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\"In most countries, problematic drug use is dealt with primarily as a criminal justice issue, rather than a health issue. Accordingly, a large proportion of people in prison have a history of alcohol, tobacco and/or illicit drug use and, despite the best efforts of correctional authorities, some continue to use these substances in prison, often in very risky ways. After release from prison, many relapse to risky substance use, and are at high risk of poor health outcomes, preventable death, or reincarceration.In this edited volume, for the first time we bring together 40 contributors from 10 countries to review what is known about alcohol, tobacco and illicit drug use in people who cycle through prisons, and the harms associated with use of these substances. We consider some evidence-based responses to these harms - both in prison and after return to the community - and discuss their implications for policy reform.This book is international in scope and multi-disciplinary in character. It brings together and integrates the perspectives of public health and addictions researchers, criminologists and correctional leaders, epidemiologists, physicians, and human rights lawyers. Our contributors are unified in their commitment to evidence-informed policy - that is, doing what we know works. An overarching theme pervading all of the chapters is that people who cycle through prisons come from the community, and almost always return to the community. Their health problems are therefore our health problems; in other words, 'prisoner health is public health'\"--Provided by publisher.

Attempted suicide is the main risk factor for suicide and repeated suicide attempts. However, the evidence for follow-up treatments reducing suicidal behavior in these patients is limited. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of the Attempted Suicide Short Intervention Program (ASSIP) in reducing suicidal behavior. ASSIP is a novel brief therapy based on a patient-centered model of suicidal behavior, with an emphasis on early therapeutic alliance. Patients who had recently attempted suicide were randomly allocated to treatment as usual (n = 60) or treatment as usual plus ASSIP (n = 60). ASSIP participants received three therapy sessions followed by regular contact through personalized letters over 24 months. Participants considered to be at high risk of suicide were included, 63% were diagnosed with an affective disorder, and 50% had a history of prior suicide attempts. Clinical exclusion criteria were habitual self-harm, serious cognitive impairment, and psychotic disorder. Study participants completed a set of psychosocial and clinical questionnaires every 6 months over a 24-month follow-up period. The study represents a real-world clinical setting at an outpatient clinic of a university hospital of psychiatry. The primary outcome measure was repeat suicide attempts during the 24-month follow-up period. Secondary outcome measures were suicidal ideation, depression, and health-care utilization. Furthermore, effects of prior suicide attempts, depression at baseline, diagnosis, and therapeutic alliance on outcome were investigated. During the 24-month follow-up period, five repeat suicide attempts were recorded in the ASSIP group and 41 attempts in the control group. The rates of participants reattempting suicide at least once were 8.3% (n = 5) and 26.7% (n = 16). ASSIP was associated with an approximately 80% reduced risk of participants making at least one repeat suicide attempt (Wald χ21 = 13.1, 95% CI 12.4-13.7, p < 0.001). ASSIP participants spent 72% fewer days in the hospital during follow-up (ASSIP: 29 d; control group: 105 d; W = 94.5, p = 0.038). Higher scores of patient-rated therapeutic alliance in the ASSIP group were associated with a lower rate of repeat suicide attempts. Prior suicide attempts, depression, and a diagnosis of personality disorder at baseline did not significantly affect outcome. Participants with a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder (n = 20) had more previous suicide attempts and a higher number of reattempts. Key study limitations were missing data and dropout rates. Although both were generally low, they increased during follow-up. At 24 months, the group difference in dropout rate was significant: ASSIP, 7% (n = 4); control, 22% (n = 13). A further limitation is that we do not have detailed information of the co-active follow-up treatment apart from participant self-reports every 6 months on the setting and the duration of the co-active treatment. ASSIP, a manual-based brief therapy for patients who have recently attempted suicide, administered in addition to the usual clinical treatment, was efficacious in reducing suicidal behavior in a real-world clinical setting. ASSIP fulfills the need for an easy-to-administer low-cost intervention. Large pragmatic trials will be needed to conclusively establish the efficacy of ASSIP and replicate our findings in other clinical settings. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02505373.

\"Just say no\" just doesn't work for everyone. Presenting a powerful alternate to abstinence-only addictions treatments, this empathic, nonjudgmental resource has already helped thousands set and meet their own goals for gaining control over alcohol and drugs. The science of harm reduction is translated into step-by-step strategies that readers can use to figure out which aspects of their habits may be harmful, what they would like to change, and how to put their intentions into action. Updated to reflect a decade's worth of research, the fully revised second edition is even more practical and reader friendly. It features additional concrete examples, engaging graphics, new worksheets (which can be downloaded and printed for repeated use), \"Self-Reflection\" boxes, and more.-- Source other than Library of Congress.

RationaleDisorders of compulsivity such as stimulant use disorder (SUD) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are characterised by deficits in behavioural flexibility, some of which have been captured using probabilistic reversal learning (PRL) paradigms.ObjectivesThis study used computational modelling to characterise the reinforcement learning processes underlying patterns of PRL behaviour observed in SUD and OCD and to show how the dopamine D2/3 receptor agonist pramipexole and the D2/3 antagonist amisulpride affected these responses.MethodsWe applied a hierarchical Bayesian method to PRL data across three groups: individuals with SUD, OCD, and healthy controls. Participants completed three sessions where they received placebo, pramipexole, and amisulpride, in a double-blind placebo-controlled, randomised design. We compared seven models using a bridge sampling estimate of the marginal likelihood.ResultsStimulus-bound perseveration, a measure of the degree to which participants responded to the same stimulus as before irrespective of outcome, was significantly increased in SUD, but decreased in OCD, compared to controls (on placebo). Individuals with SUD also exhibited reduced reward-driven learning, whilst both the SUD and OCD groups showed increased learning from punishment (nonreward). Pramipexole and amisulpride had similar effects on the control and OCD groups; both increased punishment-driven learning. These D2/3-modulating drugs affected the SUD group differently, remediating reward-driven learning and reducing aspects of perseverative behaviour, amongst other effects.ConclusionsWe provide a parsimonious computational account of how perseverative tendencies and reward- and punishment-driven learning differentially contribute to PRL in SUD and OCD. D2/3 agents modulated these processes and remediated deficits in SUD in particular, which may inform therapeutic effects.

Men who have sex with men (MSM) experience high rates of substance use and HIV infection. Main partners are the source of many (35–68%) of these new HIV infections. This study developed and examined the efficacy of two adjunct components to couples HIV testing and counseling (CHTC)—communication training (CT) videos and a substance use module (SUM)—to reduce drug use and sexual HIV transmission risk in MSM couples. Participants included 70 male couples randomized into one of four conditions: CHTC, CHTC + CT videos, CHTC + SUM, and CHTC + CT videos + SUM. Participants completed a survey pre-intervention and 1-, 3-, and 6-months later. Completion of the SUM in the absence of CT videos was associated with significant immediate decreases in drug use and related problems; however, at 3- and 6-month follow ups, the SUM was only associated with reductions in drug use and related problems among men who also viewed the CT videos. There were no between-condition differences in sexual behavior. CHTC may serve as a vehicle for the delivery of brief substance use intervention for MSM couples.ClinicalTrails.gov NCT # 03125915

Objective Drug-dependent individuals often face severe physical and mental health impairments, necessitating safe and adaptable rehabilitation strategies. This study aims to investigate the effects of Pilates exercise on the physical and mental health of drug-dependent individuals. Specifically, the study seeks to evaluate changes in body composition, physical fitness, blood biochemistry, and psychological outcomes following a structured Pilates intervention. Methods This study was conducted as a double-blind, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial. A total of 43 substance-dependent individuals were recruited from the Judong Drug Rehabilitation Center and randomly assigned to either the Pilates intervention group ( n  = 22) or the control group ( n  = 21). The experimental group underwent Pilates program of two weekly sessions for 24 weeks, while the control group received conventional rehabilitation. We assessed physical and mental health indicators at baseline, 12, and 24 weeks. Repeated measures analysis of variance was employed to discern inter-group differences, and Spearman correlation analysis was applied to assess the relationship between fluctuations in scores on anxiety and depression scales and those of associated physiological metrics. Results After 24 weeks of Pilates intervention, the intervention group showed significant improvements ( p  < 0.05) in body fat percentage, skeletal muscle mass, sit-and-reach distance, push-up performance, one-leg standing with eyes closed, vital capacity, white blood cell count, and neutrophil count. Psychological assessments revealed significant differences in scores on the Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) and Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) between the experimental and control groups ( p  < 0.01), with more pronounced effects in the experimental group. Additionally, changes in SDS scores were correlated with changes in sit-and-reach distance ( r  = -0.657, p  < 0.001), one-leg standing with eyes closed ( r  = -0.734, p  < 0.001), and vital capacity ( r  = -0.490, p  = 0.001). Changes in SAS scores were correlated with changes in the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio ( r  = -0.304, p  = 0.048), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio ( r  = -0.320, p  = 0.037), sit-and-reach distance ( r  = -0.595, p  < 0.001), one-leg standing with eyes closed ( r  = -0.704, p  < 0.001), and vital capacity ( r  = -0.472, p  = 0.001). Conclusion The Pilates intervention significantly enhanced participants’ physical attributes—body composition, strength, endurance, flexibility, balance, lung function, and immune response—while alleviating anxiety and depression. Correlations were identified between mental health improvements and physical gains, indicating that tailored exercise, informed by ongoing health monitoring, could optimize drug rehabilitation outcomes. Clinical trial registration ChiCTR-IPR-2400087067, Registered on: 18/7/2024.

This brief provides an overview of the emerging field of Electronic Therapy, E-Therapy, with a specific focus on alcohol and substance abuse. Understanding barriers that prevent individuals from seeking necessary mental health treatment is at the center of the development and analysis of practice models of care. Geographic location, transportation, language barriers and other situations contribute to difficulties in obtaining adequate treatment for mental illness. E-Therapy eliminates these barriers by administering counseling and mental health services through audio or audiovisual means. This brief examines E-Therapy best practices as they apply to alcohol and substance abuse intervention and prevention.

Increased neural error-signals have been observed in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), anxiety disorders, and inconsistently in depression. Reduced neural error-signals have been observed in substance use disorders (SUD). Thus, alterations in error-monitoring are proposed as a transdiagnostic endophenotype. To strengthen this notion, data from unaffected individuals with a family history for the respective disorders are needed. The error-related negativity (ERN) as a neural indicator of error-monitoring was measured during a flanker task from 117 OCD patients, 50 unaffected first-degree relatives of OCD patients, and 130 healthy comparison participants. Family history information indicated, that 76 healthy controls were free of a family history for psychopathology, whereas the remaining had first-degree relatives with depression (n = 28), anxiety (n = 27), and/or SUD (n = 27). Increased ERN amplitudes were found in OCD patients and unaffected first-degree relatives of OCD patients. In addition, unaffected first-degree relatives of individuals with anxiety disorders were also characterized by increased ERN amplitudes, whereas relatives of individuals with SUD showed reduced amplitudes. Alterations in neural error-signals in unaffected first-degree relatives with a family history of OCD, anxiety, or SUD support the utility of the ERN as a transdiagnostic endophenotype. Reduced neural error-signals may indicate vulnerability for under-controlled behavior and risk for substance use, whereas a harm- or error-avoidant response style and vulnerability for OCD and anxiety appears to be associated with increased ERN. This adds to findings suggesting a common neurobiological substrate across psychiatric disorders involving the anterior cingulate cortex and deficits in cognitive control.