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.
Current NICE guidelines state that PTSD should not be dealt with unless alcohol dependence is first treated. Paul Christiansen summarises a systematic review of the comorbidity between PTSD and alcohol misuse and wonders where the guidance leaves patients and professionals.
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Kathryn Walsh summarises a systematic review which finds that cannabis use may exacerbate symptoms of mania in those with a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, and trigger symptoms of mania in the general population.
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Meg Fluharty summarises a recent report from the Royal College of Psychiatrists and explores why novel psychoactive substances and club drugs need a different response from UK treatment providers.
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Olivia Maynard summarises a systematic review of smoking cessation interventions in the emergency setting, which highlights the poor quality and heterogenous nature of the published trials in this field.
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Elly O’Brien summarises a recent US survey of adolescents, which investigates the relationship between cyberbullying, mental health and substance use problems, and the moderating role of family dinners.
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Olivia Maynard summarises a new BMJ modelling study on the potential benefits of minimum unit pricing (MUP) for alcohol versus a ban on below cost selling (BBCS). The research concludes that MUP would reduce deaths attributable to alcohol by 40 times more than BBCS.
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Matt Field reviews the recent cross-sectional survey of e-cigarettes and conventional cigarette use in US adolescents, which found that E-Cig users were more likely to also smoke regular cigarettes than non-users. Does this mean that E-cigarettes encourage the use of conventional cigarettes?
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Andrew Jones and Chris Sampson report on a systematic review and economic evaluation of cytisine and varenicline for smoking cessation, which finds that both drugs are clinically effective compared with placebo.
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André Tomlin and Douglas Badenoch voice a note of caution about the Lancet Psychiatry meta-analysis of cannabis use in young people. The study links cannabis use in children with low educational attainment, cannabis dependence, illicit drug use and suicide attempts in later life.
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Sally Adams summarises a recent review of e-cigarettes, which looks at use, content, safety, effects on smokers and the potential for harm and benefit.
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