“Being present for your life again”: Young adults’ views of recovery
In the United States, there is a large gap between the number of young adults with substance use disorder and the number who engage with specialty addiction treatment. Reasons accounting for the difficulty of engaging this population include both individual barriers (e.g., motivation) and external barriers (e.g., lack of treatment affordability or access). In this […]
Are collegiate recovery programs worth the investment?
The first collegiate recovery program was founded at Brown University in 1977. Since then, these programs have seen explosive growth, with 136 currently in operation. Universities are often tasked with determining whether programs are worth their cost. This study investigated the cost-effectiveness of collegiate recovery programs. WHAT PROBLEM DOES THIS STUDY ADDRESS? College recovery programs […]
Young people and some racial groups may be less likely to engage with AA
Due to its widespread and free availability and research supporting its cost-effectiveness, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) has been described as the closest thing public health has to a “free lunch”. Yet, not everyone may want a seat at the lunch table or want what’s on AA’s menu. This nationally representative study examined who is more or […]
Re-wiring young minds online: Can web-based cognitive bias modification reduce social anxiety and alcohol use among young adults?
Social anxiety and alcohol use disorder are two pressing public health concerns for young adults. For some, these conditions are both present and exacerbate one another, driven by underlying cognitive biases. This pilot study evaluated the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of cognitive bias modification to address co-occurring social anxiety and hazardous alcohol use in young […]
Cannabis use disorder linked with suicidal behaviors in youth
Cannabis use during adolescence is linked to a range of mental and physical health consequences. This study investigated if cannabis use disorder was associated with suicide and self-harm behaviors in adolescents. WHAT PROBLEM DOES THIS STUDY ADDRESS? Adolescence is a unique developmental stage that can be complicated and disrupted by alcohol and other drug use […]
Impulsivity and stressful life events uniquely relate to heavy alcohol and cannabis use in at-risk youth
Adolescence is a critical period for the onset of substance use. It is important to understand why some youth engage in problematic substance use, especially youth who are most vulnerable. This study examined the unique contributions of impulsivity and stressful life events on problematic substance use among youth. WHAT PROBLEM DOES THIS STUDY ADDRESS? Adolescence […]
“Street Universities”: A program for young people by young people, but do they work?
Community-based, open-door interventions are innovative approaches to engaging young people suffering from mental health and substance use challenges with pro-social activities, peers, and therapeutic services. This study described and evaluated the “Street Universities” model in Australia, which allows young people to connect with others, participate in a range of activities, and see specialized mental health […]
Increasing cannabis use worsens depression for most young adults
Cannabis use among young adults is linked to depressive symptoms, but the direction of the relationship is unclear; that is, whether increased use leads to increased depression or if increased depression leads to increased use of cannabis. This longitudinal study of youth in the community explored this relationship between cannabis use and depression from teen […]