Current Addiction Reports

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The incorporation of digital technologies and their use in youth's everyday lives has been increasing rapidly over the past several decades with possible impacts on youth development and mental health. This narrative review aimed to consider how the use of digital technologies may be influencing brain development underlying adaptive and maladaptive screen-related behaviors. RECENT FINDINGS: To explore and provide direction for further scientific inquiry, an international group of experts considered what is known, important gaps in knowledge, and how a research agenda might be pursued regarding relationships between screen media activity and neurodevelopment from infancy through childhood and adolescence...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: A growing body of research indicates bidirectional associations between alcohol use and pain. In this review, we highlight common neural and psychosocial mechanisms underlying pain and alcohol use and identify current gaps in the literature regarding alcohol/pain interactions. We also suggest future directions for the field moving forward, including more nuanced conceptualization of alcohol's negative reinforcing effects in the context of pain, broader use of clinically-relevant experimental pain induction modalities, and characterization of age, biological sex, gender, race, and ethnicity as moderators of pain/alcohol interactions...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The role of alcohol varies considerably among Indigenous Peoples and is the backdrop of persistent stereotypes despite decades of research. This paper provides an updated narrative review on the alcohol literature among Indigenous communities, highlighting recent studies published since 2017. RECENT FINDINGS: We examined published literature involving alcohol use rates, including abstinence; risk and protective factors; treatment; and recovery, as well as future directions for alcohol prevention and intervention efforts with Indigenous communities...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: With the rapidly changing landscape of state level legalization of cannabis, older adults have become one of the fastest growing populations seeking medical cannabis (MC). However, research evidence on the risks and benefits of MC use in this population remains limited. This review aims to synthesize recent literature on the impacts of MC use in older adults and identify critical knowledge gaps to be addressed in future research. RECENT FINDINGS: Recent literature showed that older adults often face financial and/or educational barriers and stigma associated with MC access...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The purpose of this review is to examine recent literature (2012-2022) on alcohol treatment access and engagement in women in the U.S. and propose future directions for research and clinical practice. RECENT FINDINGS: A targeted literature review resulted in 27 studies encompassing screening and brief intervention (SBIRT), treatment utilization, treatment engagement, and barriers to treatment. Recent literature demonstrates overall low rates of screening and brief interventions and treatment utilization in the population with women less likely to be screened and utilize alcohol treatment...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The aim is to review recent literature on sex and gender differences in patterns of use, motives, pharmacological effects, and consequences of simultaneous alcohol and cannabis use (SAC). RECENT FINDINGS: Men engage in SAC more frequently than women. Women may have more substance-specific motives for use, while men tend to consistently endorse social/enhancement motives for both alcohol and cannabis. Regarding pharmacological effects, women experience the same subjective effects as men do at lower levels of use, with some evidence that women modulate cannabis use during simultaneous use episodes to avoid greater subjective intoxication...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Impulsivity is considered an important construct in the cycle of addiction, yet the effect of evidence-based treatments on impulsivity is unclear. The goal of this paper was to review the evidence regarding the effect of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), one of the most studied psychotherapies for addiction, on measures of impulsivity in addictive disorders. RECENT FINDINGS: There is a robust literature implicating impulsivity as risk factor for development of a range of addictions and poorer treatment outcomes...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Veterans are a large population that is disproportionately affected by various physical and mental health conditions. The primary aim of this review is to provide a concise overview of recent literature on the prevalence of cannabis use and cannabis use disorder (CUD) among US Veterans, and associations with mental and physical health conditions. We also addressed gaps in the literature by investigating associations between CUD and mental and physical health conditions in 2019 data from the Veterans Health Administration (VHA; N=5,657,277)...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a chronic, relapsing condition that is epidemic in the USA. OUD is associated with serious adverse consequences, including higher incarceration rates, impaired medical and mental health, and overdose-related fatalities. Several medications with demonstrated clinical efficacy in reducing opioid use are approved to treat OUD. However, there is evidence that medications for OUD cause metabolic impairments, which raises concerns over the long-term metabolic health of individuals recovering from OUD...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review summarizes theories and empirical work regarding socialization contexts contributing to substance use across marginalized adolescents. Future directions and recommendations to minimize the perpetuation of racial stereotypes are provided. RECENT FINDINGS: Neighborhoods high in social cohesion may offset substance use risk. Promoting school connectedness via increased support from teachers and peers could reduce school-based discrimination and enhance feelings of belongingness...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Problem gambling can have profound consequences for affected individuals, yet only a small proportion of people with problem gambling seek treatment. Mobile phone applications (apps) may provide an effective and scalable therapeutic option. The purpose of this study was to evaluate publicly available mobile apps aimed at improving problematic gambling behavior. RECENT FINDINGS: To date, there are no published studies that have evaluated the quality of publicly available smartphone apps for problem gambling in the US...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The aim of the present review is to provide an update on recent studies examining adolescent neurodevelopment in the context of impulsivity and substance use. We provide a review of the neurodevelopmental changes in brain structure and function related to impulsivity, substance use, and their intersection. RECENT FINDINGS: When examining brain structure, smaller gray matter volume coupled with lower white matter integrity is associated with greater impulsivity across three components: trait impulsivity, choice impulsivity, and response inhibition...

PURPOSEOF REVIEW: The prevalence of problematic substance use is disproportionately higher among sexual and gender minority (SGM) adults compared to adults in the general population. mHealth as a treatment modality could reduce barriers to accessing substance use treatments among SGM populations. Through a qualitative literature search, the current narrative review aimed to understand the lived experiences of SGM individuals who use substances and to synthesize recommendations made in the literature to inform future mHealth interventions...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The main purpose of this narrative review is to provide a brief overview of the current empirical evidence regarding the conceptualization, assessment, and treatment of cyberchondria, with a focus on the potential classification of cyberchondria as a behavioral addiction. Although cyberchondria has been widely associated with anxiety, it has also been suggested that it may be linked to obsessive-compulsive features. A less explored proposal is the categorization of cyberchondria as a behavioral addiction...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This article aims to review and synthesize the current research evidence regarding the efficacy of telepsychiatry-delivered substance use disorder treatment using a narrative review with a focus on the effects of remote healthcare delivery within the substance abuse treatment space. RECENT FINDINGS: The COVID-19 pandemic exerted substantial pressures on all levels of society. Social isolation, loss of employment, stress, physical illness, overburdened health services, unmet medical needs, and rapidly changing pandemic restrictions had particularly severe consequences for people with mental health issues and substance use disorders...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Use of "kratom" products, derived from the bioactive botanical Mitragyna speciosa have increased amidst US polydrug use epidemics. Kratom alkaloids interact with opioid, serotonergic, adrenergic, and other receptors and regular users have described experiencing a wide range of effects. Some with polydrug use histories have reported using kratom as a substitute for other drugs or to nonmedically self-manage substance use disorder (SUD) symptoms. Data describing this remain scare and come from self-report...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Policy implications from changes in recreational cannabis laws (RCLs) have raised public health concerns. While numerous studies have examined the impact of RCLs on cannabis use, there is less research on the risk of developing cannabis use disorder (CUD). This review summarizes the latest research on the effects of RCLs on CUD prevalence and cannabis treatment admissions. RECENT FINDINGS: Nine studies were published between 2016 - 2022 that examined RCLs and CUD or treatment...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The goal of this review is to examine the relationship between impulsivity and interoception in addiction, to summarize the current understanding of the topic, identify any gaps in knowledge, and provide directions for future research. RESEARCH FINDINGS: Interoception may be a contributing factor to impulsive behaviour and, thus, addiction. Substance abuse can negatively impact the brain's ability to process interoceptive information and impact the reward system, leading to decreased sensitivity to natural rewards and increased sensitivity to drugs...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This work aims to provide an up-to-date review of the preclinical and clinical scientific literature on the therapeutic value of kratom to better understand the underlying mechanisms related to its use and inform future therapeutic applications. RECENT FINDINGS: A growing number of studies, mainly of cross-sectional nature, describe the widespread use of kratom by individuals to self-treat pain, psychiatric symptoms, and substance use disorders (SUD) outside a controlled clinical setting...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Advances in digital technology and media have provided convenience and advantages in all areas of our daily lives. However, there is a risk of excessive and addictive use, which increases the risk of addiction as a disease and other related mental and physical problems. This article reviews the public health approach to problems related to excessive and addictive use of the Internet and digital media. RECENT FINDINGS: The public health model views addiction as the result of interactions among individuals, digital media, and the environment; therefore, interventions should aim to reduce risk factors and increase protective factors in these three areas...