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In an effort to help the public better understand the mental health implications of gaming, an international foundation and a public health nonprofit this month released a white paper, calling it a first‐of‐its‐kind report, that analyzes the potential role of gaming as an innovative solution to the increasing mental health crisis in this country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Health care payments continue to evolve and shift away from fee‐for‐service payment systems that typically reward volume and move to value‐based payment (VBP) models that incentivize high‐quality, cost‐effective care. While this is happening more for physical health services, there's more uncertainty about the role of behavioral health. A new white paper aims to tackle that question with information about existing models that have been implemented along with recommendations for federal and state policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Intensive outpatient and partial hospitalization or day treatment programs can provide more intensive levels of care with multiple types of therapy, more frequent sessions with mental health professionals, and clinically informed care coordination and case management. This observation on residential treatment is included in a new white paper released this month by the National Association for Behavioral Healthcare (NABH). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) working paper from Jennifer L. Doleac and Anita Mukherjee, which found that greater opioid abuse and opioid-related crime has resulted from laws expanding access to the overdose-rescue drug naloxone. According to the study, there is no evidence that naloxone leads more people to search for fentanyl.

As Scott E. Hadland, M.D., senior author of a dramatic paper published last week in the New England Journal of Medicine puts it, drug use among adolescents is not getting more common — it's at its lowest in almost 50 years. But it's getting more deadly, due to fentanyl. In "The Overdose Crisis among U.S. Adolescents," by Hadland and lead author Joseph Friedman, Ph.D., the problem is laid out clearly: After guns and car crashes, overdose (OD) deaths are now the third leading cause of death among adolescents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry's (AACAP's) Program Committee has issued a Call for Papers for submission of abstracts of original investigations for consideration in the 2024 Annual Meeting of AACAP, October 14‐19, in Seattle. AACAP is planning for an in‐person meeting in Seattle and as such, will require all presenters to be in‐person in Seattle for their presentation. The Call for Papers deadline is Feb. 15, 2024 (11:59 p.m. EST). For more information, visit https://aacap.confex.com/aacap/2024/cfp.cgi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There have been many calls for federal changes to address the opioid epidemic, but one from Beau Kilmer, senior policy researcher and director of the Drug Policy Research Center at the RAND Corporation, released last week is a particularly interesting distillation that doesn't omit pros and cons for each strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From 2017 – 2022, law enforcement seizures across the United States of mushrooms containing psilocybin increased dramatically, according to a new study funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). The number of law enforcement seizures increased from 402 seizures in 2017 to 1,396 in 2022. In addition, the total weight of psilocybin mushrooms seized by law enforcement increased from 226 kg (498 lbs.) seized in 2017 compared with 844 kg (1,861 lbs.) in 2022. This analysis, published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence, was led by researchers at New York University (NYU) Langone Health in New York City, and the University of Florida, Gainesville. The data used for the analysis were collected through the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program, a grant program aimed at reducing drug trafficking and misuse administered by the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Though law enforcement seizures do not necessarily reflect prevalence of use, they represent an indicator of the availability of illicit drugs. "We are in the middle of a rapidly evolving cultural, media, and legal landscape when it comes to psychedelics, and we need data to help shape informed and appropriate public health strategies," said NIDA Director Nora D. Volkow, M.D., in announcing the research publication last week. "Moving forward, we must continue to track data on the availability of psychedelics, patterns in use, and associated health effects to guide efforts in promoting accurate education and reducing potential harms among people who do plan to use psychedelic drugs." Adverse effects of psilocybin mushrooms, such as "bad trips," are marked by "distorted thinking, perceptual changes, putting oneself in physical danger, and intense feelings of fear, anxiety, and confusion," according to NIDA. "People who take psychedelic drugs like psilocybin may also experience short‐term side effects such as raised blood pressure and heart rate, agitation, confusion, vomiting, or nausea, which may be severe and require medical attention." Joseph J. Palamar, Ph.D., M.P.H., associate professor at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, co‐investigator on the NIDA‐funded National Drug Early Warning System (NDEWS), and lead author on the paper, said "Research studies suggesting its effectiveness in treating mental health issues and extensive positive media coverage may lead some people to seek 'shrooms' outside of medical contexts. People who use psilocybin outside of medical supervision need to be educated about risks associated with use." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary manner by which states have been using Medicaid to expand access to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment may actually be making it more difficult for individuals to receive the services most appropriate to their needs, a newly released paper suggests. Moreover, this preferred strategy in many cases violates the law, authors with the National Health Law Program contend. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An over‐reliance on federal block grants and "one‐off" funding initiatives has left the addiction treatment system under‐resourced to respond to an addiction crisis that stands to be at least as deadly as COVID‐19 during the span of the Biden administration, a trio of prominent researchers argue in a newly released policy paper. The authors suggest that the new administration and Congress should prioritize efforts to build on what they consider the most impactful developments in improving access and quality in addiction treatment, such as Medicaid expansion and parity mandates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reports on the release of a position paper identifying the unmet needs of children with social, behavioral and emotional problems by a coalition of leading mental health, education and children's advocates in the U.S. Release of the position paper to support congressional reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

The article looks at a paper authored by the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) which calls for the banning of medical marijuana due to the oath of physicians to do no harm to patients. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's policy on smoking marijuana as a means of drug delivery is reviewed. The ASAM's view on the addictive properties of marijuana are discussed.

A white paper from Canada and the United States focuses on collaboration between the two countries on their commitment to deal with the overdose crisis. "Substance Use and Harms During COVID‐19 and Approaches to Federal Surveillance and Response," issued Sept. 27, states that the increase in "substance use harms and deaths" during COVID‐19 is partly due to a decrease in access to services. The white paper itself focuses on the restrictions to methadone access in the United States and says little about the Canadian rules, but they are much more lenient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

EDITOR'S SUMMARY At the fifth SIG/MET workshop, held during the 2015 ASIS&T Annual Meeting, the group shared papers, posters and discussions exploring developments in information measurement. The opening session on bibliometric case studies examined interdisciplinarity among consumers of academic research, increased funding for coauthors of previously funded authors and a classification of acknowledgement types. A session on information retrieval in relation to bibliometrics included studies on overcoming the limits of computational linguistics in very large corpora, an interactive context explorer of bibliographic data called Ariadne and comparative approaches to visualizing the structure of a very large dataset. The alternative metrics session covered application of altmetrics for analyzing public policy documents, a novel usage indicator promoting article discovery, the basis for connections among faculty members using Twitter and the heavy use of Twitter among academics. The daylong workshop included awards for best papers, best student papers and two featured presentations on the application and use of metrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports that the twenty-five Nobel Prize-winning scientists have signed a letter to Congress and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) calling for all tax-payer funded research to be made freely available. NIH Chief Elias Zerhouni has been meeting with publishers and scientists to discuss a June House Appropriations Committee directive to make electronic copies of NIH funded research available for free within six months of publication. Zerhouni has said that a balanced policy that allows publishers to continue to play a major role is needed.

Reports the federal funding for mental health services in the United States for fiscal 2002. Estimates of public-health grants; Efforts of the government to address public health needs; Proposal to establish a Commission on Health aimed at improving the service delivery system.

Reports on the Physician Leadership on National Drug Policy's call for a change in national drug policy emphasizing treatment, prevention, education, parity and stigma reduction over interdiction in the United States.

The article talks about the concept of civil commitment for substance use disorders (SUDs), discussing a research paper released by Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation. Topics discussed include the views of some people that addiction is a disease and its treatment should not be coerced; a paper by the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) on it; and the benefits of involuntary commitment laws for substance use disorders.

The article reports on the release of a white paper by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in the U.S. The paper, entitled "Substance Abuse and Suicide Prevention: Evidence and Implications," focuses on knowledge and emphasizes the importance of continued research.

The article reports on the release of three papers by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in the U.S. on evidence-based approaches to treating individuals with co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders. These papers, which include the "Services Integration," "Systems Integration" and "The Epidemiology of Co-Occurring Substance Abuse and Mental Disorders," were developed by SAMHSA'S Co-Occurring Center for Excellence.

The article reports that the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has released three overview papers detailing approaches to treating individuals with co-occurring mental health and substance abuse disorders. The overview papers were titled "Services Integration," "Systems Integration," and "The Epidemiology of Co-Occurring Substance Abuse and Mental Disorders."

EDITOR'S SUMMARY Special Interest Group/Classification Research (SIG/CR) explored the significance of studies on classification and its real world effects through paper presentations by students and faculty at the 2015 ASIS&T Annual Meeting workshop. Presenters looked at the effects of approaches to classifying and structuring knowledge and at the ways classification models frame similarities and differences and influence views of society and the world. Among the papers on specific models and cases were presentations on capturing situation semantics in metadata, classifications of violence and disasters and historians' perspectives on organizing information. Fundamental philosophical positions were shown to inform classifications, and the effects of classificatory systems evolve with time. Other papers addressed the cultural, political and theoretical consequences of compiling a controlled vocabulary, outsourcing metadata and information resources for classification of social and cultural issues. The workshop ended with the announcement of new officers and presentation of student scholarships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents topics scheduled for discussions at the Behavioral Healthcare and Informatics Tomorrow conference in Washington D.C. on September 22-25, 2002. Compliance with the False Claims Act; Response to terrorism; Measurement of organizational performance.

Examines the link between learning disabilities and addiction in the United States. Identification of learning disabilities in children; Prevention of alcohol and drug addiction; Impact of learning disabilities on the behavior of school-age children; Need for treatment professionals to tailor addiction treatments.

Reports that the Aroostook Mental Health Center in Caribou, Maine, is recruiting an administrator for its employee assistance program with Fraser Paper Ltd. Roles and responsibilities; Credentials required from prospective applicants.

ABSTRACT The plenary theme at the 2008 annual conference of The Wildlife Society was, 'Thriving within limits: toward a scenario of hope.' Wildlife professionals are still grappling with how wildlife management relates to sustainability as global limits, especially energy, become more obvious in affecting resource management. 'Sustainability' as used in this paper is derived from the commonly cited, Brundtland Report definition of sustainable development as, '...development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.' Further, it is activity that simultaneously addresses the interlinked aspects of economy, environment, and social well-being. To be effective in the future, natural resources agencies and organizations (NGOs) will be compelled to 1) reduce energy use by increasing efficiency of unavoidable uses and reducing optional energy uses; 2) anticipate how energy costs will affect resource use by various stakeholders; and 3) mitigate climate change by reducing combustion processes and thereby greenhouse gases. Because of their fundamental missions, natural resource entities have a special obligation to employ exemplary conservation practices. Challenges are great, but opportunities are significant. Higher fuel costs will constrain some management practices, but may limit further development of more rural and underdeveloped lands, thereby reducing habitat fragmentation and often wildlife damage complaints. Will energy costs promote smaller vehicles, reduction of some management practices, greater focus on recreational areas closer to population centers, consolidation of offices with other entities, and more video-conferencing of meetings? Will wildlife management be effectively integrated into landscapes where energy crops are produced along with food and where 'life-cycle analysis' measures the full ecological footprint of land management? Agencies and NGOs can partner with stakeholders to design landscape use that is more sustainable (less pollution, conserving of energy and soil, more biologically diverse), provides better connections to nature, and enhances overall resource conservation. Educational institutions have a critical role because they are instrumental in preparing future resource managers. © 2014 The Wildlife Society. © 2014 The Wildlife Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

EDITOR'S SUMMARY Bringing comic relief to the 2015 ASIS&T Annual Meeting, SIG CON opened with discovery that the alleged nephew of the group's figurehead, Dr. Llewellyn C. Puppybreath III, and speaker at the 2014 meeting was an imposter of dubious character. With the purloined ceremonial wand accounted for, the 2015 symposium opened with a presentation on the I-Index, an anti-establishment altmetric, eschewing group recognition in favor of individualism and self-citation. A paper on the correlation among computer science doctorates, rising arcade revenues and climate warming in Australia highlighted the income and career opportunities available to techies relocating to Oz. Analysis of ASIS&T members' social media posts revealed a skewed distribution of posters, topics and irrelevant content, especially by Association leadership. The session also featured a Monty Python character reporting on fatal answers at the Bridge of Death, multiple personalities of Dr. N. E. Doofus and a séance with illustrious ASIS&T members spanning the spectrum from living to dead. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

EDITOR'S SUMMARY Special Interest Group/Information Needs, Seeking and Use (SIG/USE) convened at the 2015 ASIS&T Annual Meeting to explore the links between theory and practice in information behavior. In his keynote address, Ross Todd urged the audience to go beyond models and aim for synthesis and meta-analysis, focusing on the user. Lightning talks addressed a social cognitive theory analysis of a program for disadvantaged youth; adults with limited literacy and health information; mobile information workers; forming a community of practice; and information sharing practices among online communities. A key takeaway was that research should actively involve communities and their members rather than simply being about them. Safiya Noble's keynote highlighted hidden biases in automated search engine returns with encouragement to design algorithms enabling users to opt in or out of filtered returns. Attendees explored the topics raised further during a mixer chat and table talks. The symposium ended with presentations for the best paper, poster and research proposal and awards for student and international conference travel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the growing involvement of peer-based services in the recovery process of individuals leaving treatment for addiction in the U.S. The author discusses the problem of distinction on the role of peer support workers in the addiction service continuum and its integration within the community treatment infrastructure. Moreover, the author cites the paper of William L. White, which gives emphasis on authority distinction among peer support workers, sponsors and counselor.

Reports on the near-completion of a position paper on the behavioral health managed care programs for the public sector being developed by the American Managed Behavioral Healthcare Association (AMBHA) and the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD). Other groups joining the project; Examples of statements found in the paper. INSET: AMBHA to focus on consumer issues for next dialogue paper..

SIG/MET presented its third Workshop on Informetric and Scientometric Research at the ASIS&T November 2013 Annual Meeting. Established in 2010, the group brings together those interested in all aspects of informetrics, including bibliometrics, scientometrics and webometrics, as well as metrics related to citation network analysis, visualization and scholarly communication. The meeting featured posters on measuring research in the context of academic monitoring and on the transition of meeting abstracts to peer-reviewed journal articles. Thirteen papers were presented in sessions addressing the application of metrics and new indicators. A session on topics beyond the journal article included discussions on Twitter hashtag use, motivations for blog posts and advisees' career success relative to advisers' scholarly activity. SIG/MET recognized students for outstanding contributions on statistical analysis of citation rates, cognitive aspects of peer review and indicators for research evaluation. The symposium concluded with discussion of the availability of a Scopus dataset for arts and humanities journals for research use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A converted computer scientist, the author looks back to his early intrigue with ASIS&T, his excitement at meeting notable scholars and subsequent history of participation. Shah presented a paper at his first meeting and every year since and has expanded his engagement, becoming active in SIGs, volunteering at the organizational level and advising a student chapter. Though this level of engagement involves significant work, Shah sees it not as a burden but as an important aspect of his career. As student chapter advisor, Shah encourages students to join ASIS&T early, attend as many activities as possible and interact broadly with others. New members should join a local chapter and a SIG and take advantage of scholarly opportunities through the Association. Attention to specific issues from organizational transparency to outreach will improve the Association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

EDITOR'S SUMMARY At the 2015 ASIS&T Annual Meeting, Special Interest Group/Social Informatics (SIG/SI) celebrated its 11th research symposium and the more than 100 panels, papers and posters presented over the years. The theme, 'The Impacts of Social Informatics Research,' was evident in studies illustrating social informatics in a variety of contexts. Speakers explored the use of communications technology in marginalized communities and language use in informal chat about illegal behavior in online communities. Presenters also examined human rights in Indonesia, taking a value-oriented approach in social informatics research, efforts to create a safer internet and ways big data marginalize individuals through algorithms used in quantitative analyses. A panel considered where social informatics fits in the IT curriculum of iSchools. An examination of social connectedness through digital channels and devices won the Best Paper Award. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sen. Kamala Harris (D‐California) is Democrat presidential candidate Joe Biden's pick for vice president. And although she has been pilloried by the pro‐marijuana progressives for her prosecution of marijuana cases, in fact, she was not overly aggressive in these cases, according to an article in The Mercury News. "There is no way anyone could say that she was draconian in her pursuit of marijuana cases," said Niki Solis, a high‐ranking attorney in the San Francisco Public Defender's Office during Harris' time as district attorney, the paper stated. Marijuana legalization was a centerpiece of her presidential campaign. For the Mercury News story, see https://www.mercurynews.com/2019/09/11/kamala‐harris‐prosecuting‐marijuana‐cases/. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the report "Responding to the Newtown Tragedy: A White Paper on Behavioral Health as a Partner in the Solution," published by the National Association of Psychiatric Health Systems (NAPHS). Recommendation to the U.S. Congress and the national government on behavioral health service by NAPHS include ensuring essential health benefits in the Affordable Care Act (ACA), passage of the Behavioral Health Information Technology Act in Congress and issuance of a final parity rule.

The article offers information on several Association for Information Science and Technology (ASIS&T) awards and the International Paper Competition as of 2015. Topics include the ASIS&T history awards, both the research and best paper honors, providing cash awards to their winners, the deadlines and nomination requirements varying among the ASIS&T Annual Awards, and the 15th annual International Paper Competition to be held by the SIS&T Special Interest Group/ International Information Issues (SIG/III) which will be based on the theme of "Information Science with Impact: Research in and for the Community."

The article discussed how a paper released by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) entitled "Prevalence of Alcohol Dependence Among US Adult Drinkers, 2009-2011" accidentally promoted heavy drinking and misconstrued diagnostic criteria for alcohol dependence. It mentions that mass media widely circulated the paper, using the familiar synonym "alcoholics" instead of "alcohol dependence" that added to denial.

Reports that the National Rural Institute on Alcohol and Drug Abuse has commissioned a paper on the economic benefits of drug treatment to be developed by Treatment Research Institute in the United States. Economic justification for public support of substance abuse treatment services; Target date of complete of the paper; Dissemination of the paper to state substance abuse agencies, treatment practitioners and legislators nationwide.

Invites readers to submit papers on ways of improving research, practices and policies for mental health services in the United States. Issuance of the invitation by the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors Research Institute Inc.; Guidelines for the research papers; Submission requirements.

Reports on the distribution of a paper entitled `Public Mental Health Systems, Medicaid Restructuring and Managed Behavioral Healthcare,' by the American Managed Behavioral Healthcare Association (AMBHA) and the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD). Paper as blue print for states in establishing mental health systems under Medicaid programs.

The article reports that in 2013 Melody M. Madriad, Maryam Mousavizadeh and Ana Mae Kristine U. Hubilla were winners of the Association for Information Science & Technology International Information Issues Special Interest Group's International Paper Contest and that Monica Garfield, Alan Dennis and Eden Litt were winners of the association's Social Informatics Special Interest Group's Best Social Informatics Papers awards.

The article reports on the white paper prepared by the Closing the Addiction Treatment Gap (CATG) initiative which revealed that addiction treatments would save billions in treatment costs. It states that the paper "Unforeseen Benefits: Addiction Treatment Reduces Health Care Costs" includes an estimated 23 million Americans who suffer from alcohol and drug addiction. It adds that only one in ten drug dependents gets treatment whereby reducing the expenditures from the health care funds.

The article reports that Whole Health Campaign (WHC) released series of policy papers outlining the need to include mental illness and substance use as health care policy priority in the health reform process in the U.S. It notes that the papers center on access, quality, and choice and cost of care for people with these disorders and their family. It adds that the paper depicts the reason why mental illness and substance use research is an important part of America's health care system.

The article reports on a paper on health care reform issued by the Senate Finance Committee in May 2009 in the U.S. It reveals that the paper includes addiction treatment and reassures that parity will not get lost. Meanwhile, director for national policy at the Legal Action Center Gabrielle de la Guerronniere stresses the importance of making sure that the principles of parity are mentioned in any health care reform laws through specific recommendations for Congress.

The article reports that the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's Co-Occurring Center for Excellence has released three papers for treatment professionals, including counselors, administrators and primary care providers. The papers include "Overaching Principles to Address the Needs of Persons with Co-Occurring Disorders," "Definitions and Terms Relating to Co-Occuring Disorders" and Screening Assessment and Treatment Planning for Persons with Co-Occuring Disorders."

The article offers news briefs in the U.S. related to mental health. An online survey of adults' views on mental health treatment has been conducted by Harris Interactive Inc. and American Psychological Association. A paper from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has studied mental illness at substate level. Another corporate-sponsored study suggests that obsessive-compulsive disorder is under-treated.

The article offers news briefs in the U.S. A paper released by the Oklahoma Auditor and Inspector's Office suggests that a drug court program in Lincoln County increased its client load. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention asserts that Miami-Dade County, Florida had the highest rate of people living with acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). The South Carolina Supreme Court reversed a homicide conviction of Regina McKnight.

Information about several papers discussed at the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) conference on non-injection drug use and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission is presented. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) Director Nora D. Volkow, NIH research examines the aspect of transmission and its relationship with drug abuse and addiction. The use of neuroimaging to predict relapse to methamphetamine in treated drug abusers is also examined.

The article reports on the paper "Care of Adults with Mental Health and Substance Abuse Disorders in U.S. Community Hospitals, 2004," released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. According to the report, about 1.9 million of the 7.6 million hospital stays were for patients hospitalized for mental health or substance abuse problem. With this, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration administrator Terry Cline calls for increased mental illness intervention effort.

The article presents the call for proposals by the Research and Training Center for Children's Mental Health (RTC). RTC will hold its 18th annual research conference, "A System of Care for Children's Mental Health: Expanding the Research Base," from March 6 to 9 in Tampa, Florida. RTC is accepting applications for presentations and is especially interested in proposals that address research and evaluation related to system transformation; federally supported initiatives. The center is also interested in projects representing strong partnerships with family members. Presentation formats include symposia, paper presentations, topical discussions and poster presentations.