Topics: Addiction Treatment | Behavioral therapy | Complementary treatments | Computers in Psychiatric Practice | electronic use | Health Apps | Internet | Media | Telehealth | Telemedicine

Smartphone apps are a useful, patient-centered resource for continued substance use treatment. We’ll explore the two current FDA-cleared SUD treatment apps as well as other popular ones on the market to help you determine the best approach for discussing these apps with your patients.

Topics: Addiction Treatment | Complementary treatments | Connection | Internet | Media | Medication

Not all alternative therapies are created equal. In this interview with Dr. Steven Novella, we discuss the prevalence of alternative therapies among patients with substance use disorders (SUDs) as well as the state of evidence for (or against) commonly utilized forms of complementary and alternative treatments for SUDs.

Topics: Addiction Treatment | Alcohol use disorder | Buprenorphine | Clinical practice | Medication adherence | retention

Addiction is often lifelong phenomenon, but many patients may still wish to end treatment. We discuss the reasons why a patient might ask to “complete” their treatment and provide you with strategies for talking with patients about ceasing therapeutic treatments for substance use disorders.

Topics: Addiction Treatment | Alcohol use disorder | Behavioral treatment | Bipolar Disorder | Buprenorphine | Co-occurring disorders | Collaborative care | Depression | Literacy | Medical Comorbidities | Methadone

Those with serious mental illness and unhealthy opioid use have special treatment considerations due to polypharmacy and overlapping stigma. Dr. Gomez-Luna walks us through these nuances and explains micro-dosing of buprenorphine—a helpful technique for starting treatment in patients who may have other opioids on board.

Topics: Adherence | Opioid Use Disorder | Randomized controlled trial | Youth

Adherence may often limit effectiveness of medications for opioid use disorder among youth. In this randomized controlled trial, young adults with opioid use disorder were randomized to either youth opioid recovery support (an assertive intervention designed to increase adherence) or treatment as usual, both involving extended-release naltrexone.

Topics: Alcohol | Alcohol Use | Alcohol use disorder | Cognition | Cognitive Decline | Comorbidity

We’re often presented with mixed messages regarding mild or moderate alcohol consumption and its effect on brain and/or cardiovascular health. This current study tracks alcohol consumption and its effects on cognition performance among middle-aged and older adults in the U.S.

Topics: Connection | Internet | Patient relationship | treatment | Treatment planning

What is important to patients as they choose a treatment setting? This retrospective analysis examines online ratings and reviews that patients in specific Pennsylvania drug treatment facilities completed from 2010-2018 to assist in identifying quality metrics.

Topics: Substance Use Disorder

How helpful is adding a particular psychotherapy like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to medications for substance use disorder (SUD)?

Topics: CME Post-Test

The post-test for this issue is available for one year after the publication date to subscribers only. By successfully completing the test you will be awarded a certificate for 2 CME credits.