Substance Abuse and Addiction Commons^™

R.A.C.E. To Recovery Year 1 Evaluation Summary Report, Katie Rosingana Ba, Evelyn Ali Bs, Tyler Egeland Ba, Mary Lindsey Smith Phd

Substance Use Research & Evaluation

Through a collaborative effort led by the Healthy Community Coalition, the multi-sector Rural Addiction Care Expansion (R.A.C.E.) to Recovery initiative consortium is utilizing evidence-based, community-wide response to impact and reduce the effects of the opioid epidemic in the Western Maine Public Health District/ Greater Franklin County. To assess and evaluate the implementation, successes, and challenges of the RACE to Recovery project, the Cutler Institute is collecting and analyzing data for both process and outcomes of the initiative.

In the first year of the initiative, the Cutler evaluation team utilized both primary and secondary data to assess RACE to Recovery program …

Support For Me Needs Assessment Summary., Mary Lindsey Smith Phd, Katie Rosingana Ba, Evelyn Ali Bs, Karen Pearson Mlis, Ma, Mark Richards Bs, Katharine Knight Mph, Tyler Egeland Ba, Olivia Dooley Mpa

Substance Use Research & Evaluation

Maine Department of Health and Human Services contracted with the Catherine Cutler Institute at the University of Southern Maine to conduct a baseline needs assessment. The overall goal was to better understand the current capacity to address substance use in Maine; find barriers to receiving and utilizing SUD treatment and recovery services; and identify any gaps in SUD-related services in the state. The Cutler team conducted interviews, surveys, community listening sessions and focus groups with healthcare key informants (leadership from health systems, residential care, recovery housing, behavioral health agencies), providers (medical, behavioral health, first responders, residential treatment, law enforcement, opioid …

Factors Associated With Opioid Overdose After An Initial Opioid Prescription, Scott G. Weiner, Sanae El Ibrahimi, Michelle A. Hendricks, Sara E. Hallvik, Christi Hildebran, Michael A. Fischer, Roger D. Weiss, Edward W. Boyer, Peter W. Kreiner, Dagan A. Wright, Diana P. Flores, Grant A. Ritter

Environmental & Occupational Health Faculty Publications

Importance: The opioid epidemic continues to be a public health crisis in the US. Objective: To assess the patient factors and early time-varying prescription-related factors associated with opioid-related fatal or nonfatal overdose. Design, Setting, and Participants: This cohort study evaluated opioid-naive adult patients in Oregon using data from the Oregon Comprehensive Opioid Risk Registry, which links all payer claims data to other health data sets in the state of Oregon. The observational, population-based sample filled a first (index) opioid prescription in 2015 and was followed up until December 31, 2018. Data analyses were performed from March 1, 2020, to June …

Monthly Trends Of Substance Use Among Mainers Receiving Buprenorphine Treatment During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Sarosh Khan

Journal of Maine Medical Center

Introduction: Drug-related deaths in Maine increased by 23% in the first quarter of 2020 compared to the last quarter of 2019. Most of these deaths were accidental overdoses involving at least one opioid, and 65% of these deaths were caused by fentanyl, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Methods: This research explored substance use in Maine during 2020. Among the sample of individuals, 46% were homeless and receiving recovery services at a buprenorphine-assisted treatment program at a federally qualified health center in Maine. Charts of 35 patients were reviewed for emergency room visits and urine drug …

A Scoping Review Of Alcohol, Tobacco, And Other Drug Use Treatment Interventions For Sexual And Gender Minority Populations, Jeremy D. Kidd, Margaret M. Paschen-Wolff, Amy A. Mericle, Billy A. Caceres, Laurie A. Drabble, Tonda L. Hughes

Faculty Research, Scholarly, and Creative Activity

Background
Alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use are among the most prevalent and important health disparities affecting sexual and gender minority (SGM; e.g., lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) populations. Although numerous government agencies and health experts have called for substance use intervention studies to address these disparities, such studies continue to be relatively rare.
Method
We conducted a scoping review of prevention and drug treatment intervention studies for alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use that were conducted with SGM adults. We searched three databases to identify pertinent English-language, peer-reviewed articles published between 1985 and 2019.
Results
Our search yielded 71 articles. …

The Effect Of Education On The Nida Modified Assist (Nmassist) Tool On Knowledge And Screening For Substance Use Disorder Among Clinicians, Victoria Page Arnold

DNP Projects

Background: Substance use disorder (SUD) is a disparity affecting nearly 24 million individuals in the U.S., nearly 10% of the total population. Oftentimes, the emergency department (ED) is the only medical care this population receives. There is often a lack of screening for SUD in ED’s, therefore referred care may be limited for these individuals. The National Institute on Drug Abuse Modified Assist (NMASSIST) is an evidence-based tool developed to educate and screen for SUD. This tool can be completed in a timely manner and aid in the recommended referral of care for this select population.

Purpose: The purpose of …

An Examination Of Three Transitional Events In The Substance Misuse Trajectories Of Women With Criminal Legal System Involvement, Martha Tillson

Theses and Dissertations--Sociology

Research has consistently demonstrated that criminal legal system (CLS)-involved women are distinct from men in initiation and course of drug use, with important differences on biological, environmental, and sociocultural levels. Thus, the unique pathways and transitions into and out of drug use for women with CLS involvement are critical to consider from a research perspective, but also from a need to develop and support evidence-based, women-centered services in correctional contexts. This dissertation project uses a three-paper format to investigate three aims: (1) to understand CLS-involved women’s initiations to injection drug use and their experiences providing injection initiation assistance (IIA) to …

Time To Ask Program At Greater Portland Health [Infographic], Evelyn Ali Bs, Mary Lindsey Smith Phd

Substance Use Research & Evaluation

The goals of the Time to Ask education and quality improvement program of the Lunder Dineen include increasing the capacity of interprofessional care teams in discussing alcohol use with the patients through the screening, brief intervention, and referral (SBIRT) process, and expanding providers' use of screening and monitoring unhealthy alcohol use of their patients.

This evaluation infographic visualizes the impact of Greater Portland Health's use of this program.

For more information about Time to Ask, visit https://lunderdineen.org/program/alcohol-use-time-to-ask/

For more information about the evaluation, please contact M. Lindsey Smith, PhD, m.lindsey.smith@maine.edu

Horticultural Therapy Program For Individuals With Substance Use Disorder: A Mixed-Method Evaluation, Emily Maia Bisaga

CMC Senior Theses

Substance Use Disorder (SUD) is a chronic brain disorder caused by both biological and environmental factors. Although there is no panacea for addiction, holistic adjunctive therapies have been found to improve outcomes for this population. Horticultural Therapy (HT) is one such adjunct therapy that may improve treatment outcomes. Although HT has been found to support holistic healing for many mental and physical ailments, the efficacy of this intervention has not been evaluated in patients with a SUD. The goal of this controlled, mixed-method study is to evaluate whether HT could be an effective component of a holistic SUD treatment program. …

Mindfulness And Pain Regulation: The Role Of Acceptance And Commitment Therapy For Individuals With Chronic Pain, Ariana C. White

Honors Theses and Capstones

Chronic pain is a significant and widely prevalent health condition which requires comprehensive care to address the many facets contributing to symptomatology. In 2016, 20% of American adults (about 50 million) reported experiencing chronic pain, of which 7.4% indicated that chronic pain frequently limited their life and participation in activities within the past 3 months (CDC, 2018). As a result, many individuals with chronic pain turn to opioid-based medication for pain relief, but long-term use of opioids actually increases pain sensation (Tobin, 2019). Moreover, opioid medication is unable to target underlying mental health components which emerge as part of chronic …

The Socioeconomic Gradient Of Alcohol Use, Charles Dh Parry, Gianna Gayle H. Amul

Ateneo School of Government Publications

No abstract provided.

Time For Tobacco-Free Generations In The Western Pacific?, Gianna Gayle H. Amul, Suan Ee Ong, Azrul Mohd Khalib, Joanne Su-Yin Yoong

Ateneo School of Government Publications

No abstract provided.

Implementation Of Mental And Substance Misuse Screenings Into Routine Prep Therapy Encounters, Kieran Talkiewicz

Capstone Showcase

It has been well documented over the years that lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/ questioning (LGBTQ+) populations are disproportionately affected by a higher burden of mental health illnesses, alcohol abuse, and illicit substance abuse when compared to heterosexual populations. This article will recommend utilizing routine Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) therapy encounters, a common point of contact for primary care for sexual minority populations, to perform screening for mental health and substance use. Due to men who have sex with men (MSM) being the highest utilizing population of this therapy, and disproportionately burdened by psychiatric and substance use disorders, this article will …

The Use Of Buprenorphine In The Treatment Of Opioid Use Disorder (Oud), Kevin Dise

Capstone Showcase

Per the CDC, there were 91,799 drug overdose deaths, of which 75% of these deaths involved an opioid in 2020. Furthermore, the rate of overdose deaths involving synthetic opioids (excluding methadone) increased 56% from 2019 to 2020. Synthetic opioids like fentanyl and its derivatives are easily producible, very inexpensive, and have extremely high potency. To effectively reduce use of illicit opioids, the underlying addiction disorder must be recognized first to adequately treat the disease. Treatment for opioid addiction is critical due to the high risk of mortality and significant disruption to daily functioning. Medication-assisted treatment couples medication use with counseling/therapy, …

Tools For Addressing Intimate Partner Violence And Suicide Risk: Lessons Learned From Oha’S Covid-19 Emergency Response For Suicide Prevention Grant, Karen Cellarius, Aliza Tuttle, Lea Sevey

Regional Research Institute for Human Services

In August 2020, the Oregon Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence (OCADSV), the Oregon Health Authority (OHA), and Portland State University’s Regional Research Institute for Human Services (PSU RRI) began an 18-month collaboration to strengthen support for domestic violence and mental health agencies during COVID-19. As part of this grant, six domestic violence advocacy organizations around Oregon were able to place co-located advocates with their mental health partner agencies for services and cross-training. The content of this booklet is another product of this collaboration.

A Fall From Grace: The Rising Rate Of Attorneys With Substance Abuse Disorders, Chemical Dependencies And Addictions, Amy M. Yost

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis is a continuation of research and scholarly writing that the author completed for a published article that appeared in Volume 5 of the University of Central Florida Undergraduate Law Journal, Spring 2022. The rising rate of attorneys with a self-reported substance abuse disorder, chemical or alcohol dependency, as the data reveals, is the highest in our country’s history. Although the notion of attorney addictions and dependency issues may come as a surprise to those outside of the legal community, these issues are not breaking news. Rather, the data has been slowly emerging due to the increasing number of …

Soldier’S Beliefs In Abstinence Before And After The Implementation Of A Novel Army Nicotine-Free Policy, Adam Edward Lang, Aleksandra Yakhkind, Adena J. Schonfeld, Frank T. Leone

VIMS Articles

United States Army soldiers have used tobacco for decades1 despite known health risks associated with these products.2 Material connections between the tobacco industry and the military during the early part of the 20th century, coupled with pervasive advertising images of soldiers using tobacco during combat, served to promote tobacco use among young recruits entering training.3 A variety of policies
have been instituted during the training period, to varied and sometimes suboptimal effect.4 Currently, tobacco (defined as any non-therapeutic nicotine product) is banned during basic combat training (BCT), the first phase of training in a soldier’s career, which lasts 10 weeks. …

Improving Access To Medication Assisted Treatment For Opioid Use Disorder In A Rural Emergency Department, Warren Grunvald

Family Medicine Clerkship Student Projects

Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) is a growing epidemic throughout the United States and Maine has not been sparred by this. As the Emergency Department is a frequent location for people with OUD to interact with physicians it has been targeted as an opportunity to initiate Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) with Suboxone. This project details an effort to streamline this process and improve outcomes for patients interested in MAT.

The Politics Of Drug Rehabilitation In The Philippines, Gideon Lasco, Lee Edson Yarcia

Development Studies Faculty Publications

The international consensus to end compulsory drug treatments and close forced rehabilitation facilities needs urgent transformation to country policies. In the Philippines, as with other countries in Asia, rehabilitation can be compulsory and is seen as the humane alternative to the “war on drugs.” In this paper, we present the landscape of rehabilitation and narrate the ways in which people who use drugs are forced to undergo treatment. We unpack the politics behind rehabilitation and explain the sociocultural foundations that support compulsory treatment. We argue that a transition to a human rights-based approach, including voluntary alternatives in community settings, is …

Deadly Combinations: Factors That Are Associated With Simultaneous And Concurrent Polysubstance Use, Laura Lightfoot

Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2020-

Mortality reports show that most overdose deaths include more than one substance. In addition, there is a gap in the literature that discusses risk factors for polysubstance use. The objective of this study was to explore what factors relate to the likelihood of engaging in polysubstance use, defined as using more than one substance. Specifically, the goal was to evaluate predictors of simultaneous (i.e., the use of alcohol and another substance at the same time in the past six months) polysubstance use and concurrent (i.e., the use of any two substances in the past six months) polysubstance use, vs. no …