Recent Findings

Mutual-help groups (MHGs), including 12-step programs like Alcoholics Anonymous and newer alternatives like SMART Recovery and Refuge Recovery, are widely used to support alcohol recovery. While attendance at these groups is associated with positive recovery outcomes, many people face barriers to participating. A new study examined what prevents people from attending these groups and staying involved over time. The Study Researchers surveyed 531 participants in various mutual-help groups as … [Read more...]

Primary care doctors are encouraged to screen patients for alcohol use and provide brief counseling when needed. This preventive approach, known as alcohol screening and brief counseling (ASBC), can help identify risky drinking patterns early. However, new research examining data from 2013 to 2019 reveals troubling trends: not only does ASBC remain uncommon, but access to this care has become increasingly unequal across racial and insurance groups. What is Alcohol Screening and Brief … [Read more...]

Substance use and mental health issues often go hand in hand, but few studies have examined how using multiple substances at once—alcohol, cannabis, and e-cigarettes—affects depression and anxiety in college students. This study analyzed data from 83,467 undergraduate students participating in the 2020–2021 Healthy Minds Survey to explore how exclusive, dual, and polysubstance use correlates with mental health outcomes across racial, ethnic, and gender groups. Findings show that students who … [Read more...]

Recovery housing provides safe, stable, substance-free living environments that support people recovering from addiction. While these settings have shown promise for many individuals in recovery, research on their effectiveness for people with opioid use disorder (OUD), especially those taking medications to treat it, remains limited. To address this gap, researchers working on the Infrastructure for Studying Treatment and Addiction Recovery Residences (I-STARR) project surveyed and consulted … [Read more...]

When we think about the impact of substance use, we often focus on the person using alcohol or drugs. However, a new study sheds light on the substantial burden carried by family members, partners, and others affected by someone else's substance use. In this context, "burden" refers to the ongoing emotional, practical, and psychological strain experienced by people coping with someone else's problematic substance use. This might include feeling constantly drained, dealing with family conflicts, … [Read more...]

Where you live matters for your health, and new research shows this is especially true when it comes to alcohol problems among young Mexican Americans living near the US-Mexico border. Researchers studied 575 Mexican American men and women between ages 18 and 30 in San Diego County, California, to understand how their residential neighborhoods and cultural experiences relate to alcohol use disorder (AUD). The study focused on two neighborhood characteristics: the percentage of Mexican American … [Read more...]

The intersection of substance consumption and psychological well-being among college students represents a growing area of concern for public health professionals. Although researchers have documented connections between individual substance use and mental health challenges, less attention has been paid to how using multiple substances simultaneously affects psychological outcomes across different demographic groups. This investigation examined how exclusive, dual, and combined use of alcohol, … [Read more...]