Researchers and addiction specialists know that drug and alcohol addiction have a biological basis in lasting changes that occur in the brains of people who repeatedly use specific substances over time. However, they don’t know all of the details about how these changes manifest inside the brain. In a study published in May 2014 in the journal Neuron, researchers from three U.S. universities explored the role that a specific brain protein, called FMRP, plays in setting the stage for the development of cocaine addiction. This same protein has a known role in the development of the childhood developmental disorder called autism spectrum disorder.
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Category Archives: Mental health
Helping Inmates With Addiction and Mental Illness
Leaders from the prison system, law enforcement and advocacy groups in Texas recently came together to discuss the important issue of dual-diagnosis inmates in state prisons with state legislators. Inmates in the Texas prison system who have been diagnosed as having a mental illness as well as a substance abuse disorder are more likely to re-offend and end up back in jail than their peers. Leaders in the state hope to reduce the rates of these people coming back to prison by better addressing their illnesses and providing more effective treatments.
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What are the Links Between Mental Health Issues and Teen Substance Use?
Substance use is a recurring problem among large numbers of U.S. teens and younger children. Substance abuse experts and mental health professionals know that, broadly speaking, the presence of certain psychiatric problems increases the likelihood that people in these age groups will start drinking or taking drugs. In a study published in December 2013 in the journal Addiction, researchers from two U.S. universities examined the connection between three specific psychiatric problems — conduct disorder, depression and anxiety — and the onset of substance use among teenagers, preteens and younger kids. The researchers also looked at how the specific timing of these problems affects the risks for substance use.