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Substance Use, Addiction and Public Health
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Substance Use, Addiction and Public Health

A special issue of International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (ISSN 1660-4601).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2023) | Viewed by 8598

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Aleksandra Regina Suchanecka

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Independent Laboratory of Health Promotion, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, 70-204 Szczecin, Poland
Interests: addiction; mental illnesses; cognitive functioning
Dr. Jolanta Chmielowiec

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, Collegium Medicum, University of Zielona Góra, 65-417 Zielona Góra, Poland
Interests: genetics; genotyping; addictions; public health specialist; health education; psychiatry; co-author of scientific projects in the field of addiction genetics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Anna Maria Grzywacz

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Independent Laboratory of Health Promotion, Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin, 70-204 Szczecin, Poland
Interests: dependency; behavioral addiction; policy

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Substance dependence and the misuse of psychoactive substances represent one of the most harmful health problems worldwide. The understanding of addiction and the future of treatment are changing as the methods we use to study this problem evolve. Addiction is harmful to substance users, their families, and their communities. The effects of substance use disorders contribute to physical, mental, and public health problems. The purpose of this Special Issue is to present the diversity and gaps in knowledge regarding research on the effects of the abuse of and dependency on tobacco, alcohol, and other substances. Potential topics include but are not limited to tobacco, alcohol, addiction, drug abuse, human genetics, gene expression, bioinformatics, neuroscience, and public health.

Dr. Aleksandra Regina Suchanecka
Dr. Jolanta Chmielowiec
Prof. Dr. Anna Maria Grzywacz
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2500 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • tobacco
  • alcohol
  • addiction
  • drug abuse
  • human genetics
  • gene expression
  • bioinformatics
  • neuroscience
  • public health

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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11 pages, 795 KiB  
Article
Perspectives of and Experience toward the Abuse of Antidiarrheal Drug (Loperamide) among Community Pharmacists: A Cross-Sectional Study
by Muna Barakat, Amal Akour, Diana Malaeb, Sarah Cherri, Wala’a Al.Safadi, Ala’a Al.Safadi and Mayyada Wazaify
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(14), 6400; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20146400 - 19 Jul 2023
Viewed by 1406
Abstract
This study aimed to assess the ability of community pharmacists to recognize cases of loperamide abuse at the point of sale, their perspective of and experience toward potential abuse cases. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Jordan, using a self-administered online questionnaire. [...] Read more.
This study aimed to assess the ability of community pharmacists to recognize cases of loperamide abuse at the point of sale, their perspective of and experience toward potential abuse cases. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Jordan, using a self-administered online questionnaire. The questionnaire consisted of three main parts: demographics, the experience of pharmacists with abusers’ behavior, as well as their perspectives toward loperamide abuse. Results: A total of 250 community pharmacists completed the survey, 54% (135) of which were female. Almost one-third (33.2%; 83) of the participants reported exposure to suspected cases of loperamide abuse during the last six months. Pharmacists declared that most of the suspected loperamide abusers were male (60.2%), of middle–low socioeconomic status (69.9%), and between 20 and 30 years of age (57.8%). The largest quantity (packs) of loperamide requested by a single patient was around 33.2 ± 14.9 at once. As reported by pharmacists, the suspected reasons behind loperamide abuse included 50% seeking euphoria, 17% relieving anxiety, and 33% controlling addiction (weaning off other opioids). The multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated a significant correlation between the male sex (OR = 1.2, 95% CI 0.12–1.59), pharmacy location in the center of Jordan (OR = 21.2, 95% CI 2.45–183.59), late-night working shift (Shift C, OR = 1.29, 95% CI 0.12–2.08), and abuse to loperamide during the last six months. Conclusions: This study sheds light on loperamide abuse potentials, which could be influenced by different sociodemographic characteristics. Accordingly, close monitoring and thorough tackling of the abuse practices are mandated through an increase in educational and awareness campaigns about proper medication use. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Substance Use, Addiction and Public Health)
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17 pages, 985 KiB  
Article
A Mediation Moderation Model between Self-Evaluative Emotions and Relapse Rate among Polysubstance Users: A Comparative Cross-Sectional Study
by Mujahid Iqbal, Yu Yan, Na Zhao, Sumaira Mubarik, Silu Shrestha, Muzzamel Hussain Imran, Samrah Jamshaid and Najam ul Hasan Abbasi
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(4), 3164; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20043164 - 10 Feb 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1699
Abstract
A substantial portion of drug abuse research has concentrated on people with a single-substance-use disorder (SSUD), but many people abuse more than one drug. Studies have yet to examine how those with polysubstance-use disorder (PSUD) differ from those with an SSUD on the [...] Read more.
A substantial portion of drug abuse research has concentrated on people with a single-substance-use disorder (SSUD), but many people abuse more than one drug. Studies have yet to examine how those with polysubstance-use disorder (PSUD) differ from those with an SSUD on the risk of relapse, self-evaluative emotions (e.g., shame and guilt), and personality factors (e.g., self-efficacy). Eleven rehab facilities in Lahore city, Pakistan were randomly chosen to provide a sample of 402 males with PSUD. For comparison, 410 age-matched males with SSUD were enlisted using a demographic form with eight questions, the State Shame and Guilt Scale, and the General Self-Efficacy Scale. Mediated moderation analysis was performed using Hayes’ process macro. The results demonstrate that shame-proneness is positively associated with relapse rate. Guilt-proneness mediates the relationship between shame-proneness and relapse rate. Self-efficacy buffers the influence of shame-proneness on relapse rate. Although the mediation and moderation effects were found in both study groups, these effects were significantly stronger among people with PSUD than those with SSUD. To be more specific, people with PSUD reported a higher overall score on shame, guilt, and relapse rate. Additionally, people with SSUD indicated a higher score on self-efficacy than those with PSUD. The findings of this study suggest that drug rehab facilities should implement a variety of strategies to raise drug users’ levels of self-efficacy, which will help to reduce their risk of relapse. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Substance Use, Addiction and Public Health)
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9 pages, 331 KiB  
Article
Use of Alcohol, Cannabinoids, Psychostimulants, and Sedatives before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic among Students in 40 European Countries
by Mateusz Babicki
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(22), 14879; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192214879 - 12 Nov 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1479
Abstract
In March 2020, the WHO announced the COVID-19 pandemic, which has been ongoing for over 2 years. To stop the spread of the virus, the governments of many countries decided to introduce reasonable social restrictions that were suitable for pandemic waves. This led [...] Read more.
In March 2020, the WHO announced the COVID-19 pandemic, which has been ongoing for over 2 years. To stop the spread of the virus, the governments of many countries decided to introduce reasonable social restrictions that were suitable for pandemic waves. This led to radical changes in people’s lives, especially among students, who are very active in society. Before COVID-19, being of student age was associated with the highest frequency of stimulants use. It is important to note that drugs are taken disparately in various areas. Therefore, using the Computer-Assisted Web Interview type of study, the impact of the pandemic on the use of alcohol, cannabinoids, psychostimulants (e.g., amphetamine, methamphetamine, ecstasy) and sedatives (e.g., zolpidem, zopiclone, alprazolam, lorazepam, etc.) was assessed among students from European countries. The questionnaire included single- and multiple-answer questions. The first part concerned sociodemographic questions, while the second included questions about the use of stimulants in the last 3 months prior to participation in the study. Distribution of the survey covered the period from 31 January 2016 to 30 April 2021. A total of 17,594 European students participated in the study. The vast majority of participants were women (80.4%) and students of non-medical universities (77.2%) living in Eastern European countries (86.1%). Of all students, 15,613 (89.6%) reported alcohol drinking, 2538 (14.1%) the use of cannabinoids, 650 (3.6%) psychostimulants, and 2252 (12.5%) sedatives in the past three months. It has been shown that women are far less likely to use alcohol (OR 0.81), psychostimulants (OR 0.44) and cannabinoids (OR 0.49), while they are more likely to use sedatives (OR 1.41). During the COVID-19 pandemic, the consumption of alcohol (OR 0.55) and psychostimulants (OR 0.72) decreased and that of sleep medications increased (OR 1.17). To conclude, the COVID-19 pandemic influenced the pattern of stimulants used by students in European countries. The restriction of social interactions contributed to the decrease in the consumption of alcohol and psychostimulants but increased the use of sedatives and the frequency of their use. Women were found to use sedatives more often, while men preferred to drink alcohol and use cannabinoids or psychostimulants. It has also been shown that students of Central and Eastern Europe more often use alcohol and sedatives, while in Southern European countries psychostimulants and cannabinoids are preferred. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Substance Use, Addiction and Public Health)
11 pages, 331 KiB  
Article
Predictors of Workplace Substance Reuse among Patients with Alcohol or Illegal Substance Use Disorder in the Workplace
by Su-Ting Hsu, Hung-Chi Wu, Hui-Tzu Chien and Dian-Jeng Li
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(16), 10023; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191610023 - 14 Aug 2022
Viewed by 1569
Abstract
Substance and alcohol use in the workplace have become a global health burden; however, the etiologies have seldom been explored. The aims of this study were to develop a Workplace Substance Reuse Questionnaire (WSRQ) to measure the multidimensional factors associated with the reuse [...] Read more.
Substance and alcohol use in the workplace have become a global health burden; however, the etiologies have seldom been explored. The aims of this study were to develop a Workplace Substance Reuse Questionnaire (WSRQ) to measure the multidimensional factors associated with the reuse of alcohol or illegal substances in the workplace. The predictors of reuse were also investigated. The WSRQs for alcohol (WSRQ-Alc) and illegal substances (WSRQ-Sub) were composed of 15 and 13 items, respectively. Factors associated with workplace substance reuse included workplace environment, workload, social interaction in the workplace and other cues. Construct validity and reliability were performed to verify the questionnaires. Multivariate linear regression was conducted to estimate the associations between the factors and WSRQ score. A total of 90 patients with substance or alcohol use disorder were recruited. The results demonstrated that the WSRQ-Alc and WSRQ-Sub had acceptable reliability, with variance of 76.4% and 75.4%, respectively. The confirmatory factor analysis fit indices also indicated the adequacy of the model. A longer duration of alcohol use (β = 0.44; p = 0.002) and higher frequencies of changing job (β = 0.32; p = 0.027) and working part time (β = 0.32; p = 0.028) were significantly associated with higher WSRQ-Alc score. Our results highlight the importance of abstinence treatment and job referral for individuals with alcohol or substance use. Further studies are warranted to help extend the applicability and generalizability of the WSRQ. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Substance Use, Addiction and Public Health)

Review

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13 pages, 514 KiB  
Review
Substance Use among Emerging Adults during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Review through the Lens of Sustainable Development Goals
by Ajith K. Remesan, Varalakshmi Chandra Sekaran, Teddy Andrews Jaihind Jothikaran and Lena Ashok
Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20(19), 6834; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20196834 - 26 Sep 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1670
Abstract
Public health initiatives, including lockdowns to reduce the spread of COVID-19, have resulted in societal stressors like loneliness, job loss, and economic collapse linked to worsening mental health outcomes, such as depression, anxiety, and coping-related substance use. The various psychosocial stressors caused by [...] Read more.
Public health initiatives, including lockdowns to reduce the spread of COVID-19, have resulted in societal stressors like loneliness, job loss, and economic collapse linked to worsening mental health outcomes, such as depression, anxiety, and coping-related substance use. The various psychosocial stressors caused by the pandemic have potentially led to the increased use of substances across the globe, particularly among emerging adults. The current study summarises the literature on substance use among emerging adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. The terms “coronavirus”, “COVID-19”, “substance use”, “substance abuse”, “drug use”, drug abuse”, “emerging adults”, and “young adults” were all used in different combinations throughout the search, using the Scopus, PubMed, and JSTOR databases. Using this method, a total of 28 English-language citations published between 2020 and 2023 were obtained. Following a study of the articles mentioned above, 16 papers were removed. The remaining 12 papers were included in this review. Even though substance use dropped when COVID-19 lockdowns began, it rose when restrictions were removed, particularly among those with prior substance use. Studies related to mental health need to assess substance use, as many emerging adults use substances to cope with distress, including isolation and loneliness, which are part of the current mental health crisis among emerging adults. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Substance Use, Addiction and Public Health)
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