Substance use and misuse affect people worldwide, of all ages and from all walks of life, resulting in a substantial burden of ill health and mortality, and presenting big challenges in prevention and treatment. 

PLOS Medicine is planning a special issue on this topic and is now calling for research papers from the diverse communities that work to support people and populations affected by substance use and misuse.

The aim is to unite clinicians and researchers from all the specialities involved in caring for people and communities impacted by substance use disorder, to stimulate...

Research findings amalgamated for the American Psychological Association show that the outcomes of psychotherapy are substantially and significantly better the more the therapist or especially the client display emotional arousal during therapy - though among substance use clients, focusing on emotions has not been universally helpful.

Abstract

Background

The high prevalence of substance use disorders (SUDs) among incarcerated adults in the U.S. is well-known, but there has been less examination of SUD treatment and rates of incarceration among the population of adults with SUDs as the denominator. The current study uses a population-based sample to address three questions: (1) What is the rate of lifetime incarceration among the population of U.S. adults with SUDs?; (2) Among adults with SUDs, what proportion of those with incarceration histories use SUD treatment compared to those without incarceration histories...

Findings amalgamated for the American Psychological Association show that providing therapists real-time feedback from the client (including substance use clients) on their progress and how to improve it is among the most effective ways available to services to improve outcomes.