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Gambling disorders are a serious public health problem. This manuscript will provide a comprehensive overview on this topic. Gambling disorder involves repeated patterns of gambling behaviors, that result in significant distress or impairment in a person's interpersonal relationships, employment, educational/career opportunities, and finances over a period of 12 months. Gambling is defined as an activity that involves risking something of value with the hopes of acquiring something of greater value. Comparable to substance use disorders, individuals with a gambling disorder may be unsuccessful in exercising control over their problematic behavior, engage in the behavior despite negative consequences, and have preoccupations/cravings to gamble. Gambling disorder has higher comorbidity rates of mental disorders including depression, anxiety, substance use, and personality disorders. Gamblers rarely seek treatment. Treatments must be tailored to the individual which may include psychological interventions, cognitive behavioral therapy, gamblers anonymous, and psychopharmacological agents such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, mood stabilizers, and opioid antagonists to treat clinical symptoms.

Abstract: Substance use disorders (SUDs) do not discriminate. Anyone can be affected regardless of age, sex, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or profession. Nurses with SUDs present serious risks to both their patients and the nursing profession. Frontline nurses' responsibility to provide patients with safe, high-quality care may be too great a challenge for those with SUDs, resulting in adverse consequences. Early recognition and treatment of nurses with SUDs promotes patient safety and retention in the profession. For this reason, all nurses and other health care professionals should be able to recognize behaviors associated with SUDs and should be familiar with the available treatment modalities., (Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

In the United States, encounters related to mental and substance use disorders are common in emergency departments (EDs). Altered mental status (AMS) is a frequent presentation seen in EDs across the country. Individuals may present to the ED with altered thought processes, which may be attributed to intoxication from substances and/or psychoses, conditions that require immediate care and management. Health care providers must always ascertain the etiology of AMS, which may be challenging owing to the various causes of this impairment. The current article provides an overview of the most common disorders associated with AMS, which include underlying medical conditions, substance use, and mental disorders. [ Journal of Psychosocial Nursing and Mental Health Services, 59 (9), 16-25.].

Introduction: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a significant health issue among Hispanic men who have sex with men (MSM). Despite existing research, no studies have compared psychosocial factors by self-reported HIV antibody status., Method: Participants ( n = 150) completed measures of social support, loneliness, depressive symptoms, substance use, and sexual behaviors., Results: Participants with a self-reported HIV-antibody positive status reported lower levels of social support and higher levels of illicit substance use. Hispanic MSM with an unknown HIV antibody status reported more sexual partners., Conclusion: More research is needed to address psychosocial factors (social support, loneliness, depressive symptoms), substance use, and sexual behaviors among Hispanic MSM.

There are many challenges facing healthcare professionals. One such challenge is the continuous introduction of new synthetic drugs. Synthetic drugs pose many difficulties to providers, including identification of the drug ingested, management of symptoms, ensuring safety of the patient and his or her environment, and continual monitoring after the initial symptoms, because synthetic cathinones have many long-term effects on an individual. One such synthetic drug, flakka, is a potent second-generation synthetic cathinone. Because flakka inhibits the reuptake of norepinephrine and dopamine, which are involved in one's perception of pleasure, it causes inflated feelings and also causes signs and symptoms of psychosis. Flakka also induces various exaggerated symptoms, such as feelings of incredible strength, disorientation, aggression, and altered thought processes, and also can cause hyperthermia, coma, and death. Healthcare professionals need to understand the nature of flakka ingestion, the various symptoms a user may exhibit, and the long-term symptoms a person may have once the acute recovery phase has ended. Once the initial phase of ingestion is over and the patient is medically stabilized, the patient may experience signs and symptoms of psychosis or other psychiatric disorders. It is paramount that healthcare professionals are able to recognize the signs and symptoms of flakka ingestion, know the steps to take to ensure safety of the patient and those around him or her, and also know how to facilitate the patient's recovery.