Drug and Alcohol Misuse

Manual about service users being involved in the on-going systems and procedures of services.

This is the fifth in a series of monographs related to recovery management. It looks at the scientific rationale for addiction treatment systems transformation including acute-care and recovery management models of addiction treatment; recovery focused performance measures; findings from studies of addiction treatment; promising practices to improve long-term recovery outcomes and suggests measures to evaluate addiction treatment.

The development of integrated care through the promotion of ‘partnership working’ is a key policy objective of the Scottish Executive, the administration responsible for health services in Scotland. This paper considers the extent to which this goal is being achieved in mental health services, particularly those for people with severe and enduring mental illness.

This paper summarises scientific research about brain development in adolescence and in particular, emphasises the changes to the prefrontal cortex of the frontal lobes which appear to be especially critical for mature decision making and impulse control. Sections within the paper address changes in the brain during adolescence at the cellular level; describes adolescent brain development from the perspective of new techniques now available for studying living brains; and, in the final section, summarises knowledge about how these brain changes may affect thinking and behaviour.

An exploration of the experiences of young people (15-27 years) affected by parental drug and/or alcohol misuse. This report provides an in-depth account of the impact of parental substance misuse on parenting, on roles within the family, and on relationships. It identifies differences in the effects of drug and alcohol misuse and the relevance of gender and socio-economic status.

Cognitive-behavioural therapies are among the most widespread and influential approaches to substance use, yet this analysis found they conferred just a small advantage over other therapies. Perhaps other features are more important than the therapeutic 'brand'.

The FEAD project began in February 2008 and was designed and developed in-house at Lifeline project. The FEAD initiative grew in direct proportion to the quality of the contributions and generosity of the contributors. In a period of change for the drugs field we are pleased to be able to open the door to our own learning and perspectives, and do so for people who visit the website.

In spring 2008, DrugScope hosted a series of seminars on the future of drug treatment. The Great Debate gathered together DrugScope members, along with other experts and stakeholders with direct experience of drug treatment, representing a range of different views and treatment philosophies.

This summary sets out the main findings from a review of the recent literature on strategies to tackle illicit drug markets and distribution networks in the UK. The report was commissioned by the UK Drug Policy Commission and has been prepared by the Institute for Criminal Policy Research, School of Law, King’s College London. This review restricted itself to domestic measures for tackling the drugs trade.

This resource introduces the idea of a reflective journal and includes outcomes to work through to gain understanding as to how to link learning with practice and how to examine work practice in detail.