Thursday, July 13, 2023 (Editor’s note: Watch a video with researcher Marian Reven explaining the benefits of aromatherapy.) Aromatherapy eases stress in people undergoing treatment for substance use disorder which, in turn, could enhance their chances of a successful recovery, according to West Virginia University research. The study, which is ongoing, incorporates the use of[Read More…]
Addiction Data
New UCF Study Examines Insurance Barriers to Access Opioid Addiction Medication
While insurance coverage of some forms of buprenorphine has improved over the years, researchers say coverage of new, more effective forms of the medication is lacking. By Danielle Hendrix ’15 | July 12, 2023 In 2021, more people died from opioid overdoses in the U.S. than any other year in history, according[Read More…]
Cannabis Is Linked to Mental Illness
A major new study shows that people who abuse the drug are more likely to be diagnosed with depression and bipolar disorder. By Susan Pinker, Wall Street Journal | July 6, 2023 Psychologist Susan Pinker explores new discoveries in the science of human nature. Read previous columns here. There was a new[Read More…]
DEA administrator says Congress needs to pass laws to keep social media from serving as platforms to promote, sell fentanyl
KENTUCKY HEALTH NEWS Monday, July 3, 2023 Events, trends, issues, ideas and independent journalism about health care and health in Kentucky, from the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues at the University of Kentucky. The U.S. needs laws to force social-media companies to keep their platforms from being used[Read More…]
New Report Ranks Kentucky #1 for Adult Access to Mental Health Care
New Report Ranks Kentucky #1 for Adult Access to Mental Health Care A new report published by Mental Health America ranks Kentucky #1 nationwide for lower prevalence of mental illness and higher rates of access to care among adults. The ranking is based on several metrics, including: adults with any mental illness[Read More…]
Opioid Addiction Treatment Rates in U.S. Have Flatlined, Study Finds
By Cara Murez | HealthDay Reporter FRIDAY, April 28, 2023 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. opioid crisis led to changes that make it easier for people struggling with addiction to get medication from a health care provider to help them quit. But researchers found that for some reason, rates of[Read More…]
Naloxone can help save someone suffering overdose; what we all should know about this lifesaving drug
By Dr. Trish FreemanUniversity of Kentucky Chances are you or someone close to you has been directly impacted by the opioid epidemic, which continues to afflict Kentucky. In 2021, overdose deaths in Kentucky reached an all-time high of 2,250, with 90% involving an opioid. Because bystanders are present in more[Read More…]
As opioids overdose deaths keep rising, report urges lawmakers to develop new approaches
BY: ASHLEY MURRAY WASHINGTON — Lawmakers should view America’s staggering opioid crisis, including the rise of illicit fentanyl, through an “ecosystems” approach, argues a massive RAND Corporation report published last week. That means they should examine the gaps and interconnections among emergency response, data collection, education, treatment, housing and law enforcement, the report[Read More…]
Inmates with opioid addiction report peer navigators are crucial for successful community reentry
by Rutgers University Recently incarcerated people with opioid use disorder have trust in working with peer support specialists who recovered from addiction and faced similar life experiences, according to a Rutgers study. The study, published in the journal Psychiatric Services, found that peer support specialists were most valued for providing emotional and community-based[Read More…]
Buprenorphine deaths did not increase despite wider access during pandemic, study shows
By Lev Facher The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic led to a sea change in addiction medicine — in particular, increased access to buprenorphine, a drug commonly used to treat opioid use disorder. Now, new data show that despite the medication’s wider availability, deaths involving buprenorphine still constitute a small fraction[Read More…]