Substance Use Disorder Treatment
Though the war on drugs has not had a tangible impact on crime, treatment for substance use disorders has - Austin Frakt
image by: Maura Healey
HWN Suggests
The Entanglements of Substance Use Disorders and Emergency Departments
EDs are in a unique position to possibly start treatment for substance use disorders and connect patients directly to ongoing treatment. Interventions in the ED can range from brief motivational interviewing to the administration of medication. Brief interventions have been shown to be effective in reducing alcohol consumption and harmful events in primary care, inpatient, and ED settings (15). The length of time of the intervention varies tremendously throughout the studies of brief interventions, but it is notable that even 5 minutes of simple advice and counseling was shown to be effective
Articles of Interest
Addiction Treatment Can Work Even When It’s Not Voluntary
Popular opinion holds that an addict cannot be helped until he or she wants to quit, and there is overwhelming agreement among experts that it is preferable for people to choose to enter care rather than be forced into it. But research has borne out the conclusion of a 1990 Institute of Medicine report that “criminal justice pressure does not seem to vitiate treatment effectiveness, and it probably improves retention.”
B.C.’s plan for involuntary addiction treatment is a step back in our response to the overdose crisis
British Columbia Premier David Eby recently announced that his government plans to open highly secure facilities where people struggling with mental health, serious brain injuries and severe addictions will receive involuntary care. The B.C. government describes the move as a new phase of its response to the addiction crisis that includes a promise to change the law to “ensure that people, including youth, can and should receive care when they are unable to seek it themselves.” Unregulated drugs kill an average of six British Columbians every day. Since a public health emergency was declared in 2016, more than 15,000 people in B.C. have died from consuming unregulated drugs.
Can a Brain Implant Treat Addiction?
Some experts tout deep brain stimulation as a lifeline for people struggling with opioid use. Others question the hype
Emergency department screening and interventions for substance use disorders
The emergency department (ED) has long been recognized as providing critical access to the health care system for many, yet only in the past few decades has the ED visit been recognized as an opportunity to identify and link patients to care for substance use disorders (SUDs). This review explores the evidence for ED-based screening, psychosocial and pharmacological interventions, and linkage to treatment for the spectrum of SUDs including high risk alcohol use and alcohol, opioid, tobacco and other SUDs.
Emergency Rooms Emerge as Critical Entry Point for Substance Use Disorder Care
The emergency department (ED) can be the “first, and sometimes only” interaction that people with substance use disorders (SUDs) have with the health care system. Integrating SUD care into EDs can connect these patients to crucial long-term care. Still, co-occurring conditions, stigma and polysubstance use are among the main barriers preventing efficient integration.
Offering treatment to drug users instead of arresting them reduces crime and addiction – new research into police diversion program shows
When police get suspected drug abusers treatment rather than arresting them, those people are less likely to abuse drugs or commit drug-related crimes in the future, new, limited research finds. This kind of police intervention can help reduce opioid abuse.
People struggling .nwith substance abuse are sometimes mistreated by medical providers
A program in Seattle is helping people struggling with addiction and homelessness overcome barriers to medical care, including discrimination from health care providers.
The ethical dilemmas behind plans for involuntary treatment to target homelessness, mental illness and addiction
Civil commitment aims to improve the well-being of individuals and communities. But it raises difficult questions about core ethical issues such as autonomy – people’s right to make medical decisions for themselves – and beneficence, or ensuring that interventions provide more benefit than harm.
Resources
CDC
Addiction is a disease, not a character flaw. People experiencing SUDs have trouble controlling their drug use even though they know drugs are harmful. Overcoming an SUD is not as simple as resisting the temptation to take drugs. Recovery may involve medication to help with cravings and withdrawal as well as different forms of therapy. It may even require checking into a rehabilitation facility.
