substance misuse

A drug is a chemical substance that acts on the brain and nervous system, changing a person’s mood, emotion or state of consciousness. Drugs are often classified by the effect they have.
Stimulants, such as cocaine, make people feel full of energy. Depressants (or sedatives), such as heroin, make people feel relaxed. Hallucinogens, such as LSD, make people see, feel or hear things that are not real. Drug or substance misuse is when a person regularly takes one or more drugs to change their mood, emotion or state of consciousness.

Our substance misuse Blogs

E-cigarettes vs nicotine patches: are either adequate to support pregnant smokers?

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In her debut blog, Tuba Saygın Avşar summarises a recent RCT, which finds that “E-cigarettes might help women who are pregnant to stop smoking, and their safety for use in pregnancy is similar to that of nicotine patches.”

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Schizophrenia and cannabis use: new evidence measures risk of relapse

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Over 20% of cannabis users experience a psychotic relapse within 24 months of treatment.

In her debut blog, Sally Turner considers a recent study on cannabis use and clinical outcomes in people with first-episode schizophrenia spectrum disorders over 24 months of treatment.

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Substance use is higher and more excessive in transgender people: evidence, limitations and gaps

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Ivan Ezquerra-Romano summarises a systematic review looking into the prevalence of substance use among transgender people compared to their cisgender counterparts.

Today we also announce the launch of a new survey that will help us understand alcohol use in UK transgender and non-binary people.

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The North American Opioid Crisis: how it came about and how to manage it

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Rob Poole explores the recently published Stanford-Lancet Commission report on the North American Opioid Crisis, which aims to understand the opioid crisis, propose solutions to the crisis in the USA and Canada, and attempt to stop its spread internationally.

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How to measure cannabis use: introducing the ‘International Cannabis Toolkit’ or iCannToolkit

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Ian Hamilton looks at the new International Cannabis Toolkit (iCannToolkit) and considers why it’s so important that we have an internationally agreed and standardised measure for cannabis use.

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Can psychosocial interventions help reduce parental substance use?

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In her debut blog, Lilli Waples summarises a recent Cochrane Review on the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions to reduce parental substance use.

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Opioid Agonist Treatment associated with 50% lower risk of mortality, but political epiphany still needed to reduce drug-related deaths

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Ian Hamilton appraises a systematic review and meta-analysis on the association of opioid agonist treatment with all-cause mortality and specific causes of death among people with opioid dependence.

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Are homeless people more likely to die by suicide?

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Ian Cummins explores a study that analysed data from the National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Safety in Mental Health, which finds that homeless people were more likely to die by suicide after discharge from hospital than non-homeless people.

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Alcohol and bipolar: how does heavy alcohol use predict the course of bipolar disorder?

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Danielle Windget and Sammy Eden review a recent study on the patterns and clinical correlates of lifetime alcohol consumption in women and men with bipolar disorder.

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