Mental Health

A person’s emotional, psychological, and social wellbeing, influencing how individuals think, feel, behave, and cope with life’s challenges. In the context of substance use disorders, mental health is closely interconnected with patterns of substance use, as mental health conditions can increase vulnerability to substance misuse and substance use can also affect mental wellbeing. Addressing mental health alongside substance use is therefore essential for effective prevention, treatment, and recovery, often requiring integrated, person-centred approaches that support overall wellbeing and functioning. 

Disruption to Mental Health Services Caused by COVID-19

Book
A recent World Health Organisation (WHO) survey has found that 93% of countries worldwide have experienced significant disruption to mental health services. With a rise in demand for these services, these worring findings suggest there is...

Family, a Key Social Institution for Addressing Drug Abuse, Violence and Mental Health

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Online

64th Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND), a virtual side event on “Family a key social institution for addressing substance use, violence, mental health and promote sustainable development: Lessons learned from parenting under stress, in humanitarian settings and in the context of COVID19 and beyond”

Tuesday 13th of April 2021, 13:10-14:00 CET

Smoking Cessation for Improving Mental Health- Cochrane Review

Scientific article
People with mental health issues are more likely to smoke compared to the general population. They are also more likely to experience severe withdrawals and are less responsive to treatment. Indeed, some people believe that quitting smoking...

A US national randomized study to guide how best to reduce stigma when describing drug‐related impairment in practice and policy

Scientific article
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Drug‐related impairment is persistently stigmatized delaying and preventing treatment engagement. To reduce stigma, various medical terms (e.g. ‘chronically relapsing brain disease’, ‘disorder’) have been promoted in diagnostic systems and among national health agencies, yet some argue that over‐medicalization of drug‐related impairment lowers prognostic optimism and reduces personal agency.
Addiction Research ISSUP

Reducing Substance Use Stigma: The Role of First Responders

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Online

Stigma is one of the biggest barriers people face when seeking and receiving care for substance use disorders. Direct service workers, including the law enforcement community, are often the first to respond to crisis situations with people experiencing substance-related harms, and they can play a major role in overcoming that stigma.

Language matters: Contemporary discursive constructions of alcohol use.

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Online

Wednesday 17th February 2020, 1-2pm

Claire Melia: 'Language matters: Contemporary discursive constructions of alcohol use.' This talk draws upon research surrounding the prominent discourses used to account for alcohol use across a range of contexts. Analysis considers the impact of these constructions in attributing blame and the associated stigma for alcohol use issues. 

Families, substance use and mental health: Report and Toolkit

Book
Dual diagnosis is the term used to describe people with mental health problems, who also misuse drugs or alcohol. People affected by dual diagnosis often fall through the cracks of public services, and so do their families. Those cracks are...

Addiction and the Family International Network

News
The AFINet Webinars cover a range of topics related to Addiction and the Family. The programme for 2021 is below. Participation in each webinar is free, but to join, you MUST register beforehand. For each Webinar that you are interested in...