We are pleased to announce the release of two drug information sheets designed to support you, as health professionals, in your ongoing efforts to promote public health. We are continuously monitoring and responding to public health trends and emerging threats. Our latest fact sheets are a direct response to significant recent developments in Australia. With […]
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Introducing the new and improved ASSIST Checkup smartphone app!
We’ve made some big improvements to our app. Let’s take a look at some of the changes. Take a health checkup. As before, with the ASSIST Checkup, you quickly and easily assess the level of alcohol, tobacco or other drugs you might be consuming, and gain better insights into how it might be affecting you. […]
Alcohol Treatment Guidelines: Overview of Recommendations
An overview of recommendations from the Australian Guidelines for the Treatment of Alcohol Problems was recently published in the Medical Journal of Australia (MJA). The supplementary document to the main guidelines presents a number of recommendations designed to improve current practices for the prevention and treatment of alcohol use disorders. The recommendations outlined […]
Alcohol and Drug Foundation: Path2Help
The Alcohol and Drug Foundation have developed an online screening, brief information and location-specific referral service called Path2Help. Path2Help uses the ASSIST questionnaire to assess an individual’s level of risk (low, moderate, high) of dependence, and then through a clever algorithmic system, connects the individual to information about how to reduce risk, […]
NEW PODCAST EPISODE!
Professor Robert Ali recently sat down with the host of Vibrant Lives Podcast to chat about all things related to alcohol. The discussion focused on the topics of risk and harms of intoxication vs. longer term use and dependence, as well as a thoughtful discussion about the current state of research, and policy in […]
RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT
Administration of the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) among high school students in the Peruvian Amazon. Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse By: Friso et al., 2021 WHAT WAS THE STUDY ABOUT? In some areas of Peru, drug use has, and continues to present a significant challenge among young people, due in […]
RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT
The effects of screening brief intervention referral to treatment (SBIRT) training on health professional trainees’ regard, attitudes, and beliefs towards patients who use substances. Published in: Substance Abuse By: Lukowitsky et al., 2021 WHAT WAS THE STUDY ABOUT? This study evaluated the attitudes and beliefs of healthcare trainees towards people who […]
RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT
Risk factors for new-onset bipolar disorder in a community cohort: A five-year follow up study. Published in: Psychiatry Research By: de Lima Bach et al., 2021 WHAT WAS THE STUDY ABOUT? The aim of this study was to assess sociodemographic and clinical risk factors for new-onset Bipolar Disorder (BD) among a community […]
RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT
Validation of the Alcohol Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST) in acute psychiatric inpatients Published in: Adicciones (Addictions) By: López-Lascano, López-Pelayo, Barcells-Oliveró, Segura, and Gual Solé. 2021 WHAT WAS THE STUDY ABOUT? The aim of this study was to validate the use of ASSIST amongst a cohort of psychiatric inpatients in a […]
RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT
Associations of cannabis use frequency and cannabis use disorder with receiving a substance use screen and healthcare professional discussion of substance use. Published in: The American Journal on Addictions By: Moore, DiNitto, & Choi. 2021 WHAT WAS THE STUDY ABOUT? The aim of this study was to assess the relationship […]