Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder and Alcohol and Other Substance Use Disorders in Young Adulthood: Findings from a Canadian Nationally Representative Survey

In a recent study on the rates alcohol and other substance use disorders (SUDs) in persons with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) researchers found that young adults (20-39) have a high prevalence of alcohol and other SUDs. Using the nationally representative Canadian Community Health Survey-Mental health, with a sample size of 6,872 respondents between the ages of 20-39, researchers found one in three (36%) of young adults had a lifetime alcohol use disorder compared to 19% of young adults without ADHD. They also found that those with ADHD had increased odds of developing alcohol use disorder, cannabis use disorders, or other SUD. According to the report, individuals with a history of depression and anxiety demonstrated the largest attenuation of the ADHD-SUD relationship, followed by childhood aversities and socioeconomic status.

Fatality Review Team Working to Prevent Overdose, Suicide Deaths

Nearly 20 percent of the overdoses reported in Hamilton County, Indiana, end in fatality. A panel of experts that comprise the Hamilton County Suicide and Overdose Fatality Review Team are working to reverse this trend. Monica Greer, the executive director of the Hamilton County Council on Alcohol and Other Drugs says the group considers the individual’s whole life cycle get a better understanding of what factors contributed to the overdose. Jim Ginder from Hamilton County Health Department said that approach helps organizations find opportunities to work together to solve the problem. These reviews allow the team to develop program and policy recommendation, to improve collaboration between agencies and to decrease overdose deaths. Hamilton County is one of 22 Indiana counties with a Suicide and Overdose Fatality Team. More information about Overdose Fatality Review in Indiana is available on the Indiana Department of Health Overdose Fatality Review website.  

Pre-arrest Diversion: Addressing the SUD-Mental Illness Link

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) reports that multiple national population surveys have found a correlation between mental illness and substance use disorder (SUD). Research has shown that illegal substance use increases the likelihood of continued criminal involvement with 68 percent of drug offenders being rearrested within three years of release from prison. Establishing treatment alternatives for individuals with SUD creates safer communities, allows individuals an opportunity to actively participate in recovery and provides viable solutions for substance-involved offenders. One program out of North Carolina is doing just that. The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department goes beyond traditional policing into programing that educates young people on how to make better decisions, offers life-changing experiences, and facilitates positive interactions with law enforcement. The program designed for first-time offenders has helped them reduce adolescent arrest, address racial and ethnic disparities, and minimize the school-to-prison pipeline.  

Drug Overdose Dashboard

Looking for drug overdose data? State and county level data relating to drug overdose deaths, nonfatal overdoses, opioid prescribing and much more can be found on the Drug Overdose Dashboard. Additional overdose data can be found on StatsExplorer. Please reach out to the DOP team to ask data questions.

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UPCOMING EVENTS

A Gestalt view of the Latino Experience with Substance Use Disorders

3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. EDT, Wednesday, Sept. 15

This webinar offers the opportunity to enhance clinical, theoretical, and culturally sensitive skills to work with Latinos using a Gestalt approach. The presenters will review core elements of Gestalt theory, explore individual’s beliefs and value systems, as well as discussing the humanistic elements adopted by Gestalt. This free webinar is most beneficial to addiction professionals, employee assistance professionals, social workers, mental health counselors, psychologists and other helping professionals interested in learning more about substance use-related matters. The course is offering 1.5 CE hours for a $20 fee and completion of a post-course quiz.

To register for this event, click here.

Crisis Response for Rural Communities: Using Technology and Peer Support to Meet People in Crisis, Where They Are

12:30 p.m. – 2 p.m. EDT, Thursday, Sept. 16

Rural communities can face many challenges in the development and delivery of crisis response programs for people with behavioral health conditions and intellectual and developmental disabilities, including wide geographic areas to serve, limitation in options for local treatment and social services, and resource constraints related to funding and staffing. This free webinar is being offered by the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance's Academic Training to Inform Police Responses Initiative. It will feature two programs that have adapted crisis response for use in rural communities. The panelists will present on innovative approaches to crisis response implemented by their programs and discuss the challenges of ensuring the needs of individuals in crisis who live in rural communities are met.

To register for this event, click here.

Advancing Awareness in LGBTQ Care, Part IV: Shaping and Affirming Responses for Historically “Invisibilized” LGBTQIA+ Populations

Noon – 1:30 p.m. EDT, Friday, Sept. 17

Despite the relevance of the LGBTQIA+ community in media, effective and culturally responsive treatment approaches and tools are lacking in the diversity of modalities and approaches. This free webinar will discuss how the influence of homophobia, transphobia, and queer aversion within historical, societal, and personal contexts with a focus on how to craft culturally responsive treatment methods for the LGBTQIA+ community. This course will be most beneficial to addiction professionals, employee assistance professionals, social workers, mental health counselors, professional counselors, psychologists and other professionals who are interested in learning about addiction-related matters. The course is offering 1.5 CE hours for a fee of $20 and completion of a post-course quiz.

Recordings of Part I, Part II and Part III are available.

To register for this event, click here.

Project ECHO: Overdose Fatality Investigation Techniques (OD-FIT)

3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. EDT, monthly beginning in October

Project Enhancing Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO): OD-FIT is an entirely virtual learning community for coroners and medical examiners to learn and share their expertise with peers across the United States. Each ECHO session consists of a didactic presentation followed by a case study presentation in breakout rooms. Past didactics have included identifying the cause and manner of death, conducting scene investigations, and assessing toxicology findings. Case study presentations are opportunities to engage your peers in informal discussions about challenging cases you are working on and/or trends in your jurisdiction.

To register for this event, click here.