Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Beyond Fentanyl Test Strips: The Need To Decriminalize All Drug Checking Equipment In Tennessee, Jeremy C. Kourvelas Mph

SMART Policy Briefs

KEY POINTS

• In 2022, Tennessee decriminalized fentanyl test strips (FTS) through Public Chapter 764. Thousands have since been distributed by the state and nonprofit coalitions as a key harm reduction strategy. As of the end of 2023, 44 other states and D.C. had also decriminalized FTS.

• Research indicates that people who use drugs are five times as likely to change their behaviors (including reducing drug use overall) in response to a test result that is positive for fentanyl. People who use methamphetamine are especially likely to change their behaviors.

• However, the law only applies to “narcotic testing equipment used to …

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Deconstructing Drugs: Addressing The Stigma, Harm Reduction, And Policy Solutions, Charlotte Theriault

Themis: Research Journal of Justice Studies and Forensic Science

Black and homeless people who struggle with substance use disorder (SUD), especially opioid use disorder (OUD), have experienced unique obstacles due to inequalities relating to their social determinants of health (SDOH). Historical context and peer-reviewed research were used to evaluate racial bias and expand upon the factors that contributed to the opioid crisis, the effects of COVID-19 on drug overdoses, and the presence of fentanyl in illicit drug supplies. Various studies combat the stigma surrounding substance use disorder (SUD) by acknowledging the disease as a chronic health condition. Research showed that the most effective way to combat these inequalities and …

Dance/Movement Therapy: A Novel Approach For Latino Males With Incarceration Histories In Sud Treatment, Aletia Egipciaco

Expressive Therapies Capstone Theses

This paper investigates how open clients would be to participating and engaging in Dance/Movement Therapy (DMT) sessions at a residential SUD facility. The questions asked were (1) What level of engagement would clients have and (2) How would they engage in DMT group sessions at a residential substance use disorder facility? A program lasting 8 weeks, aimed at facilitating DMT group sessions, was conducted at a residential SUD facility twice a week. The objective was to assess participant engagement levels and observe their involvement in the DMT sessions. Residents of the facility were invited voluntarily to attend the DMT groups. …

States’ Covid-19 Restrictions Were Associated With Increases In Drug Overdose Deaths In 2020, Douglas A. Wolf, Shannon M. Monnat, Jennifer Karas Montez, Emily E. Wiemers, Elyse Grossman

Center for Policy Research

Drug overdoses surged in the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic. Public health experts raised concerns in the pandemic’s early months about how the pandemic and the policies enacted to stem it might increase overdose risk. This brief summarizes the findings of a paper that used national data to identify how states’ COVID-19 policies affected drug overdose rates among U.S. adults ages 25-64 during the first year of the pandemic. Results show that counties located in states that adopted more aggressive in-person activity restrictions experienced larger increases in 2020 than counties located in states with fewer limitations. State economic support policies …

Trends In Substance Use And Mental Health Among Adolescents In Georgia, 2002-2022, Saumya S. Palipudi, Bangaru Talli Palipudi, Murty Komanduri

Georgia Public Health Association Annual Meeting and Conference

Background: While substance use and absence of mental health disorders among youth in the United States (US) have declined over the past two decades, post COVID-19 pandemic, these conditions have increased significantly with notable disparities, and witnessed a crisis in public health. In 2022, 24.7% or 6.1 million adolescents aged 12 to 17 in the US had either Major Depressive Episodes (MDE) or Substance Use Disorder (SUD) and 3.7 percent had both in the prior year². Increased stress, lack of peer connections, parental abuse, and poor mental health conditions were attributed to this increase in substance use^{3-7 …}

Review Of Missing Data Elements For Client Enrollment In The Minority Aids Initiative For High-Risk Men Of Nj, Vrushank Shah

Rowan-Virtua Research Day

The Minority AIDS Initiative study funded in NMI seeks to enhance healthcare outcomes for underserved individuals. Implementing outreach programs, the initiative provides healthcare and post-treatment follow-up to this demographic. The proposed project, a component of this study, concentrates on individuals with substance abuse disorder, specifically targeting those who have been onboarded but subsequently lost to follow-up. In the United States, approximately 20 million people are diagnosed with substance abuse disorder, yet in 2016, only 3.8 million received treatment. Within this cohort, between 20% and 70% of individuals undergoing residential substance abuse treatment disengage before completion. Various factors hinder the sustained …

States’ Covid-19 Restrictions Were Associated With Increases In Drug Overdose Deaths In 2020, Douglas A. Wolf, Shannon M. Monnat, Jennifer Karas Montez, Emily E. Wiemers, Elyse Grossman

Population Health Research Brief Series

Drug overdoses surged in the U.S. during the COVID-19 pandemic. Public health experts raised concerns in the pandemic’s early months about how the pandemic and the policies enacted to stem it might increase overdose risk. This brief summarizes the findings of a paper that used national data to identify how states’ COVID-19 policies affected drug overdose rates among U.S. adults ages 25-64 during the first year of the pandemic. Results show that counties located in states that adopted more aggressive in-person activity restrictions experienced larger increases in 2020 than counties located in states with fewer limitations. State economic support policies …

Understanding The Perspectives And Attitudes Of 12-Step Participants Towards Medication-Assisted Treatment, Christopher Scott

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Background: The effects of living with a substance use disorder (SUD) are vast. Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) has grown increasingly popular as a recovery tool among substance users but does not align with the popular 12-step model, which demands complete abstinence from narcotics and mind-altering substances. Objective: The primary aim of this phenomenology study was to explore the perspectives and attitudes towards MAT among 12-step participants. The secondary aim was to compare the responses of treatment and non-treatment professionals. Methods: This study used non-probability sampling methods to recruit participants who reported regular participation in a 12-step program. Semi-structured …

Sufferance For Snuff Puffs: The Acceptability And Behavior Of Smoking Marijuana And Tobacco Inside The House, Eusabeia Silfanus, Oliver Lopez, Vincent Berardi

Student Scholar Symposium Abstracts and Posters

Secondhand smoke (SHS) released from indoor smoking contributes to household air pollution, releasing large quantities of fine particulate matter which can pose negative health outcomes, especially for developing children who spend most of their time at home. The increased legalization of marijuana increases its recreational and medicinal use along with its acceptability. With tobacco use remaining prevalent, the use of marijuana and/or tobacco remains common and may occur inside the home. Project Fresh Air conducted in San Diego County studies the air quality in households (n = 298) with at least one adult smoking tobacco and/or marijuana living with at …

Health Care Professionals’ Stigma Toward People With An Opioid Use Disorder: Preliminary Findings On The Effect Of Amount Of Contact Has On Stigma, Gabriela Murza, Cris Meier, Lily Ward, Sydney O'Shay, Rachel Myrer

Transforming Communities

Opioid-related deaths are the leading cause of injury deaths in Utah. Individuals who seek treatment for opioid misuse report stigma from healthcare professionals as the leading barrier to accessing treatment. Health professionals provide a variety of treatment options in efforts of combating high rates of opioid misuse. However, these professionals may not be properly trained in stigma reduction strategies, thus leading to poor client care and outcomes. The current study examined the association between contact with individuals who misuse opioids and stigma perceptions among healthcare professionals. A one-time survey was administered to healthcare professionals who practice in Utah using convenience …

Older Adults Are At Greater Risk Of Opioid Use Disorder In Communities With High Social Vulnerability, Tse-Chuan Yang, Seulki Kim, Stephen A. Matthews, Carla Shoff

Population Health Research Brief Series

The prevalence of opioid use disorder (OUD) among older adults has increased and imposes a heavy burden on the health care system in the United States. This brief summarizes findings from a study that used data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to examine how county characteristics contributed to the prevalence of OUD among Medicare beneficiaries age 65+ in U.S. counties in 2021. They found that the prevalence of OUD among these adults is higher in counties with more place-level social vulnerability (e.g., socioeconomic disadvantage, high housing cost burden).

Telehealth Treatment For Opioid Use Disorder In Missouri’S Urban And Rural Areas Prior To And Since Covid-19, Aurora Rojo, Rashmi Ghonasgi, Zachary Budesa, Rachel Winograd

Undergraduate Research Symposium

Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a chronic health condition that can be adequately treated when individuals have access to needed services. Telehealth services can be delivered remotely through audio-visual technological communications rather than in-person visits, which can greatly improve care accessibility. Following the onset of COVID-19, there were swift clinical and policy adaptations to promote telehealth services across medical and behavioral health fields. This study aims to identify changes in the frequency of telehealth for OUD treatment in Missouri’s rural and urban counties prior to and since the onset of COVID-19. Chi-square tests and analysis of changes between years and …

A Neuroscience-Based Curriculum For Addiction Prevention For Fourth-Grade Students, Paola Andrea Benitez

Social Work Theses

Substance use is one of the main problems affecting adolescents and young adults. While the consumption of alcohol has decreased, the consumption of marijuana has increased rampantly due to youth's positive perception after being legalized in 24 states with no clear message of the many adverse effects this drug causes. Different approaches to prevention have been used throughout the years: scare-led tactics, socio-emotional learning skills, and neuroscience-based curriculums. Since substance use results from the conjunction of different biopsychosocial factors that lead to this relapsing brain disease, the solution should integrate different preventive solutions as well. Public policy, schools, social workers, …

Assessment Of Simultaneous Alcohol And Cannabis Use And Its Related Consequences And Cognitions In College Students: A Narrative Review, Jennifer L. Shipley, Abby L. Braitman

Psychology Faculty Publications

As rates of students using cannabis continue to rise, simultaneous use of alcohol and cannabis (such that their effects overlap; commonly referred to as simultaneous alcohol and marijuana [SAM] use) is prevalent among college students who use both substances. Although research focusing on SAM use and related cognitions and consequences continues to grow, there are no common established measures, as approaches vary across studies. This narrative review identifies current methods for assessing SAM use and measures of SAM-related consequences and cognitions (motives and expectancies) among college students, evaluates how they were developed, identifies gaps in the literature, and provides recommendations …

Neural Hyperactivity During Value-Based Decision-Making In People With Daily/Near Daily Cannabis Use, Miranda Ramirez

Theses and Dissertations--Psychology

Value-based decision-making involves the coordinated effort of multiple brain regions to guide future choices based on past experiences. These processes are disrupted in cannabis use disorder, where individuals continue to use cannabis despite negative consequences. Reinforcement learning (RL) paradigms can be used to capture changes in the value of available options and may inform how the brain is impacted by frequent cannabis use. This study combined fMRI with behavioral modeling of probabilistic choice task data to compare value-based choices between young adults reporting daily/near daily cannabis use (CAN) and controls (CTRL). Participants selected one of two options reinforced ($0.25) at …

The Influence Of Flavor On The Abuse Liability Of A Heated Tobacco Product And Its Feasibility As A Menthol Cigarette Substitute, Augustus White

Theses and Dissertations

Heated Tobacco Products (HTPs) purport to expose people that use cigarettes to fewer of the harmful or potentially harmful constituents of tobacco while still delivering reinforcing amounts of nicotine (Auer, Concha-Lozano et al., 2017). An exemplar of the HTP class, IQOS, and its three varieties of “HeatSticks” have been authorized by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as “Modified Risk Tobacco Products” (MRTP). However, as the FDA is planning to ban menthol as a characterizing flavor in cigarettes, questions remain regarding whether characterizing flavors should be permitted in HTPs (FDA, 2022e). New evidence regarding HTP abuse liability (i.e., the likelihood …

Associations Between Childhood Trauma And Tobacco Dependence Among Latine Adults: Testing The Protective Effects Of Compassion For Self And Others, Camila Tirado

Theses and Dissertations

Tobacco dependence has posed a significant public health challenge in the United States and disproportionately affects Latine adults' risk of developing a variety of adverse health conditions. Childhood trauma is a recognized risk factor for dependence, overall health, and mental health concerns. Still, the influence of compassion for self or compassion for others in this context remains unclear. This cross-sectional study investigated the moderating effects of self-compassion and compassion for others on the relationship between childhood trauma and cigarette dependence among Latine adults. Data was collected through questionnaires assessing childhood trauma, self-compassion, cultural values and factors, compassion for others, and …

Identifying Youth Appeals In Alcohol Alternative Social Media Content Through Framing, Melina Oneal

West Chester University Master’s Theses

Proposed regulations for alcohol advertising prevent beverage companies from targeting people under the legal drinking age. However, similar regulations for alcohol alternative beverages are less explored, which could allow alcohol alternative products to create awareness for alcoholic beverages among youth. Alcohol alternatives beverages, including no-alcohol and low-alcohol products, are increasing in popularity and can function as compliments to alcoholic products to decrease the total alcohol volume consumed or as substitutes for alcoholic products. Framing theory can be operationalized through the Content Appealing to Youth Index, an index of content elements found in research literature to be appealing to youth, to …

Empowering Providers To Empower Their Patients: One Model To Expand Knowledge, Competency, And Awareness For The Perinatal Substance Use Workforce, Jacqueline Jacobs

Graduate School of Professional Psychology: Doctoral Papers and Masters Projects

Perinatal substance use (PSU) is a serious and growing public health concern. It is associated with a variety of adverse health outcomes for both mother and child and has been shown to negatively impact the parent-child relationship. Despite the growing prevalence of PSU, there are notable deficits in provider knowledge regarding, and comfortability with, PSU. Moreover, providers report feelings of judgment, resentment, fear, and hesitancy related to their work with women with PSU. Subsequently, women with PSU struggle to find appropriate, compassionate, and effective treatment for their substance misuse. Widespread and accessible training is needed to bolster provider knowledge base, …

The Federal Government Must Revise Public Housing Policies To Protect Vulnerable Populations From Evictions, Caroline Grabowski

Population Health Research Brief Series

Over 100,000 Americans are now dying from drug overdoses annually, signifying that the goal of the 1986 Anti-Drug Abuse Act (ADAA) to end illicit drug use has not been achieved. What’s more, numerous statutes within the ADAA have created or worsened housing instability among people who use drugs and their families. This is because the ADAA allows public housing officials to use their own discretion when determining evictions and lease refusals and has disproportionately harmed individuals in public housing who did not participate in the drug-related activities that led to their eviction. This brief describes how the ADAA negatively affects …

Recovery Capital, Mental Health And Substance Use Among Individuals Initiating Office-Based Buprenorphine Treatment For Opioid Use Disorder, Hannah R. Callahan, Karen Dugosh, Emily Hurstak, Patty Mccarthy, Emily Garber, Daniel Dejoseph, Julia Dejoseph, Michelle R. Lent

The Journal of Integrated Primary Care

Recovery capital refers to the internal and external resources available to support an individual in their recovery from substance use disorders. Using data from an ongoing trial, the current study examined recovery capital among 225 individuals initiating office-based buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) at Federally Qualified Health Centers in the mid-Atlantic region. At baseline, participants completed the Brief Assessment of Recovery Capital-10 (BARC-10), a validated measure assessing the 4 major domains of recovery capital and completed a urine toxicology screening. Participants reported BARC-10 scores of 49.22 on average (SD = 8.14). Average scores were highest for the …

Design Guidelines For Homeless Shelter And Resource Center Site Plans, Samuel Johnson

All Graduate Reports and Creative Projects, Fall 2023 to Present

Homelessness is one of the most pressing humanitarian issues facing the country today. Lack of affordable housing, among many other complicating factors, have led to many cities scrambling to find both short-, middle-, and long-term solutions to the issue. The Covid-19 pandemic added a disruption in services, critical record-keeping, and data-gathering, which has further confounded experts looking for an effective path forward. As it stands, there is a significant gap in academic research addressing best practices for shelter site design, particularly as it relates to landscape. The role of landscape and greenspace within and around a shelter is not well …

The Associations Of Parental Smoking, Quitting And Habitus With Teenager E-Cigarette, Smoking, Alcohol And Other Drug Use In Gui Cohort ’98, Salome Sunday, Luke Clancy, Joan Hanafin

Articles

We analyse parental smoking and cessation (quitting) associations with teenager e-cigarette, alcohol, tobacco smoking and other drug use, and explore parental smoking as a mechanism for social reproduction. We use data from Waves 1–3 of Growing Up in Ireland (Cohort ’98). Our analytic sample consisted of n = 6,039 participants reporting in all 3 Waves. Data were collected in Waves 1 and 2 when the children were 9 and 13 years old and in Wave 3 at age 17/18 years. Generalized Estimating Equations (GEE) models were used to analyse teenage substance use at Wave 3. Parental smoking was associated with …

Experiences Of Kinship And Connection To Family For Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Young Men With Histories Of Incarceration, Shelley Joy Walker, Michael Doyle, Mark Stoové Professor, Troy Combo, Mandy Wilson

Journal of the Australian Indigenous HealthInfoNet

Epidemiological approaches have brought important attention to the issues surrounding the over-incarceration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people, and the enormous health and socio-economic disparities they face. An implicit discourse often exists within the construction of this “knowledge”, however, that situates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people in deficit terms.

Using narrative inquiry, a methodological approach congruent with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and ways of knowing, we aim to challenge this dominant discourse, via an examination of the narratives of eight Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander young men (aged 19-24 years) involved in the criminal justice …

Counselors’ Stigma Toward Addictions: Increasing Awareness And Decreasing Stigma, Natalie M. Ricciutti

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision

The purpose of this study was to explore licensed counselors’ level of stigma toward individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs) and process/behavioral addictions (PBAs) and note any differences. A total of 138 licensed mental health counselors from one Midwestern state completed the SRTSS and the BRTSS to determine levels of stigma toward SUDs and PBAs, respectively. Participant scores from the SRTSS and BRTSS were normally distributed, and 15% to 32% of participants’ scores were reflective of stigma toward individuals with either SUDs or PBAs. A significant difference was not found between participants’ stigma toward individuals with SUDs or PBAs. Hypotheses …

Primary Care Behavioral Health Partnerships Advancing & Transforming Health Sciences (Pcbh Paths), Kristan Diaz-Rios, Deepu George, Maria Hernandez, Evan Garcia, Myrna Ruiz, Salvador Arellano Iii

Research Symposium

Purpose: Primary Care Behavioral Health Partnerships Advancing & Transforming Health Sciences (PCBH PATHS) is a workforce development pipeline project aimed at permanently augmenting UTRGV’s institutional capacity to address shortage of an Integrated Behavioral Health (IBH) competent workforce locally, regionally and nationally. Our initiative, aligned with UTRGV strategic priorities and key initiatives, will integrate basic(model specific strategy and operational elements), mid-level (role identity and profession specific behavioral competencies specific to each health profession), and advanced (behavioral medicine clinical skills) applications of the evidence based PCBH model of delivery. A PCBH focused delivery system (clinical and educational), in which primary care providers …

Residential Treatment Of Substance Use Disorder And Related Comorbidities In Older Adults, Dale J. Dyben

Research Symposium

Purpose: Substance Use Disorders (SUD) are a leading contributor to health problems and premature mortality in the United States. Stigma and misconceptions about persons with SUD contribute to negative outcomes. The misconception that older adults do not suffer from severe SUD has contributed to a paucity of treatment options that meet the unique needs this population.

Description: The Center for Older Adult Recovery (COAR) at Hanley Center in West Palm Beach, Florida provides a model for residential treatment of older 65 and older with severe SUD and related medical and mental health comorbidities. Older adults who meet DSM-V diagnostic …

Adverse Childhood Experiences And Resilience In Medical School Students: A Scope Of Medical Literature, Andrea Soto Abarca, Yvette Cortino, Juan Carlos Lopez Alvarenga, Maya Guevara

Research Symposium

Background: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) represent types of childhood trauma that are associated with long-term negative effects on health and wellbeing. An elevated number of ACEs can lead to depression, suicidality, alcoholism, and substance use. Factors that can protect a person from increased health risks include resilience, which is broadly defined as the ability to bounce back from adversity. Few studies have analyzed the exposure of ACEs in medical students, however, there is extensive literature on how low levels of resilience are linked to higher rates of depression, fatigue, and burnout among medical students. Little is known about the …

Selection Homophily And Peer Influence For Adolescents’ Smoking And Vaping Norms And Outcomes In High And Middle-Income Settings, Jennifer M. Murray, Sharon Sánchez-Franco, Olga L. Sarmiento, Erik O. Kimbrough, Christopher Tate, Shannon C. Montgomery, Rajnish Kumar, Laura Dunne, Abhijit Ramalingam, Erin L. Krupka, Felipe Montes, Huiyu Zhou, Laurence Moore, Linda Bauld, Blanca Llorente, Frank Kee, Ruth F. Hunter

Economics Faculty Articles and Research

The MECHANISMS study investigates how social norms for adolescent smoking and vaping are transmitted through school friendship networks, and is the first study to use behavioral economics methodology to assess smoking-related social norms. Here, we investigate the effects of selection homophily (the tendency to form friendships with similar peers) and peer influence (a social process whereby an individual’s behavior or attitudes are affected by peers acting as reference points for the individual) on experimentally measured smoking and vaping norms, and other smoking outcomes, in adolescents from high and middle-income settings. Full school year groups in six secondary schools in Northern …

Treatment For Mental Health And Substance Use: Spillovers To Police Safety, Monica Deza

Center for Policy Research

We study the effect of community access to mental health and substance use treatment on police officer safety, which we proxy with on-duty assaults on officers. Police officers often serve as first-responders to people experiencing mental health and substance use crises, which can place police officers at risk. Combining agency-level data on police officer on-duty assaults and county-level data on the number of treatment centers that offer mental health and substance use care, we estimate two-way fixed-effects regressions and find that an additional four centers per county (the average annual increase observed in our data) leads to a 1.3% reduction …