ObjectivesParental addictive disorders are a major public health problem. Despite already known negative effects, the parental role of men seeking help is rarely acknowledged within addiction support services. This study aims to identify existing relations between fatherhood and addiction, and the resulting support needs of affected fathers.MethodsFor data collection 15 fathers with addictive disorders were interviewed by using qualitative, guided interviews. The data material was analyzed using qualitative content analysis.ResultsThe effects of addictive disorders on fatherhood are predominantly unfavorable. Conversely, fatherhood can have consumption-reducing as well as consumption-increasing effects. In this context, five topics were identified in which fathers expressed specific support needs. Particularly fathers with substance use disorders expressed their need for further support, while fathers with behavioral addictions expressed a lesser need.ConclusionsPaying attention to fatherhood in the context of addiction services provides a starting point for increasing the motivation to change. Individual support needs should be considered when implementing father-specific programs. Not only the fathers themselves, but also their children can benefit from successful treatment and expected changes in fatherhood.
Case Report: Delirium and complications resulting from the abuse of compound liquorice tablets
BackgroundCompound liquorice tablets is a cough-suppressing compound formulation containing opium powder and liquorice. With the strict regulation of traditional opioids, this medication has emerged as a novel alternative for substance abuse due to its easy accessibility and low cost; however, its addiction potential and severe adverse complications remain underrecognized and insufficiently addressed in clinical practice.Case summaryThe patient is a 29-year-old male who began self-medicating with compound liquorice tablets for a dry cough after COVID-19 infection. His daily dosage gradually escalated to 200–600 tablets within two years, resulting in established drug dependence. Two days after discontinuing the medication, he developed delirium manifested as confusion, disorientation, visual hallucinations and psychomotor agitation, accompanied by palpitations, hypertension, tremors, rhinorrhea, vomiting, severe hypokalemia, and bilateral lower limb edema. Organic brain diseases were excluded by systematic examinations. According to the ICD-10 diagnostic criteria, he was diagnosed with opioid-induced mental and behavioral disorders, hypokalemia and hypertension. We implemented a benzodiazepine tapering regimen to control delirium and sympathetic excitation associated with withdrawal symptoms, combined with antidepressants and antipsychotics to improve mood, anxiety, and psychotic symptoms, Under the guidance of a cardiologist, we actively managing hypertension and correcting internal environmental disturbances. Following comprehensive management, the patient’s withdrawal symptoms and delirium resolved, with stable emotional state and blood pressure, resulting in successful withdrawal.ConclusionThis is the first reported case of delirium caused by withdrawal from compound liquorice tablets. It provides preliminary insights for clinical identification, diagnosis, and multidisciplinary management of dependence on compound liquorice tablets, as well as related withdrawal symptoms and complications. This case also alerts to the emerging risk of abuse associated with new substances such as compound liquorice tablets and underscores the need for stricter prescription controls and patient education regarding the risks of abuse.
The relationship between mobile phone addiction and depression, anxiety among Chinese college students: the mediating role of friendship quality and the moderating effect of preference for solitude
BackgroundThe university stage represents a critical period for the development of individual mental health. Mobile phone addiction is closely linked to depression and anxiety among college students, and both friendship quality and preference for solitude are tightly associated with college students’ mobile phone addiction and emotional health. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationships and internal mechanisms among mobile phone addiction, friendship quality, preference for solitude, depression and anxiety in college students.MethodsA total of 1083 Chinese college students (58.2% female; mean age = 19.87 ± 1.692 years) were included as participants. Data were collected using the Mobile Phone Addiction Index, Friendship Quality Questionnaire, Preference for Solitude Questionnaire, and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale. Data processing and analyses were conducted using SPSS 26.0 and the PROCESS macro.Results(1) Mobile phone addiction was significantly negatively correlated with friendship quality, and significantly positively correlated with both depression and anxiety; friendship quality was significantly negatively correlated with depression and anxiety; preference for solitude was significantly positively correlated with depression and anxiety. (2) Mobile phone addiction not only directly and positively predicted depression and anxiety among college students, but also predicted depression and anxiety through the mediating role of friendship quality. (3) The direct effect of mobile phone addiction on depression and the mediating effect of friendship quality in the relationships between mobile phone addiction and depression/anxiety were both moderated by preference for solitude, whereas the moderating effect of preference for solitude on the association between mobile phone addiction and anxiety was not significant.ConclusionFriendship quality serves as an important mediating pathway between mobile phone addiction and depressive and anxiety symptoms among Chinese college students. Preference for solitude may amplify the associations of mobile phone addiction with poorer friendship quality and elevated depressive symptoms.
Editorial: Beyond abstinence: harm reduction and its impact on addiction disorders
Bipartisan bill seeks to allow direct prescribing of methadone for opioid addiction
Two senators are renewing their push to greatly expand access to methadone treatment for opioid addiction.
On Thursday, Sens. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Rand Paul (R-Ky.) are introducing an updated version of legislation that would allow doctors who hold board certifications in addiction medicine to prescribe methadone directly to patients for pickup at a pharmacy.
Applications of machine learning algorithms to detect digital addiction: a meta-analysis
Digital addiction (DA) has emerged as a significant global concern, yet traditional diagnostic methods relying on self-report questionnaires face subjective bias and threshold inconsistencies. Recent advances in machine learning (ML) offer promising alternatives for automated DA detection. This study conducted a systematic meta-analysis of 64 eligible studies (75 independent datasets; N = 165,624), employing both single-group proportion and bivariate diagnostic test accuracy (DTA) models. The pooled classification accuracy was 0.87 (95% CI [0.85, 0.90]), and the DTA framework yielded a robust AUC of 0.92, with balanced sensitivity and specificity (both 0.86). Subgroup analyses showed high accuracy across subtypes, particularly for internet (0.90) and social media addiction (0.86). Accuracy was comparable between survey-based and physiological data, though physiological markers demonstrated superior specificity (0.90). These findings underscore the potential of ML-driven tools as scalable screening instruments while emphasizing the need for representative sampling and standardized diagnostic criteria to advance digital mental health practice.
4-STEP-Training Program for Doomscrolling, Cyberchondriac Behavior and Psychiatric Symptoms (4-STEP-TPS) Among Individuals With Social Media Addiction
Conditions: Doomscrolling; Cyberchondriac Behavior; Social Media Addiction
Interventions: Behavioral: 4-STEP-Training Program for Social Media Addiction (4-STEP-TPS)
Sponsors: Government College University Faisalabad
Not yet recruiting
Interventions: Behavioral: 4-STEP-Training Program for Social Media Addiction (4-STEP-TPS)
Sponsors: Government College University Faisalabad
Not yet recruiting
QAIAx (AIhealth4U) – AI Public Health Central: Microcity-A (re Quantum AI Agency Aka AI City Hall Project, UPSTO App Nos. 64/074,526, 64/063,557, 63/903,181, 63/729,428
Conditions: Asperger’s Disorder; Asperger Disorder; Autism Disorder; Autism; ADHD – Attention Deficit Disorder With Hyperactivity; ADHD; ASD; Alcohol Abuse/Dependence; Alcohol Addiction; Alcohol and Other Drug Use Disorders; Alcohol and Other Substance Use Prevention; Gambling Addiction; Gambling Disorder; Sex Abuse; Sex Behavior; Sex Crimes; Sex Disorder; Sex Disorders; Gender Dysphoria, Adult; Eating Behavior Disorders; Narcotic-Related Disorders; Narcotic Addiction; Narcissism; Psychiatric Disorder; Psychedelic Effects in Healthy Volunteers; Psychedelic Experiences; Psychedelic Drug Dependence; Marijuana Use Disorder; Marijuana Abuse and Dependence; Smoking (Tobacco) Addiction; Smoking Among Youth; Smoking Abstinence; Abstinence, Sex; Opiate Substitution Treatment; Opioid Abuse (Disorder); Opioid Abuse and Addiction; Cocaine Abuse; MDMA (‘Ecstasy’); Addiction Disorders; Homeless and Low Incomes People, Refugees; Homelessness; Reliability and Validity; Anger Problems; Child Abuse, Sexual
Interventions: Behavioral: AI City Hall Project (AIhealth4u – Public Health Central); Behavioral: AI City Hall Project (QAIAx Microcity A – AI Public Health Central)
Sponsors: Veterans Recovery Network Inc.; U.S. Special Operations Command; Central Virginia VA Health Care System; AI-119 Vulcan Project Research & Educational Technology Company (fka Henry Nanpei Academy Project)
Not yet recruiting
Interventions: Behavioral: AI City Hall Project (AIhealth4u – Public Health Central); Behavioral: AI City Hall Project (QAIAx Microcity A – AI Public Health Central)
Sponsors: Veterans Recovery Network Inc.; U.S. Special Operations Command; Central Virginia VA Health Care System; AI-119 Vulcan Project Research & Educational Technology Company (fka Henry Nanpei Academy Project)
Not yet recruiting
Tracking the longitudinal course of physiologic and mental health functioning among individuals in substance use disorder treatment
IntroductionMental health monitoring is crucial to long-term recovery in substance use disorder (SUD) treatment; however, little is known about how changes in physiological indicators align with changes in self-reported mental health over time.MethodsWe examined longitudinal associations of resting heart rate (RHR) and heart rate variability (HRV) collected via a WHOOP® photoplethysmography device with self-reported stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms among individuals in SUD treatment. Participants (N = 59) continuously wore the device and completed at least two mental health and stress assessments during the first month of residential treatment. ResultsLinear regression results indicated favorable changes in mental health and/or physiologic metrics, with notable heterogeneity in concurrent subject-level trends. Among participants with decreased RHR (better physiological functioning), 39% (N=23) also endorsed decreased stress, 42% (N=25) decreased anxiety, and 39% (N=23) improved depressive symptoms. Of those with increased HRV (greater stress adaptability), 39% (N=23) endorsed decreased stress, 39% (N=23) improved anxiety, and 41% (N=24) reduced depressive symptoms.DiscussionConcurrent changes in physiologic and mental health metrics during the first month of treatment varied across participants. These findings highlight the importance of integrating subjective mental health measures with physiological indicators to capture clinically relevant change during early SUD treatment.
Association between plasma proBDNF levels and cognitive impairment in patients with alcohol dependence: a case–control and longitudinal study
BackgroundAlcohol dependence is frequently accompanied by cognitive impairment. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) signaling plays a critical role in synaptic plasticity, while the precursor form, proBDNF, has been increasingly implicated in neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders. However, the association between plasma proBDNF levels and cognitive impairment in alcohol dependence remains unclear.MethodsEighty male patients with alcohol dependence and forty-two matched healthy controls were enrolled. Plasma proBDNF levels were measured via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Cognitive function was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), the Modified Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (M-WCST), and the Verbal Fluency Test (VFT). Forty-one patients were reassessed after four weeks of abstinence. Group comparisons and correlation analyses were performed.ResultsPatients with alcohol dependence exhibited significantly elevated plasma proBDNF levels and impaired cognitive performance compared with controls. Plasma proBDNF levels were positively correlated with alcohol consumption severity, and linked to global cognitive deficits alongside nuanced executive performance variations. After four weeks of abstinence, plasma proBDNF levels decreased and cognitive performance improved; however, changes in proBDNF were weakly associated with cognitive recovery.ConclusionsElevated plasma proBDNF levels are associated with alcohol dependence severity and cognitive impairment, suggesting that proBDNF may serve as a peripheral biomarker reflecting the dynamic neurocognitive status in alcohol dependence.