Humans ; Adolescent ; Pandemics ; Substance-Related Disorders/epidemiology* ; Smoking ; Ethanol ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology* ; Alcohol Drinking/epidemiology*

INTRODUCTION: Cannabis has consistently been the third most commonly abused drug among drug arrestees in Singapore over the past few years. Accordingly, this study aimed to understand the profile of cannabis users in Singapore and explore the effects of cannabis use on drug progression. METHODS: A total of 450 participants who had used cannabis at least once in their lifetime were recruited from the National Addictions Management Service, prisons, the Community Rehabilitation Centre and halfway houses from August 2017 to May 2018. A face-to-face questionnaire was administered and descriptive analyses were conducted. RESULTS: The mean participant age was 40.9 ± 14.51 years, and 93.1% of them were male. The participants generally initiated cannabis use during adolescence, at a mean onset age of 16.5 ± 4.46 years. Most (89.6%) were introduced to cannabis by peers. Approximately half of them (46.9%) had used cannabis before other illicit drugs and 42.1% of them had used heroin as the succeeding drug. CONCLUSION In Singapore, cannabis use is often initiated during adolescence, largely under peer influence. Cannabis users may progress to other illicit drugs, particularly heroin, later in life.
Adolescent ; Humans ; Male ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Child ; Young Adult ; Female ; Cannabis ; Singapore/epidemiology* ; Heroin ; Substance-Related Disorders/epidemiology* ; Illicit Drugs

INTRODUCTION: Misuse of prescription medicines and the harms associated with such use are growing threats across the world. There is currently, however, limited data on the extent of prescription medicine misuse in Singapore and whether this is a current threat in the country. METHODS: An online survey, limited to 1,000 individuals (aged 21 years and over) who were residents in Singapore, was administered through a survey panel company in September 2015. The survey collected information on participant demographics, and their awareness, self-reported lifetime and past-year misuse of commonly available prescription medicines in Singapore as well as the use of a range of recreational drugs and novel psychoactive substances (NPS). RESULTS: Lifetime (6.7%) and past-year (4.8%) misuse of any prescription medicine was comparable to lifetime (6.0%) and past-year (3.0%) use of any recreational drugs/NPS. The top five prescription medicines for lifetime misuse were: diazepam (2.7%); codeine (2.3%); dhasedyl (promethazine, codeine and ephedrine; 1.6%); panadeine (paracetamol and codeine; 1.5%); and methylphenidate (1.2%). The top five drugs for past-year misuse were: diazepam (1.6%); codeine (0.9%); panadeine (0.7%); alprazolam (0.6%); baclofen (0.6%); and gabapentin (0.6%). CONCLUSION Misuse of prescription medicine in Singapore was common, with prevalence comparable to the use of recreational drugs/NPS. A common source for misused drugs was physicians. Further studies are required to determine whether this is more widespread in Singapore and establish the different forms of drug diversion, so that appropriate prevention strategies can be implemented.
Humans ; Illicit Drugs/adverse effects* ; Public Health ; Singapore/epidemiology* ; Substance-Related Disorders/drug therapy* ; Prescription Drugs/adverse effects* ; Codeine ; Diazepam ; Prescriptions

Objective: To understand the related factors of new-type drug use and recent HIV infection among men who have sex with men (MSM), and provide a reference for formulating targeted strategies for HIV/AIDS prevention and control. Methods: MSM were recruited in sentinel surveillance sites of nine cities in Shandong province from April to July 2021, with a sample size of 400 in each city. A face-to-face questionnaire was conducted to collect demographic characteristics, high-risk behaviors, acceptance of HIV intervention services, etc. Blood samples were collected for HIV and syphilis antibodies detection. Limiting-antigen avidity enzyme immunoassay (LAg-Avidity EIA) was used to detect recent HIV infection, and the rate of recent HIV infection was calculated. Results: 3 624 MSM were under study with the following characteristics as: aged (32.70±9.33) years old, the aged 30 and above (59.52%, 2 157/3 624), with high school education or below (55.99%, 2 029/3 624), being unmarried/divorced/widowed (57.70%, 2 091/3 624) and as having homosexual orientation (86.26%, 3 126/3 624) accounted for the more mainly. Of 32.95% (1 194/3 624) had same-sex unprotected anal sex in recent six months; 27.48% (993/3 613) ever used new-type drugs, and the HIV antibody positive rate was 3.12% (113/3 624). The recent HIV infection rate appeared as 2.61% (95%CI: 1.73%-3.49%). The multivariable logistic regression analysis indicated that the related factors of new-type drug use were unmarried/divorced/widowed (compared with being married/cohabitating, aOR=1.43, 95%CI: 1.22-1.69), educational level of college or above (compared with educational level of high school or below, aOR=1.47, 95%CI: 1.25-1.72), mainly through the Internet/dating software to find male sex partners (compared with mainly through bars/baths/parks and other places to find male sex partners, aOR=1.76, 95%CI: 1.41-2.19). Those who had unprotected anal sex in the last six months (compared with no unprotected anal sex, aOR=1.33, 95%CI: 1.13-1.57), had sexually transmitted diseases in the past year (compared with no sexually transmitted disease, aOR=2.77, 95%CI: 2.04-3.76) were more likely to use new-type drugs. The multinominal logistic regression showed that MSM who had unprotected anal sex in the last six months (compared with no unprotected anal sex, aOR=2.51, 95%CI: 1.25-5.01) or did not receive HIV intervention services in the past year (compared with those who received HIV intervention services, aOR=3.89, 95%CI: 1.30-11.60), were syphilis positive (compared with syphilis negative, aOR=8.18, 95%CI: 2.98-22.48), used new-type drugs (compared with those who did not use new-type drugs, aOR=4.75, 95%CI: 2.32-9.70) had a higher risk of recent HIV infection. Conclusions: New-type drugs have been widely used in MSM in Shandong province. The abuse of new-type drugs increases the risk of recent HIV infection.
Male ; Humans ; Young Adult ; Adult ; HIV Infections/epidemiology* ; Syphilis ; Homosexuality, Male ; Sexual and Gender Minorities ; Substance-Related Disorders/epidemiology* ; Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the epidemiological characteristics of antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) in young men in Chengdu and explore the characteristics and risks of violence. METHODS: Stratified random sampling was used to conduct a self-assessment questionnaire survey in 4 108 males aged from 18 to 34 in Chengdu, including general demographic characteristics, structured clinical interview for the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders-Ⅳ axis Ⅱ disorders (SCID-Ⅱ) personality disorder screen questionnaire, violence questionnaire, psychosis screening questionnaire (PSQ), Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) and drug use. χ² test, univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used for analysis and odds ratio (OR) was calculated. RESULTS: The positive rate of ASPD was 5.91%, which was associated with young age, unmarried, unemployment state, low educational level, violent behavior, psychotic symptoms, alcohol and drug use (P<0.05). Young men with ASPD also had a risk (P<0.05) of violence (OR was 8.51), multiple violence (OR was 16.57), injury (OR was 6.68), intentional violence (OR was 11.41), etc., the risk decreased after controlling for psychotic symptoms and substance abuse, but was still statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS The risk of violence, severe violence and intentional violence in young men in Chengdu is high, and psychotic symptoms and substance abuse increase the risk of ASPD violence and relate characteristics.
Alcoholism/epidemiology* ; Antisocial Personality Disorder/epidemiology* ; Comorbidity ; Humans ; Male ; Substance-Related Disorders/epidemiology* ; Surveys and Questionnaires

BACKGROUND: Substance abuse is a worldwide problem that primarily affects adolescents, resulting in chronic health complications as well as psychosocial challenges and economic losses. However, the magnitude of the problem and the factors that contribute to it are not well studied in Ethiopia, particularly in the study area. As a result, this study was carried out to determine the prevalence and associated factors of substance use among preparatory school students in the Kolfe-Keraniyo sub-city of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. METHODOLOGY: An institution-based cross-sectional study of 383 randomly selected preparatory school students in the Kolfe-Keraniyo sub-city was conducted. The data were gathered using a pretested self-administered structured questionnaire. Multivariable binary logistic regression analysis was employed to identify factors associated with substance use based on the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) with p values less than 0.05. RESULT: This study revealed that the lifetime prevalence of substance use among preparatory students in Kolfe-Keraniyo sub-city, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, was 26.5% (95% CI, 22.2, 30.7%). Specifically, 16% drunk alcohol, 9.6% smoked cigarette, and 9.4% chewed khat. The 16.3% were current users, of which 8.3% were drinkers, 6.4% were smokers, and 5.9% were khat chewers. Substance use was significantly associated with being male (AOR, 3.3; 95% CI, 1.284, 8.613), having alcohol drinking family member (AOR, 4.0; 95% CI, 1.704, 9.196), having khat chewing family member (AOR, 2.87; 95% CI, 1.161, 7.070), poor school substance use controlling rule (AOR, 6.64; 95% CI, 1.863, 23.687), availability of substance retailing shops in residential areas (AOR, 2.9; CI, 1.303, 6.606), strong relationship with parents (AOR, 0.005; 95% CI, 0.001, 0.026), and being member of school mini-media (AOR, 0.177; 95% CI, 0.048, 0.657). CONCLUSION According to the findings of this study, one-quarter of the study participants were substance users. Alcohol, khat, and cigarettes were all commonly used substances. Gender, parent-child relationship, family member substance use history, school substance use controlling rules, school mini-media and pro-social involvement, and the availability of substance retailing shops were all strongly associated with substance use. Strengthening school rules on substance use, controlling substance retailing shops near schools and residential areas, and providing students with health education are all strategies for reducing substance use among students.
Adolescent ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Ethiopia/epidemiology* ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Schools ; Students/statistics & numerical data* ; Substance-Related Disorders/epidemiology* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Young Adult

Drug problem is a major social and public security problem in the world. Drug abuse poses a great threat to economic development, social stability and public health. In recent years, synthetic drugs represented by methamphetamine have surpassed traditional drugs such as morphine, heroin, ketamine and become one of the most abused drugs in the world. In order to solve the problem of drug abuse, it is of great theoretical value and practical significance to carry out all-round and multi-level scientific research on drug-related issues. Based on the current situation of drug abuse, this article reviews research progresses on the epidemiology of methamphetamine abuse, the monitoring technology, the basic researches on toxicity damage, the withdrawal drug screening, the related clinical comorbidity and the testing technologies, comprehensively presenting the development trend of methamphetamine abuse related issues.
Amphetamine-Related Disorders/epidemiology* ; Heroin ; Humans ; Illicit Drugs ; Methamphetamine/adverse effects* ; Substance Abuse Detection

BACKGROUND: Building an effective casework system for child maltreatment is a global issue. We estimated the effect of household dysfunction (i.e., interparental violence, caregiver mental health problems, and caregiver substance abuse) on child maltreatment to understand how to advance the current framework of child welfare. METHODS: The sample comprised 759 children (1- to 17-year-old; mean age was 10.6; 404 boys and 355 girls) placed in temporary custody units (one of the strongest intervention of the Japanese child protection system). Caseworkers from 180 units across 43 prefectures completed questionnaires on children and their family and were asked whether a child maltreatment report had been made after cancelation of custody in a 15-month follow-up period. The relations of household dysfunction and maltreatment reports were assessed using the Cox proportional hazard model. RESULTS: About half (48.4%) of the children had been placed in the unit because of maltreatment, and 88.3% had a history of victimization. Seventy-six cases had maltreatment reports after cancelation. We entered household dysfunction variables individually into the model, and each had a significant relationship with maltreatment reports (hazard ratios for interparental violence, caregiver mental health problem, and substance abuse were 1.69, 1.69, and 2.19, respectively) after covariate adjustment. When treating these three variables as cumulative risk score model of household dysfunction, the hazard ratio increased with increasing number of score (1.96 for score two; 2.35 for score three; score 0 as reference). CONCLUSIONS Greater household dysfunction score is a risk of maltreatment after intensive intervention. It is imperative to construct systems facilitating cooperation between child and adult service sectors and to deliver seamless services to children and families. Our findings provide child protect services with risk-stratified interventions for children at victimization risk and promote adult-focused services to be proactive in prevention or intervention for adults with perpetration risk.
Adolescent ; Caregivers ; psychology ; Child ; Child Abuse ; psychology ; statistics & numerical data ; Child Protective Services ; statistics & numerical data ; Child, Preschool ; Domestic Violence ; psychology ; statistics & numerical data ; Family Characteristics ; Female ; Humans ; Incidence ; Infant ; Japan ; epidemiology ; Longitudinal Studies ; Male ; Mental Disorders ; epidemiology ; psychology ; Risk Factors ; Substance-Related Disorders ; epidemiology ; etiology

INTRODUCTION: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory disease with a global prevalence of approximately 2% and significant psychiatric comorbidity. There is a great deal of existing literature assessing different aspects of psychology in psoriasis. We aimed to conduct an in-depth review of current evidence linking psoriasis to personality traits and psychiatric comorbidities, as well as factors that put these patients at risk of psychopathology. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A search of the PubMed database identified 1632 articles. We included articles studying psychological comorbidity in patients with psoriasis, looking especially at personality characteristics, and data linking psoriasis with increased risks of psychological distress, depression, anxiety and suicidality. In particular, we also evaluated subgroups in psoriasis found to be at risk. RESULTS: Patients with psoriasis are more likely to be alexithymic, lack body awareness and possess a Type D personality. Alcohol, but not illicit drug use, disorders are also more common in patients with psoriasis. Patient groups who are especially at risk of psychological distress include women, younger patients, patients with a younger age of disease onset, those who self-assess their psoriasis to be severe, and those with lesions on visible or sensitive areas. Adopting motivational interviewing skills and incorporating the use of learning materials during consultations have been found to be useful. CONCLUSION The knowledge of personality characteristics, "at-risk" groups, and early recognition of psychological distress among patients with psoriasis can help clinicians provide better holistic care and encourage a change in patients' behaviour.
Affective Symptoms ; epidemiology ; psychology ; Age Factors ; Age of Onset ; Alcoholism ; epidemiology ; psychology ; Anxiety ; epidemiology ; psychology ; Comorbidity ; Depression ; epidemiology ; psychology ; Humans ; Mental Disorders ; epidemiology ; psychology ; Motivational Interviewing ; Personality ; Psoriasis ; epidemiology ; psychology ; Sex Factors ; Stress, Psychological ; epidemiology ; psychology ; Substance-Related Disorders ; epidemiology ; psychology ; Suicidal Ideation ; Type D Personality

Objective: This study aimed to understand the herpes simplex virus-2 (HSV-2) infection and related factors among female drug abusers in the women's compulsory drug rehabilitation center of Shandong province and to provide reference for the prevention and control of HSV-2 in these settings. Methods: We screened all of 451 female drug abusers in the women's compulsory drug rehabilitation centers in of Shandong province and conducted a study using both questionnaire investigation and serological tests for HSV-2, HIV and syphilis. We also used EpiData 3.1 software to establish a database and SPSS 20.0 software to conduct the χ(2) test and multivariate logistic regression analysis. Results: A total of 451 female drug abusers were under study. We noticed that the rates for HSV-2 infection, HIV infection and syphilis infection appeared as 72.1% (325/451), 2.2% (10/451) and 33.5% (151/451) respectively. Results from univariate analysis showed that factors as: awareness on AIDS, having temporary sex partner after using the drug, having multiple sex partners after using the drug, providing commercial services or having temporary sex practice before being detained, with syphilis infection etc., were associated with HSV-2 infection. Data from the multivariate analysis showed that the OR (95%CI) value of HSV-2 infection was 2.90 (1.19-7.06) for those who providing commercial service, when comparing to those who did not. Compared to those who did not suffer from syphilis infection, the OR (95%CI) value of HSV-2 infection for those with syphilis infection was 2.75 (1.63-4.63). Conclusions: The rate of HSV-2 infection was high in the women's compulsory drug rehabilitation center of Shandong province. We should enhance measures and promote condom use to prevent from HSV-2 and other sexually transmitted diseases among them.
Drug Users ; Female ; HIV Infections/epidemiology* ; Herpes Genitalis/epidemiology* ; Herpes Simplex/epidemiology* ; Herpesvirus 2, Human/isolation & purification* ; Humans ; Opiate Substitution Treatment ; Prevalence ; Risk Factors ; Serologic Tests/methods* ; Sexual Behavior ; Sexual Partners ; Substance Abuse Treatment Centers ; Substance-Related Disorders/rehabilitation* ; Syphilis/epidemiology*