From the Capital Gazette. Maryland Mobile Wellness Initiative to provide resources for drug addiction in northern Anne Arundel by Phil Davis A new 38-foot recreational vehicle outfitted with medical personnel and addiction treatment resources is Anne Arundel’s newest asset in the battle against opioid addiction. Lt. Gov. Boyd Rutherford, former county executive Steve Schuh, now executive […]
Spotlight
Two decades of data reveal overall increase in pain, opioid use among U.S. adults
From NIH. Researchers measured pain’s impact on normal work activities, people’s health status, and health care use. Prompted by a call from the National Academy of Medicine, then the Institute of Medicine, for improved national data on pain, a recent study provides new insights concerning pain trends and opioid use for pain management. Researchers used […]
Women’s hormones play role in drug addiction, higher relapse rates
ScienceDaily Attention drawn to lack of female-specific research Date: February 8, 2019 Source: Vanderbilt University Summary: Female-specific interventions are needed, but in the meantime, treatment centers could use this study to educate women about their stronger mental connections to places and objects. Women’s hormonal cycles may not […]
New Tool Enables Exploration of Risk and Protective Factors
From CDC
New – TIP 61: Behavioral Health Services for American Indians and Alaska Natives
For Behavioral Health Service Providers, Administrators, and Supervisors TIP 61 provides behavioral health professionals with practical guidance about Native American history, historical trauma, and critical cultural perspectives in their work with American Indian and Alaska Native clients. The TIP discusses the demographics, social challenges, and behavioral health concerns of Native Americans. It highlights the importance […]
2019 National Drug Control Strategy
White House Releases National Drug Control Strategy January 31, 2019 Today, Jim Carroll, the newly sworn-in Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), released the Administration’s National Drug Control Strategy, which establishes the President’s priorities for addressing the challenge of drug trafficking and use. “Our number one goal is to save […]
Mental health disorders common following mild head injury
From NIH. NIH-funded study identifies risk factors for neuropsychiatric conditions after a concussion. A new study reveals that approximately 1 in 5 individuals may experience mental health symptoms up to six months after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), suggesting the importance of follow-up care for these patients. Scientists also identified factors that may increase the […]
FDA Is Streamlining Labeling for Naloxone
From CNBC Angelica LaVito FDA clears the way to increase access and lower cost of life-saving opioid overdose treatment drug Naloxone is used in emergency rooms across the U.S. to reverse a drug overdose from opioids. The FDA is streamlining the labeling for naloxone. The change clears the way for drugmakers to sell it without […]
Health Advocates Say Schizophrenia Should Be Reclassified as a Brain Disease
From Politico. by Brianna Ehley Changing the definition could unlock more money for cures. Mental health advocates are lobbying Congress to help them get schizophrenia classified as a brain disease like Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s, instead of as a mental illness, a move that could reduce stigma and lead to more dollars for a cure. Federal […]
D.C. announces plan to cut opioid-related deaths by half
From the Washington Post. In long-awaited plan, D.C. aims to reduce opioid deaths by half by late 2020 by Jenna Portnoy The District on Monday announced a plan aimed at cutting opioid-related deaths by half over the next 21 months, using a long list of treatment, tracking and education initiatives. Start-up costs of $24 million will […]