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Tag: alcohol
03/10/2023

‘Simple but Effective’: Colombia Turns to Algorithms to Bolster Mental Health Services

Article Excerpt: At the age of 70, Carmen Suárez* is finally coming to terms with an event that happened five decades ago. It was a trauma that changed the course of her life and left her with depression. “I used to cry uncontrollably,” she says. “I was told to seek help, but I had neither the time nor the money. I realise now that I was stuck reliving the incident.” Over the course of a year, the Diada project (detection and integrated care for depression and alcohol use), an innovative project aimed at identifying people with or at risk of developing a mental health or alcohol use disorder, helped her recover.

Full Article: https://tinyurl.com/2jrfnkdt

Article Source: The Guardian

02/07/2023

AI and Genetics Could Help Doctors Treat Alcohol Addiction, Research Shows

Article Excerpt: Imagine a patient has been diagnosed with alcohol use disorder, and their health care provider is reviewing medication options to help them curb their drinking. The provider asks the patient some basic questions, like alcohol cravings and stress levels, and collects a blood sample for genetic testing. A computer model uses this information to determine which medication would most likely support the patient with managing their alcohol use. With the help of the model, the provider gives a medication recommendation that is the best fit for their patient.

Full Article: https://tinyurl.com/58msbx3c

Article Source: Medical Xpress

01/06/2023

Deep Learning Algorithm Can Hear Alcohol in Voice

Article Excerpt: La Trobe University researchers have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm that could work alongside expensive and potentially biased breath testing devices in pubs and clubs. The technology can instantly determine whether a person has exceeded the legal alcohol limit purely on using a 12-seconds recording of their voice.

Full Article: https://tinyurl.com/4uhjh4kn

Article Source: Neuroscience News

12/12/2022

Quit Genius Reports Promising Data in Pilot Study of Integrated Digital Alcohol Use Disorder (AUD) Treatment

Article Excerpt: Quit Genius, the world’s first digital clinic for treating multiple substance addictions, today announced results from a pilot study of integrated alcohol use disorder (AUD) treatment. The study, one of the most promising of its kind to date, shows the potential for combined behavioral health and medication management delivered via telehealth to dramatically improve outcomes and boost access to quality substance use care. A fully powered randomized controlled trial (RCT) building on the initial success of the pilot investigation is now underway.

Full Articlehttps://tinyurl.com/4b4ywt2h

Article Source: Street Insider

11/14/2022

Exposure to Television Alcohol Brand Appearances as Predictor of Adolescent Brand Affiliation and Drinking Behaviors

Gabrielli J, Corcoran E, Genis S, McClure AC, Tanski SE. Exposure to Television Alcohol Brand Appearances as Predictor of Adolescent Brand Affiliation and Drinking Behaviors. J Youth Adolescence 51, 100–113 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-021-01397-0

This study described alcohol brand depictions in television and evaluated the impact of exposure to these depictions on adolescent drinking outcomes. Ten popular scripted television series, broadcast, cable, or online, were content coded for alcohol depictions. Appearances of alcohol brands were coded based on logo/name and salience (how notable the brand appearance was in the series). Adolescents and young adults aged 15-23 years old (N=2,012) were recruited to complete online surveys and interviews at baseline and follow-up one year later. During the interviews and surveys, alcohol consumption, brand affiliation (usual brand to drink), and television exposure to alcohol brands (based on how often they watched the ten content coded series) was assessed. On average, alcohol brands appeared more than twice per episode and Budweiser brand appeared the most often across all television series. The majority (77%) of adolescents reported having seen at least one of the ten television series. Adjusting for covariates (i.e., peer/parent drinking, sensation seeking, alcohol brand exposure in movies), higher exposure to brand appearances in television was associated with alcohol outcomes. Higher number of television alcohol brand appearances was associated with adolescent brand affiliation; television brand exposure was associated with drinking initiation and harmful drinking behaviors. Overall, these results suggest the influence that marketing, through streaming media, has on youth viewers’ alcohol use behavior. Future studies should assess mechanisms such as subjective norms and beliefs to better inform interventions that might mitigate the risks associated with media depictions of alcohol. Additionally, alcohol marketing should be further evaluated to consider strategies to limit the negative impact of media exposure.

11/08/2022

Clinical Trial to Assess Efficacy of Virtual Alcohol Use Disorder Treatment

Article Excerpt: Over the last 10 years, alcohol use disorder (AUD) has been a significant driver of the drop in life expectancy in the US, with 28.3 million people suffering from the disease in 2020, according to the press release. Among those 26 years and older, the frequency of AUD doubled between 2017 and 2020, rising from 10.6 million to 22.4 million. To help address and treat these conditions, Ria Health announced a partnership with Stanford University at The Liver Meeting to launch a clinical trial using funding from the NIH. In the trial, researchers will examine whether the Ria Health Program can limit problematic drinking and markers related to liver disease. Hosted by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, The Liver Meeting is the leading national conference for hepatology.

Full Article: https://tinyurl.com/53ds73s6

Article Source: mHealth Intelligence

10/19/2022

Digital Therapy Treatments Give Rit Researchers Tools to Reach Rural Communities in N.Y. and N.H

Article Excerpt: Rochester Institute of Technology behavioral health researchers are providing remote mental health care and addiction therapy to rural communities in New York and New Hampshire and training for therapists to deploy the digital treatments at their clinics. The digital tools developed by RIT deliver motivational therapy and teach coping skills using telehealth, customizable digital coaches, and 3D simulations showing the effect of drugs and alcohol on the brain, heart, and lungs.

Full Article: https://tinyurl.com/2p8pubxu

Article Source: EurekAlert!

08/05/2022

Digital Support for Reduced Alcohol Consumption

Article Excerpt: A digital support tool on your phone can help if you want to reduce your alcohol consumption. Researchers at Linköping University have developed and evaluated a digital tool that helps individuals reduce their alcohol intake on their own. “At the beginning of the study, the participants indicated that it was very important for them to reduce their alcohol consumption. But most indicated that they didn’t know how to do it. Those who got access to the digital support began to feel more self-assured about how they could go about actually changing their behavior,” says Marcus Bendtsen, who has led the study and is associate professor at the Department of Health, Medicine and Caring Sciences at Linköping University.

Full Article: https://tinyurl.com/4sy6zxmv

Article Source: Medical Xpress

05/17/2022

Digital Care Boosts Workforce Reach Project in Colombia Shows Success in Supporting Doctors and Patients Through Technology-Based Care Model

Article Excerpt: Countries around the world are feeling the strain on the mental healthcare workforce, with more people in need and fewer resources to help them. Lisa Marsch, PhD, a professor of psychiatry, and her colleagues at  Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine and partners in Colombia have been working on a science-based digital solution, which has had great success in Latin America. Marsch partnered with Carlos Gómez-Restrepo, MD, PhD, the dean of the Faculty of Medicine, and other researchers at Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Bogotá, on the project, called Scaling Up Science-Based Mental Health Interventions in Latin America. Also known as the DIADA project, which stands for Detection and Integrated Care for Depression and Alcohol Use in Primary Care, Marsch’s research was conducted in six primary care systems in Colombia…

Full Article: https://tinyurl.com/2p8bj52a

Article Source: Dartmouth Health Psychiatry Spring 2022 Newsletter