Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

A Phenomenological Study: Experiences Of Men Residing In A Substance Abuse Recovery Program With A Domestic Violence Perpetration Intervention Cohort, Tauchanna Gilmore Bullock

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of men in a substance use disorder (SUD) residential program simultaneously receiving domestic violence (DV) perpetration intervention and services that address adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). This study examined men’s ACEs, substance use, and DV perpetration. Urie Bronfenbrenner’s socioecological model and Rudolf Moos’ modification of socioecological model provided the foundational context and theoretical framework for the study. Although there are various reasons individuals use substances, one of the underlying causes is often unattended ACEs. Individuals with SUDs are also often the perpetrators of DV within their intimate relationships. …

Drug Overdose Prevention: Needs Of Healthcare Professionals And First Responders, Jessica Groeneweg, Lynn Castrianno, Gaylene Armstrong, Jeanette Harder, Rachel Lubischer, Dawne Frain

Reports

Purpose and Background
The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) partnered with Support and Training for the Evaluation of Programs (STEPs) at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, Grace Abbott School of Social Work, to complete a statewide needs assessment between October 2018 and April 2019. The purpose of this needs assessment was to gauge the capacity of statewide systems in Nebraska to respond to surges or clusters of intentional, unintentional, and unknown drug overdoses, especially in high-burden areas and with a focus on opioids. The hope of the results from this needs assessment is to inform DHHS …

Toxoplasma Gondii Seropositivity And Substance Use In Us Adults, Bruce L. Brown, Andrew N. Berrett, Shawn D. Gale, Lance D. Erickson, Evan L. Thacker, Dawson W. Hedges

Faculty Publications

The intracellular parasite Toxoplasma gondii (Nicolle et Manceaux, 1908) infects humans resulting in acute toxoplasmosis, an infection that in immunocompetent people is typically mild but results in persistent latent toxoplasmosis. In that T. gondii appears to affect dopamine synthesis and because addicting drugs affect midbrain dopamine transmission, latent toxoplasmosis could influence substance use. Using both the third and continuous National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, we used logistic regression to test for associations between T. gondii seropositivity and subject self-report of having ever used tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, heroin, or methamphetamine. …

Modified Single Prolonged Stress Reduces Cocaine Self-Administration During Acquisition Regardless Of Rearing Environment, Rebecca S. Hofford, Mark A. Prendergast, Michael T. Bardo

Psychology Faculty Publications

Until recently, there were few rodent models available to study the interaction of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and drug taking. Like PTSD, single prolonged stress (SPS) produces hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysfunction and alters psychostimulant self-administration. Other stressors, such as isolation stress, also alter psychostimulant self-administration. However, it is currently unknown if isolation housing combined with SPS can alter the acquisition or maintenance of cocaine self-administration. The current study applied modified SPS (modSPS; two hours restraint immediately followed by cold swim stress) to rats raised in an isolation condition (Iso), enrichment condition (Enr), or standard condition (Std) to measure changes in …

Toxoplasma Gondii And Substance Use - Project Data, Andrew Berrett

ScholarsArchive Data

The data utilized in this project originated from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data sets. Specifically, we utilized data from the NHANES III and 2009-2014 continuous NHANES data sets. Data files pertinent to our project were downloaded from the NHANES website (NHANES.com) and merged into two master data files, one for the NHANES III and one for the continuous NHANES. Following the merges, some variables were modified or recoded for the purposes of the project. Therefore, the data files associated with this entry include both the original NHANES data as well …

A Pilot Study Of Loss Aversion For Drug And Non-Drug Commodities In Cocaine Users, Justin Charles Strickland, Joshua S. Beckmann, Craig R. Rush, William W. Stoops

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background—Numerous studies in behavioral economics have demonstrated that individuals are more sensitive to the prospect of a loss than a gain (i.e., loss aversion). Although loss aversion has been well described in “healthy” populations, little research exists in individuals with substance use disorders. This gap is notable considering the prominent role that choice and decision-making play in drug use. The purpose of this pilot study was to evaluate loss aversion in active cocaine users.

Methods—Current cocaine users (N = 38; 42% female) participated in this within-subjects laboratory pilot study. Subjects completed a battery of tasks designed to assess …

Reduction Of Cocaine-Induced Locomotor Effects By Enriched Environment Is Associated With Cell-Specific Accumulation Of Δfosb In Striatal And Cortical Subregions, Audrey Lafragette, Michael T. Bardo, Virginie Lardeux, Marcello Solinas, Nathalie Thiriet

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background: Early exposure to enriched environments has been shown to decrease the locomotor effects induced by repeated injections of cocaine and modify basal and cocaine-induced total protein levels of the transcription factor ΔFosB in the whole striatum of mice. In this study, we aimed at characterizing whether the profile of ΔFosB accumulation induced by enriched environments and cocaine would be similar or different in terms of brain areas and cell type.

Methods: We used mice expressing the eGFP protein in D1 receptor positive (D1R(+)) neurons to determine whether ΔFosB induced by enriched environment or cocaine injections (5×15 mg/kg) would occur …

Intramuscular Route Of Administration Increases Potency In Eliciting Cocaine-Induced Behavioral Sensitization, Beth Ann Rice, Raza Tariq, Chana K. Akins

Psychology Faculty Publications

Background: Cocaine is the number one abused psychostimulant drug that reaches addiction criterion in the US. In animals, repeated administration of cocaine results in behavioral sensitization which is thought to represent adaptations in the mesolimbic dopamine neural circuitry, the reward pathway. Cocaine-induced behavioral sensitization is evident in rodents and quail when cocaine is administered intraperitoneally (IP).

Objective: The purpose of the current study was to investigate dose-dependent and temporal effects of acute and chronic intramuscular (IM) administration of cocaine in male quail.

Method: After habituation to the test chambers, male quail received an IM injection of saline, 3 or 10 …

Acceptability Of Aggression Among Children Who Reside With Substance-Abusing Parents: The Influence Of Behavioral Dysregulation, Exposure To Neighborhood Violence, And Interparental Violence, Michelle L. Kelley, Abby L. Braitman, Robert J. Milletich, Brittany F. Hollis, Rachel E. Parsons, Tyler D. White, Cassie Patterson, Brianna Haislip, J. Matthew Henson

Psychology Faculty Publications

The present study examined how interparental violence, neighborhood violence, behavioral regulation during parental conflict, and age predicted beliefs about the acceptability of aggression and the acceptance of retaliation against an aggressive peer among youths. Participants were 110 families (mothers, fathers, and children) in which one or both parents met criteria for substance use disorder. Results of a bootstrapped multivariate regression model revealed higher exposure to neighborhood violence predicted greater acceptability of general aggression, whereas higher father-to-mother violence perpetration predicted lower acceptability of general aggression. Higher exposure to neighborhood violence, behavioral dysregulation during parental conflict, and older child age predicted greater …

Comorbid Substance Use Diagnoses And Partner Violence Among Offenders Receiving Pharmacotherapy For Opioid Dependence, Cory A. Crane, Robert C. Schlauch, Susan Devine, Caroline J. Easton

Psychology Faculty Publications

While previous studies find mixed evidence of an association between opioid use and intimate partner violence perpetration among community samples, initial evidence has detected increased rates of partner violence among individuals receiving pharmacological intervention for opioid dependence. The current study evaluated the role of current comorbid substance use diagnoses, a robust risk factor for violent behavior, on the likelihood of perpetrating partner violence among a high risk sample of offenders receiving pharmacological intervention for opioid dependence. The authors analyzed self-report data provided by 81 (55 male) opioid dependent offenders during a court-ordered substance use interview. Approximately one-third of the sample …

A Multi-Site, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Pilot Clinical Trial To Evaluate The Efficacy Of Buspirone As A Relapse-Prevention Treatment For Cocaine Dependence, Theresa M. Winhusen, Frankie Kropp, Robert Lindblad, Antoine Douaihy, Louise Haynes, Candace Hodgkins, Karen G. Chartier

Social Work Publications

Objective—To evaluate the potential efficacy of buspirone as a relapse-prevention treatment for cocaine dependence.

Method—A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 16-week pilot trial conducted at six clinical sites between August 2012 and June 2013. Adult crack cocaine users meeting DSM-IVTR criteria for current cocaine dependence scheduled to be in inpatient/residential substance use disorder (SUD) treatment for 12–19 days when randomized, and planning to enroll in local outpatient treatment through the end of the active treatment phase were randomized to buspirone titrated to 60 mg/day (n=35) or to placebo (n=27). All participants received psychosocial treatment as usually provided by the SUD treatment programs …

Early Life Stress, Drug Abuse, Exercise Effects On Bdnf And Sex-Influenced Exercise Differences, Karissa Dold

Calvert Undergraduate Research Awards

In 2011, the U.S. reported 3 million child maltreatment cases, an uncomfortably high but recurring figure each year. Research shows exposure to early life stress (ELS) increases an individual’s susceptibility to substance abuse, specifically of nicotine, alcohol, and cocaine. Increased susceptibility may result from dysregulation of the HPA axis sustaining activation into adulthood after ELS. Hyperactivation of the HPA axis significantly reduces hippocampal BDNF, a neurotrophin involved in neuronal growth and plasticity. Reduced hippocampal BDNF may be a factor in substance abuse vulnerability. Additionally, research shows exercise protects hippocampal BDNF from stress induced down-regulation. To explore these relationships, this study …

Bolivia's Coca Headache: The Agroyungas Program, Inflation, Campesinos, Coca And Capitalism In Bolivia, John D. Roberts

Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014

Bolivia in the 1980s was wracked by monetary inflation approaching levels of the German Weimar Republic. Immediately following this time of great financial crisis in Bolivia, the U.N. founded a project through the U.N.D.P. to encourage peasant farmers in Bolivia to switch from growing coca (the plant used manufacture cocaine) to growing other cash crops for market. This crop substitution and development program, called the Agroyungas Project, lasted from 1985 to 1991 and is the focus of this study. While many U.N. pundits and journalists considered the program’s initial small successes promising, it has been considered since its conclusion to …

What's In A Label? The Effects Of Substance Types And Labels On Treatment Considerations And Stigma, John A. Cunningham, Linda C. Sobell, Virginia M. Chow

Faculty Articles

Visitors (N = 579) to a science center read selected scenarios and evaluated the most likely outcome for a hypothetical substance abuser. Respondents were randomly assigned to one of six scenario conditions: a person with one of three different substance abuse problems (alcohol, tobacco, or cocaine) was crossed with two labels reflecting high or low substance dependence. Results indicated that: (1) cigarettes were viewed as a less serious substance abuse problem than were alcohol or cocaine (a person who smoked cigarettes was rated as more likely to recover from his problem, self-change was regarded as more appropriate and less stigma …

Bolivia: The Politics Of Cocaine, Melvin Burke

School of Economics Faculty Scholarship

Bolivia's sad and turbulent history continues to repeat itself. The coca boom of today has replaced the tin boom of the last century, which in turn supplanted the exploitation of silver and other precious metals during the colonial period. And as in the past, Bolivia's export-based economy continues to depend on foreigners for everything from bank loans to economic advisers.