Females are at higher risk for certain opioid addictive behaviors, but the influence of ovarian hormones is unknown. In our rat model of heroin self-administration, females exhibited higher relapse rates that correlated with rates of heroin seeking on the first extinction session. We administered estradiol alone, or in combination with…

The experiences of school counselors and the development of professional practice in response to student opioid use have minimal supporting literature. This study utilized a generic qualitative research design to gather vital information on the learning experiences school counselors attribute to their professional development when working with…

Monitoring the Future (MTF) is an ongoing research program conducted at the University of Michigan's Institute for Social Research under a series of investigator-initiated, competing research grants from the National Institute on Drug Abuse beginning in 1975. The integrated MTF study includes annual surveys of nationally representative samples of…

Approximately 70% of 67,367 drug overdose deaths involved opioids with rates 4 times higher than in 1999. The purpose of this systematic review is to assess the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions in opioid cessation. The search criteria for this review were: (a) published in English language between 2014 and 2019; (b) indexed in…

Children with autism often need sedation for diagnostic procedures and they are often difficult to sedate. This prospective randomized double-blind control trial evaluates the efficacy and safety using intranasal dexmedetomidine with and without buccal midazolam for sedation in children with autism undergoing computerized tomography and/or…

Objective: Access to naloxone is a priority for reducing opioid overdose deaths. Although participants who receive naloxone training are able to successfully administer it, the impact of training on community member knowledge and attitudes has not been explored. Participants: A total of 105 participants 18 years and older at a medium-sized…

The rise in opioid misuse coincides with increased sexually transmitted infection (STI) and HIV incidence. Transactional sex is an under-researched phenomenon among Black Americans who misuse opioids, and may increase their risk of STI or HIV transmission. Given the disproportionate impact of the opioid epidemic on Black Americans and the risks…

The opioid epidemic has become a public health crisis; it is important to understand practices Extension educators can use to support affected families. We explored the benefits of a parenting program delivered by Extension educators, the Strengthening Families Program (SFP), for families involved in family treatment court services. Data came from…

Objective: College students' prescription stimulant and opioid misuse (PSM and POM) share psychosocial risks with other substance use. We sought to extend a prior study of these issues. Methods: National College Health Assessment (2015-2016) participants ages 18-24 years (n = 79,336) reporting 12-month PSM (defined as use of a drug not prescribed…

The extensive literature on research co-creation is mostly based on problems being treated as clearly defined and solvable. What is the impact on co-creation when problems are complex, with the following characteristics: difficult to delimit, contested definitions, multiple uncertainties and unresolvable unknowns, constraints on what can be done,…

Background: Fentanyl has become increasingly present in the illicit drug supply, including in cocaine. Interventions that target non-opioid use are a necessary component of overdose prevention due to the increased presence of fentanyl. Objectives: To assess management and staff reception to overdose prevention messaging and access to naloxone in…

In Pennsylvania, subgrantee Philadelphia Works, Inc. partnered with JEVS Human Services to implement the National Health Emergency (NHE) demonstration grant. JEVS Human Services offers both employment and training services and behavioral health treatment and recovery services. By developing partnerships with behavioral health providers, the…

Objective: Compared to nonaffiliated students, Greek students engage in higher rates of prescription drug abuse (PDA). We examined PDA among Greek students compared to non-Greek students, and whether PDA in high school predicted joining a Greek organization in college. Participants: From November to December 2014, 509 undergraduate students at a…

The meta-analysis, that included 75 studies, examined the relationship between illegal drug consumption, on the one hand, and student academic and behavioral outcomes, on the other, for the middle school to college grade levels. The meta-analysis first (research question #1) addressed whether there is a statistically significant relationship…

Introduction: Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a critical health issue in the USA. Pennsylvania has the third highest number of drug overdose deaths per year, with the COVID-19 pandemic worsening these trends. Stigmatising beliefs towards OUD are associated with negative health outcomes, and there is a need for a larger evidence base on OUD stigma…