SAMHSA releases Behavioral Health, U.S., 2012 report
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) just released a report entitled Behavioral Health, United States, 2012 — the latest in a series of publications (formerly known as Mental Health, United States) issued biennially by SAMHSA since 1980. This report features mental health and substance abuse statistics at the national and state levels from 40 different data sources. The report includes three key chapters: Behavioral Health Disorders across the Life Span Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders: Impairment in Functioning Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders: Treatment Landscape Click on image to read the full report
Law Enforcement Utilizes New Techonology to Improve Community Ownership Among Youth
Our neighbors in Virginia are trying out the use of a new texting and email system to address the issues of substance abuse and crime in their community. One county has implemented this system for students in the county’s middle and high schools to send anonymous emails or text messages. Local County Sheriff Count Lane Perry say, “Emailing and texting are big things to the youth of today, and now, if a students sees something that really bothers them,” he said authorities can help before a situation “gets out of hand.” “Part of this effort also is to try to keep drug…
Early-Onset, Regular Cannabis Use Is Linked to IQ Decline
A NIDA-supported 25-year study of 1,000 individuals suggests regular cannabis use that starts in adolescence strips away IQ. Study participants who initiated weekly cannabis use before age 18 dropped IQ points in proportion to how long they persisted in using the drug, while nonusers gained a fraction of a point. “This study is important because we have precious little evidence on whether or not drug use leads to enduring changes in cognition,” says Dr. Steven Grant, chief of the Clinical Neurosciences Branch within NIDA’s Division of Clinical Neuroscience and Behavioral Research. “The issue is critical, because at stake are the…
Supporting Prevention Under Health Reform
The National Prevention Strategy identifies four Strategic Directions. Healthy & Safe Environments Clinical and Community Preventive Services Empowered People Elimination of Health Disparities These Strategic Directions are the foundation for all prevention efforts and form the basis for a prevention-oriented society. Each Strategic Direction can stand alone and can guide actions that will demonstrably improve health. Together, the Strategic Directions create the web needed to fully support Americans in leading longer and healthier lives. Additionally the National Prevention Strategy has identifed seven priority issues: Tobacco Free Living Preventing Drug Abuse and Excessive Alcohol Use Healthy Eating Active Living Injury and…
Substance Abuse Prevention Is Suicide Prevention
Many of the factors that increase the risk for substance abuse, such as traumatic experiences, also increase the risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviors, and substance abuse, like mental health problems, is linked with a several-fold increase in suicide risk. Drug poisoning deaths have increased 120 percent in recent years – from 17,415 in 2000 to 38,329 in 2010. The majority (58 percent) of the drug deaths involved pharmaceuticals, and 75 percent of those deaths involved prescription pain relievers. In 2010, U.S. emergency departments treated 202,000 suicide attempts in which prescription drugs were used as the means, 33,000 of which…
New App: Mobile MORE (My Ongoing Recovery Experience)
Hazelden Foundation announced as winner of the Behavioral Health Patient Empowerment Challenge for creating the Mobile MORE smartphone app, designed to assists persons through one year of recovery. Click here for more information about this app
Join the Partnership at Drugfree.org in Reducing Prescription Drug Abuse
Join in the effort to increase Congressional support for reducing prescription drug abuse. There is a group in Congress that works to raise awareness about prescription drug abuse and to advance treatment, prevention, law enforcement and research policy solutions at the federal level. Right now only 26 of the 435 Members of Congress are members of the Congressional Caucus on Prescription Drug Abuse. Click here to find out ways to help #EndMedicineAbuse
Connection Between Adolescent Substance Use and the Risk for Dropout
Experts at the Institute for Behavior and Health, Inc. (IBH) and the Center on Young Adult Health and Development (CYAHD) at the University of Maryland School of Public Health investigated the connection between adolescent substance use and the risk for dropout in the U.S. There is compelling evidence that the association of academic difficulties and substance use is bidirectional. In some individuals, academic difficulties precede the onset of substance use, and in those cases, a vicious cycle can ensue—leading to even more severe academic difficulties and eventual dropout. In other cases, even controlling for individual background characteristics, substance use precedes…
September is Recovery Month 2013
Recovery Month promotes the societal benefits of prevention, treatment, and recovery for mental and substance use disorders, celebrates people in recovery, lauds the contributions of treatment and service providers, and promotes the message that recovery in all its forms is possible. Recovery Month spreads the positive message that behavioral health is essential to overall health, that prevention works, treatment is effective and people can and do recover. There’s still time to plan and register events in your area!