid-related services and building collaborations between the court and OUD treatment systems. The study goal was to understand implementation barriers and facilitators in referring and engaging OIC clients in OUD treatment.

Methods

Semi...

BACKGROUND:

Substance use increases the risk of damage to executive and cognitive functions. Manifested by a range of clinical symptoms, such impairments may affect people’s coping with everyday activities and their abilities to establish and maintain good social links. Substance users are an at-risk population in this respect. AIMS: Two cognitive rehabilitation interventions will be experimentally implemented into clinical practice and their effectiveness compared. The levels of impairment of the patients’ executive and cognitive functioning will be investigated.

METHODS:

The first...