addiction

Addiction is defined as not having control over doing, taking or using something to the point where it could be harmful to you.

Addiction is most commonly associated with gambling, drugs, alcohol and smoking, but it’s possible to be addicted to just about anything, including work, the internet, shopping, solvents and sex.

Our addiction Blogs

All bets are off? Europe’s patchwork of gambling advertising laws

Paper,Money,And,Gold,Coins,Inside,A,Soccer,Ball.,Prize

Flashing betting logos in one country, none in the next. A new review maps how 30 European nations regulate gambling ads, and it’s a patchwork. Whether you see gambling adverts all match or none depends on where you live.

[read the full story...]

Approach Bias Modification for smoking cessation: NHS contender or game over?

feat

Approach Bias Modification didn’t significantly beat standard smoking cessation care, but this may say more about the trial’s power than the intervention itself.

[read the full story...]

Medical cannabinoids as a treatment for mental health: helpful or hazardous?

3d green cannabis leaf and magnifying glass. Pharmacology, cannabinoid research, alternative medicine, drug development, biotechnology, cbd products, hemp industry concept. Low poly wireframe. Vector.

Systematic review of 54 RCTs found limited evidence for cannabinoids treating mental health conditions. Most robust findings for cannabis use disorder, but overall quality low.

[read the full story...]

Shared genetic patterns found across 14 psychiatric disorders

feat

Psychiatric disorders share genetic variants that cluster into five main factors. Understanding shared biology could improve treatment, but more diverse genetic data urgently needed.

[read the full story...]

People in prison face disproportionate mental and physical illness

Featured

Umbrella review of global prison populations finds 40% with antisocial personality disorder, 39% with drug use disorder, 24% with alcohol use disorder, 18% with hepatitis C, and 11% with major depression. Healthcare provision inadequate.

[read the full story...]

Persistent poverty and adversity drives youth weapon-carrying and police contact

London,,United,Kingdom,,21st,August,2021:-,An,Extinction,Rebellion,Protester

New study using Millennium Cohort Study data finds that young people facing both persistent poverty and parental mental illness showed highest rates of police involvement (27.8%) and weapon-carrying (8.6%) at age 17.

[read the full story...]

Synthetic cannabinoids found in 13% of school vapes tested

Young,Woman,Outside,Autumn,Park,Fall,And,Smoking,Tobacco,Device

13% of vapes confiscated from English schools contained synthetic cannabinoids mis-sold as THC. Refillable vapes and social media platforms enable this dangerous trend.

[read the full story...]

Alcohol use disorder and IQ: Does social context matter?

feat

Recent research suggests that lower IQ and cognitive performance link to higher alcohol use disorder risk, but education and societal factors can amplify or reduce this vulnerability, not genetics alone.

[read the full story...]

ADHD and behavioural addictions: exploring impulsivity, compulsivity and internet use

ritesh-raj-oeJfOEJ44ok-unsplash

Do people with ADHD have higher rates of behavioural addictions? This study compared 209 adults with ADHD to 137 healthy controls, finding increased impulsivity, compulsivity and problematic internet use in the ADHD groups.

[read the full story...]

How much does family history increase your mental health risk? New study provides answers

feat

This Danish study of over 3 million people found that having a first-degree relative with depression increased risk 2.35-times, resulting in 15% lifetime risk (compared to 7.8% in the general population). However, 60% of depression cases occurred in people with no affected close relatives, highlighting that family history is only part of the story.

[read the full story...]