Addictions Edited

The official Lisbon Addictions podcast brings you all the talks, events, seminars from day two of the Lisbon Addictions conference.

Ben Scher is an SSA funded PhD Student at Oxford University.

Dr Elle Wadsworth is a researcher based at the University of Bath and at RAND Europe. 

Rob Calder is Head of Communications and Operations for the Society for the Study of Addiction.

Zoe Swithenbank is a researcher at Liverpool John Moores University.

The opinions expressed in this podcast reflect the views of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official positions of the SSA.

The SSA does not endorse or guarantee the accuracy of the information in external sources or links and accepts no responsibility or liability for any consequences arising from the use of such information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Elle talks to Vanda about her upcoming session at the Lisbon Addictions conference.

Vanda Felbab-Brown is a Senior fellow in Foreign Policy at The Brookings Institution.

Dr Elle Wadsworth is a researcher based at the University of Bath and at RAND Europe. 

The opinions expressed in this podcast reflect the views of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official positions of the SSA.

The SSA does not endorse or guarantee the accuracy of the information in external sources or links and accepts no responsibility or liability for any consequences arising from the use of such information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The official Lisbon Addictions podcast brings you all the talks, events, seminars from day one of the Lisbon Addictions conference.

Ben Scher is an SSA funded PhD Student at Oxford University.

Dr Elle Wadsworth is a researcher based at the University of Bath and at RAND Europe. 

Rob Calder is Head of Communications and Operations for the Society for the Study of Addiction.

Zoe Swithenbank is a researcher at Liverpool John Moores University.

The opinions expressed in this podcast reflect the views of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official positions of the SSA.

The SSA does not endorse or guarantee the accuracy of the information in external sources or links and accepts no responsibility or liability for any consequences arising from the use of such information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Dr Elle Wadsworth talks to Dr Paul Griffiths about his role throughout Lisbon Addictions and specifically in convening the 'Open Track'. Elle and Paul discuss the launch of the European Union Drugs Agency (EUDA) and how it has changed since being known as the EMCDDA. They talk about EUDA’s work at the boundary between science, practice and policy at a European level. They also talk about collaborating with the Institute on Addictive Behaviours and Dependencies (ICAD) to organise the Lisbon Addictions conference.

Paul explains the role of the conference's many co-producers in bringing the scientific programme together, going through the themes for each day at the conference, the plenaries and the two debate sessions designed to encourage discussion among conference attendees. One debate will be on 'why are we not doing better at reducing drug-related deaths?', and one on 'how can the voices of people with lived experience, clients and communities impacted by drug use better inform clinical practice, research and the policy agenda?'.

"We're all getting really excited to welcome again a lot of people to Lisbon.... it's going to be a busy week for everyone but I hopefully a fun and productive one!"

Dr Paul Griffiths is the scientific director of the EU Drugs Agency (EUDA, formerly the EMCDDA). 

Dr Elle Wadsworth is a researcher based at the University of Bath and at RAND Europe. 

The opinions expressed in this podcast reflect the views of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official positions of the SSA.

The SSA does not endorse or guarantee the accuracy of the information in external sources or links and accepts no responsibility or liability for any consequences arising from the use of such information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Dr Rob Calder talks to Dominique Lopez and early-career researchers Dr Jorge Martins and Olivia Price about the ECR track at Lisbon Addictions. Rob, Dominique, Jorge and Olivia discuss how you can make the most of the ECR programme’s networking opportunities and activities before, during and after the conference. During the conference there will be a number of sessions designed to meet the needs of ECRs along with an award for best e-poster.

Dominique, Jorge, and Olivia then give some advice for ECRs going to Lisbon Addictions for the first time this year.

“Something that's really helped me at conferences in the past is going to an event before the conference...because it's just a smaller setting and I find that's just an easier setting to introduce yourself to someone you don't know.”

Olivia Price

"Try to set up a meeting during the conference, my experience is that people are quite open to those meetings and I think that's a fantastic opportunity to expand your network and also talk about research."

Dominique Lopez is a consultant for Lisbon Addictions who has been working on the early career researcher programme.

Jorge Martins is a post-doctoral researcher from the William James Center for Research and the Institute of Applied Psychology (ISPA) in Portugal.

Olivia Price is a PhD student at the University of New South Wales.

Rob Calder is Head of Communications and Operations for the Society for the Study of Addiction

The opinions expressed in this podcast reflect the views of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official positions of the SSA.

The SSA does not endorse or guarantee the accuracy of the information in external sources or links and accepts no responsibility or liability for any consequences arising from the use of such information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Dr Rob Calder talks to Dr Ina Koning from European Society for Prevention Research (EUSPR) about her work as a co-producer for Lisbon Addictions. Rob and Ina discuss the EUSPR track's focus on prevention. They cover interventions, treatment, and the wide range of outcomes, substances and behavioural addictions. They also discuss how these can change according across populations including young people, families and professionals.

They also talk about the process of putting together sessions for Lisbon Addictions before sharing some pointers for first-time attendees at Lisbon Addictions.

“Because of the huge variety of topics, the huge variety of sessions and talks, there's always something of interest going on.”

Ina Koning is an Associate Professor in clinical child and family studies at the Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam.

Rob Calder is Head of Communications and Operations for the Society for the Study of Addiction.

The opinions expressed in this podcast reflect the views of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official positions of the SSA.

The SSA does not endorse or guarantee the accuracy of the information in external sources or links and accepts no responsibility or liability for any consequences arising from the use of such information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Ben Scher talks to Emma Day from the International Network on Health and Hepatitis in Substance Users (INHSU) about being a co-producer for Lisbon Addictions. Ben and Emma discuss this track looking at research on issues such as hepatitis, HIV, soft tissue infection and overdose prevention from epidemiological, clinical science, social science and treatment perspectives.

They talk about how they put together a track for Lisbon Addictions, making sure the sessions fit the conference. Emma and Ben also share their experiences of Lisbon Addictions and give some advice for people attending for the first time.

“What I really like about Lisbon Addictions is that it's a really broad church, you've got lots of different tracks in the addiction field, content that wouldn't ordinarily cross my desk....and I think that kind of cross-fertilisation of ideas across the tracks is really exciting.”

Emma Day is the executive director at INHSU.

Ben Scher is an SSA funded PhD Student at Oxford University.

The opinions expressed in this podcast reflect the views of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official positions of the SSA.

The SSA does not endorse or guarantee the accuracy of the information in external sources or links and accepts no responsibility or liability for any consequences arising from the use of such information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Dr Elle Wadsworth talks to Professors Beau Kilmer and Rosalie Pacula from the International Society for the Study of Drug Policy (ISSDP) about being a co-producer for Lisbon Addictions. Elle, Beau and Rosalie discuss drug policy work including cannabis legislation, using data to monitor changes to drug consumption trends and the impact of the criminal legal system on drug use and harm reduction. They also focus on the importance of high-quality scientific research and the impact it can have on policy.

They also talk about their experiences convening sessions for Lisbon Addictions before discussing how best to approach Lisbon Addictions if you are attending for the first time.

“Don't be shy, this is a generally warm group, there's lots of people, all of us are excited to be there. Don't be afraid to introduce yourself to someone new.”

Beau Kilmer is the co-director for the RAND drug policy research centre and acting president for ISSDP.

Rosalie Pacula is a professor of health policy at the University of South California and the immediate past-president of ISSDP.

Dr Elle Wadsworth is a researcher based at the University of Bath and at RAND Europe. 

The opinions expressed in this podcast reflect the views of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official positions of the SSA.

The SSA does not endorse or guarantee the accuracy of the information in external sources or links and accepts no responsibility or liability for any consequences arising from the use of such information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Dr Elle Wadsworth talks to Professor Zsolt Demetrovics from the International Society for the Study of Behavioural Addictions (ISSBA) about his work as a co-producer for Lisbon Addictions. Elle and Zsolt discuss the behavioural addictions track at Lisbon Addictions this year. The track will include presentations relating to gambling and gaming disorders as well as compulsive sexual behaviour disorder as those officially recognised by ICD-11. The track also includes compulsive shopping, problematic internet use, compulsive pornography use, work addiction, exercise addiction, problematic smartphone use and the ever increasing research on potentially addictive behaviours.

Zsolt then gives his advice for first time attendees at Lisbon Addictions.

“Lisbon addictions offers a lot....pure research and basic research but also prevention, treatment, policy issues. So, I think everyone can find something that fits to their interest.”

Professor Zsolt Demetrovics is the president of the ISSBA, chair of the Centre of Excellence in Responsible Gaming at the University of Gibraltar and head of the Addiction Research group at the ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.

Dr Elle Wadsworth is a researcher based at the University of Bath and at RAND Europe. 

The opinions expressed in this podcast reflect the views of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official positions of the SSA.

The SSA does not endorse or guarantee the accuracy of the information in external sources or links and accepts no responsibility or liability for any consequences arising from the use of such information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode Dr Zoe Swithenbank talks to Dr Jørgen Bramness from the European Federation of Addiction Societies (EUFAS) about his work as a co-producer for Lisbon Addictions. Zoe and Jørgen discuss this track, how it was put together and why you should follow this track at Lisbon Addictions this year.

This track will cover a wide range of issues relating to alcohol, and will include sessions on neurobiology, genetics, treatment, digital interventions, AI, treatment, issues of alcohol in the workplace and much more.

They also talk about the process of putting together sessions for Lisbon Addictions. Finally, Jørgen offers his advice and experiences for people attending Lisbon Addictions for the first time.

“Try to talk to some of the presenters after they have presented. That may be just as rewarding and educational as listening to what they have to say because you might have specific questions. For most of the sessions I know the speakers are very happy if people come up to them afterwards and ask them about things.”

Zoe Swithenbank is a researcher at Liverpool John Moores University

Dr Jørgen Bramness is the president elect for EUFAS. He is a professor of psychiatry at UiT – The Arctic University of Norway in Tromsø, a senior researcher at Oslo University Hospital, the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, and the Norwegian National Competence Center for Concurrent Substance Abuse and Mental Health Disorders.

The opinions expressed in this podcast reflect the views of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official positions of the SSA.

The SSA does not endorse or guarantee the accuracy of the information in external sources or links and accepts no responsibility or liability for any consequences arising from the use of such information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Dr Zoe Swithenbank talks to Fleur Braddick from Workforce in Addiction · Valorisation in Europe (WAVE) about her work as a co-producer for Lisbon Addictions. Fleur Braddick (Communications lead on WAVE), on behalf of other coordinating team (Silvia Matrai, Elsa Caballeria and Hugo López-Pelayo), talks about how WAVE is collaborating with diverse expert stakeholders to review state-of-the-art evidence and good practice in relation to quality standards for the European addictions workforce, and co-producing the WAVE Track and Video Contest in the Lisbon Addictions 2024 conference (23-25 Oct 2024).

They also talk about how WAVE compiled sessions for Lisbon Addictions whilst offering advice for people attending Lisbon Addictions.

“This is my fifth time in Lisbon Addictions, the fourth time co-producing. I've been before and it's always different.”

Zoe Swithenbank is a researcher at Liverpool John Moores University.

Fleur Braddick is a science and communications officer in the Clínic Foundation of Biomedical Research (FCRB-IDIBAPS). She is a Human Scientist and Medical Anthropologist by training, and public health researcher, project coordinator and science communicator by profession.

The EC co-funded project WAVE (Workforce in Addiction · Valorisation in Europe, Grant No. 101045870) is led by the ), and in collaboration with the Public Health Agency of Catalonia (Gencat), Charles University in Prague (CUNI) and the Portuguese Institute for Addictive Behaviours and Addictions (ICAD).

https://wave-addictionsworkforce.eu/

The opinions expressed in this podcast reflect the views of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official positions of the SSA.

The SSA does not endorse or guarantee the accuracy of the information in external sources or links and accepts no responsibility or liability for any consequences arising from the use of such information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode Ben Scher talks to Dr Sarah Welch from the Society for the Study of Addiction (SSA) about her work as a co-producer for Lisbon Addictions. Ben and Sarah discuss the Addiction and Mental Health track, how it was put together and why you would want to follow this track at Lisbon Addictions this year.

This track will cover a wide range of issues relating to addiction and mental health and will include sessions on the relationship between addiction and mental health disorders, the impact of trauma, resilience and ways to promote mental health among people who use drugs, ADHD, autism and neurodiversity, cannabis and psychosis, young people and treatment options.

They also talk about the process of reviewing abstracts for Lisbon Addictions and how the organisers then make sessions that fit the conference and the track. Finally, Sarah provides her top tips for attending Lisbon Addictions.

“For me it’s the breadth, it’s the putting together of people from really different fields whether it’s neuroscience, epidemiology or clinical practice. It’s that big big mix that’s lovely”

Ben Scher is an SSA funded PhD Student at Oxford University

Dr Sarah Welch is an SSA trustee and leads on the Addiction and Mental health track at Lisbon addictions. 

The opinions expressed in this podcast reflect the views of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official positions of the SSA.

The SSA does not endorse or guarantee the accuracy of the information in external sources or links and accepts no responsibility or liability for any consequences arising from the use of such information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode Dr Casy Calver talks to Dr Katie Witkiewitz. Dr Witkiewitz talks about her experience as an editor and specifically about desk rejection - sometimes called reject without review. She talks about the many reasons that articles are rejected without going to peer-review. These can include there being too many similar studies already in the journal, page limits and articles being outside the scope of the journal. There are also avoidable issues of quality. Dr Witkiewitz then gives her top tips for how best to avoid (and cope with) desk rejection.

"You know, I think in the stress and strain of getting a paper out you don't re-read it in its entirety often, right? It's been through a lot of edits, maybe you were just frantically getting it in the journal format in the last minute you made some changes to get it in under word-count. But you didn't take a step back and re-read it."

Dr Katie Witkiewitz is a Distinguished Professor of Psychology and the Director of the Center on Alcohol Substance Use and Addiction at the university of New Mexico as well as the Editor of the journal Psychology and Addictive Behaviours.

The opinions expressed in this podcast reflect the views of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official positions of the SSA.

The SSA does not endorse or guarantee the accuracy of the information in external sources or links and accepts no responsibility or liability for any consequences arising from the use of such information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Publishing Addiction Science, Dr Casy Calver talks to Professor Paul Dietze about common submission errors. They talk about how to avoid desk-rejection, the importance of understanding the scope of the journal to which you submit, the importance of following instructions to authors. Many journals have differing requirements and this can change between internationally focused journals or those with a more regional remit. They also talk about the importance of using person-first and non-stigmatising language.

Paul Dietze is Executive Editor of the Drug and Alcohol Review journal and an ISAJE board member.

Whatever you do don't annoy the editor. And one way to annoy an editor is to send in a crappy abstract or a misleading title, so that's a really good starting point.

Paul Dietze is Professor at the National Drug Research Institute and co-Director of the Disease Elimination Program at the Burnet Institute in Melbourne, Australia. He is Executive Editor of Drug and Alcohol Review and was previously an Associate Editor of the International Journal of Drug Policy and Deputy Editor of Drug and Alcohol Review. As Executive Editor, he manages all submissions to Drug and Alcohol Review. He has published over 350 journal articles and numerous book chapters spanning the epidemiology of alcohol and other drug use and related harms through to clinical intervention studies. He has a strong interest in developing early career researchers and responding to predatory publishers and journals.

The opinions expressed in this podcast reflect the views of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official positions of the SSA.

The SSA does not endorse or guarantee the accuracy of the information in external sources or links and accepts no responsibility or liability for any consequences arising from the use of such information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Casy and Rob talk to Leila Moore, the Director of Open Access policy at Wiley. Leila covers the history, principles and processes relating to open access as well as describing the mechanisms by which research is made freely available for people who want to access it. Leila explains how open access publishing can increase accessibility and ensure research reaches a more diverse readership meaning that people who previously could not access research findings now can. Leila also explains APCs (article processing charges) and transformational agreements.

"Open access increases opportunities for collaboration reduces duplication, speeds up groundbreaking discoveries and enables more people than ever before to access this research. Whether that's a patient looking for information on illness, a teacher looking for new ways to work with students or a researcher who discovers the next great opportunity for collaboration."

The opinions expressed in this podcast reflect the views of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official positions of the SSA.

The SSA does not endorse or guarantee the accuracy of the information in external sources or links and accepts no responsibility or liability for any consequences arising from the use of such information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Casy and Rob talk to Thomas Broomfield from Wiley about the impact factor. Thomas covers everything from how it is calculated, what it means, its limitations as well as discussing alternative ways to rate or assess a journal's output. Thomas covers hidden, linked and un-linked citations, describes how to get an impact factor of 254 and explains that sometimes people cite a journal cover image (whilst remaining uncertain about why).

Thomas explains the JIF, the JCR, Web of Science, citation databases, DORA, ESCI, Clarivate, Alt Metrics and how they all relate to That Number. 

"The calculation itself has stayed pretty constant..... what has really changed is the underlying database, what's included, what isn't and what data is being used to make certain decisions."

Thomas is a Senior Market Analyst at Wiley publishers. This conversation was recorded in February 2023.

The opinions expressed in this podcast reflect the views of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official positions of the SSA.

The SSA does not endorse or guarantee the accuracy of the information in external sources or links and accepts no responsibility or liability for any consequences arising from the use of such information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Publishing Addiction Science, Dr Casy Calver talks to Prof. Bill Stoops about how to choose a journal in which to publish. Casy and Bill talk about how to define your audience so you can publish in a journal where your audience will find your research. Bill talks about his experiences as an author in addition to his views as a journal editor. He gives advice on how to approach journals to check whether an article is likely to be a good fit and therefore a good home for your hard won research paper. They also identify some red flags for identifying predatory journals.

Professor Bill Stoops is Editor for the journal Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology.

"One thing I really do think about... is where it's indexed. So, is it going to get caught in a broad search? Is it going to get caught in PubMed, is it going to get caught in PsychInfo?"

The opinions expressed in this podcast reflect the views of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official positions of the SSA.

The SSA does not endorse or guarantee the accuracy of the information in external sources or links and accepts no responsibility or liability for any consequences arising from the use of such information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode Dr Casy Calver talks to Professor Richard Pates, who is an ISAJE board member and Editor-in-Chief of the journal Substance Use.

Richard talks about how to decide on journal manuscript authorship and the best time to discuss those roles in the writing process. Richard discusses some of the experiences he had as a junior researcher, and how they have informed his approach to authorship. He also covers his mentorship of early career researchers, and in his role as an editor of an academic journal.

"You've got to make a significant contribution, not because you're in a certain position or not because you're someone husband or wide, but because you've made a significant contribution to that paper"

Richard is one of the founding members of ISAJE.

The opinions expressed in this podcast reflect the views of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official positions of the SSA.

The SSA does not endorse or guarantee the accuracy of the information in external sources or links and accepts no responsibility or liability for any consequences arising from the use of such information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Publishing Addiction Science - a podcast for the perplexed. This series is for anyone working in addiction research who is trying to navigate the choppy waters of academic publishing. 

We will feature interviews with Editors-in-Chief of some of the leading academic addictions journals. They will tell you how to improve your chances of being published and how to avoid common errors.

Dr Casy Calver is the Executive Officer of ISAJE, the International Society of Addiction Journal Editors, Editorial Director at the Grayken Center for Addiction at Boston Medical Center, and managing editor of the journal Addiction Science & Clinical Practice. 

Dr Rob Calder is Head of Communications and Operations at the SSA, the Society for the Study of Addiction. 

The opinions expressed in this podcast reflect the views of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official positions of ISAJE or the SSA.

ISAJE and the SSA do not endorse or guarantee the accuracy of the information in external sources or links and accepts no responsibility or liability for any consequences arising from the use of such information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Merve Mollaahmetoglu, Ben Scher, Zoe Swithenbank and Rob Calder talk live from the poster room (with mocktails) about their thoughts on day 1 of the SSA Annual Conference in 2023. They cover research into substance use among refugees, heroin assisted treatment, gambling research and ADHD and addiction.

Apologies for a few sound quality issues in this episode.

The opinions expressed in this podcast reflect the views of the presenters and interviewees and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official positions of the SSA.

The SSA does not endorse or guarantee the accuracy of the information in external sources or links and accepts no responsibility or liability for any consequences arising from the use of such information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Rob Calder talks to the SSA's Fred Yates Prize winner Ebtesam Saleh. They discuss her work researching substance use among refugees and immigrant populations as well as her career going from a pharmacist in Yemen to becoming an award-winning researcher. This interview was conducted in September 2023 ahead of Ebtesam's Fred Yates Prize presentation and at the SSA's Annual Conference in Newcastle on 9 and 10 November 2023.

"Migrants lost their safe zone at the beginning. Completely. In terms of their land, their own families and loved ones. So they are struggling to start a new life but at the same time are living in a parallel world in their painful memories."

The opinions expressed in this podcast reflect the views of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official positions of the SSA.

The SSA does not endorse or guarantee the accuracy of the information in external sources or links and accepts no responsibility or liability for any consequences arising from the use of such information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Professor Wim van den Brink will be giving theSociety Lectureat the SSA's 2023Annual Conference. In this special episode of theAddictions Editedpodcast, he talks to Rob Calder about attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and addiction.

“If we want to prevent substance use disorders in patients with ADHD, we have to start early.”

In an exclusive interview for the Addictions Edited podcast, Wim says that he hopes to use his talk at the SSA conference to deliver a few key messages: firstly, that ADHD is very common in patients with addiction – perhaps one in four will have adult ADHD; secondly, that the overlap or comorbidity could be attributed to a number of things – from neurobiological and psychological factors, to genetics and the environment; and thirdly, that establishing the respective weight of these contributing factors is important for prevention and treatment – for example, in determining whether pharmacological treatments and neuromodulation could offer more promise than, say, psychotherapies.

The opinions expressed in this post reflect the views of the author and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official positions of the SSA or the author’s academic institution.

The SSA does not endorse or guarantee the accuracy of the information in external sources or links and accepts no responsibility or liability for any consequences arising from the use of such information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this podcast Rob Calder talks to Dr Karen Berry about the latest research in treatment for benzodiazepine use. They discuss the recent rise of illicit and prescribed benzodiazepines in recent years; the difference between prescribed and street drugs, and how drugs prescribed in the US are making their way onto illicit markets.

“They've become a rising issue both as illicit benzos like etizolam...And then also people are using prescribed diazepam, but it's not prescribed to them. So they're able to get hold of proper diazepam but on the street.”

Karen talks about her latest research project looking at prescribing regimes for people who want to address benzodiazepine use. She discusses why the team recruited people who use both benzodiazepines and opiates and the implications of their research for drug overdose deaths.

Karen also talks about some of the issues raised by the project about gaining consent from participants and how that consent can change throughout an intervention and across different appointments and research team members.

Dr Karen Berry is a research fellow at the University of Stirling employed by the Salvation Army Centre for Addiction and Substance Research.

The opinions expressed in this podcast reflect the views of the guest(s) and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official positions of the SSA.

The SSA does not endorse or guarantee the accuracy of the information in external sources or links and accepts no responsibility or liability for any consequences arising from the use of such information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr Gillian Shorter talks to podcast host Rob Calder about her research into drug consumption rooms, including how they work, why she doesn’t believe they are controversial interventions, and what the evidence base suggests about their effectiveness.

“The big thing that always comes up though is ‘why are there no randomised controlled trials?’ It comes up every time and it's a very simple answer. We know these places save lives. We have an evidence base across multiple countries to show that it does. So, it's not ethical to randomise one area to have a drug consumption room and one not to.”

She also explains the ethos behind her decision to research brief alcohol interventions and safer consumption facilities – two seemingly disparate types of substance use intervention – as well as her experience developing core outcome sets and her role with the Drugs and Alcohol Research Network (DARN).

Papers mentioned in the podcast include the following:

Gillian Shorter’s work on core outcome sets for alcohol brief interventions (ORBITAL project) was funded by Alcohol Change/Alcohol Research UK (Research Innovation Grant Number: R2016/04) and her work on drug consumption rooms is supported by a grant from National Institutes of Health Research (NIHR204582: co-PI Professor Alex Stevens and Dr Gillian Shorter).

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The opinions expressed in this podcast reflect the views of the author and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official positions of the SSA or the author’s academic institution.

The SSA does not endorse or guarantee the accuracy of the information in external sources or links and accepts no responsibility or liability for any consequences arising from the use of such information.

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Dr Nicky Kalk and Dr Caroline Copeland talk about their research into methadone- and buprenorphine-related deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nicky and Caroline talk me through the number of deaths they would expect to see in an average year and the differences between that and what happened during COVID-19-related lockdowns. Nicky tells us how the UK has influenced the US response to Hurricane Katrina whereby people were given larger amounts of opioid agonist medication than they were used to.

“Instead of most people in early treatment being directly supervised consumption….the majority of people were converted to 2 weeks' worth of take-home supply.”

Caroline and Nicky then talk about possible explanations for the overdose rates found among people not in treatment, indicating the protective impact that treatment can have for people. They also talk about how their study challenged their thinking about the impact of diversion on the risk of overdose. Finally, they talk about the overall impact that the COVID-19 pandemic had on people seeking and accessing treatment.

“There are things that make us sustain a behaviour and things that make us think that it’s time to make a change. And I suppose something as catastrophic as a lock-down with all the potential impacts that that might have on support or access to one's drug of choice, maybe changed the equation for people.”

The opinions expressed in this podcast reflect the views of the author and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official positions of the SSA or the author’s academic institution.

The SSA does not endorse or guarantee the accuracy of the information in external sources or links and accepts no responsibility or liability for any consequences arising from the use of such information.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This podcast is for anyone who wants to understand the experience of and feelings associated with relapse.

Dr Maike Klein talks about her qualitative research into relapse, and about how different people conceptualise and perceive relapse. She talks about how, for some, it is a process rather than an event, whereas for others it is a shocking and immediate experience. There are also elements of self-actualisation and learning that can follow a relapse - as well as the real fear that relapse can cause.

Maike talks about the feelings of powerlessness that can accompany relapse as well as the importance that some people place on gaining trust in themselves. Looking further into the language of relapse, Maike explores how relapse is sometimes seen as a location by some people and the implications this has for working with substance use.

Maike also spoke to people who work in addiction treatment services about their experiences working with people who relapse and of second-hand trauma.

“How does it feel like for a therapist to witness their client’s relapse and does that impact the way that they approach their therapeutic work?”

“It feels almost like torture in their minds of having that internal fragmentation that’s almost more difficult than the relapse experience itself”. 

The opinions expressed in this podcast reflect the views of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official positions of the SSA.

The SSA does not endorse or guarantee the accuracy of the information in external sources or links and accepts no responsibility or liability for any consequences arising from the use of such information.

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In this two-part podcast the SSA's Rob Calder explores autism and addiction. He talks to Professors Julia Sinclair and Sam Chamberlain, Dr Janine Robinson and Chris Torry from the SABAA: Substance use, Alcohol and Behavioural addictions in Autism project that’s been funded by the SSA. 

In this second episode we explore treatment, policy and future research in relation to autism and addiction. We start by talking about the importance of co-producing publicity materials for addiction treatment services using universal design principles. Personalisation is always important and ever more so when working with autistic people, thus underlining the importance of involving autistic people in service design.

We talk about the experience and expectations that autistic people might have when attending addiction treatment services, and why retention may not mean what you think it means. We then talk about the work of the SABAA project in identifying the gaps in our understanding of autism and addiction. The team talks about conducting a Delphi process and working out what the priorities are for policy, practice and research.

They then discuss some of the problems with funding something that is often considered a niche issue within autism and addiction fields.

“Things that are autism friendly will also be good quality for other people… By being autism friendly [promotion materials] are more likely to be more accessible by other people too” - Professor Julia Sinclair

“With CBT you need to rate things, and some [autistic] people say to me ‘I don’t like rating things. I prefer having colour, blue means this, yellow means that’. They’re different things that mean something to them” - Dr Janine Robinson

“The NHS has really changed in that sense, there’s still more work to do, but we’re seeing lived experience become part of the clinical models to a greater extent which is a good thing.” - Professor Sam Chamberlain

“The neurology and basis of autism are poorly understood and then you have the neurological factors of addiction and compulsion, and trying to reconcile and differentiate those things is a really complex question” - Chris Torry

Professor Julia Sinclair

Julia Sinclair is Professor of Addiction Psychiatry in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Southampton, and honorary consultant in alcohol liaison at University Hospital Southampton.

Dr Janine Robinson

Janine Robinson is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist and a specialist in the field of autism in adults. She completed her DClinPsy at the Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College, London in 2000.

Professor Sam Chamberlain

Sam Chamberlain is Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Southampton, and Honorary Consultant Psychiatrist at Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust.

Chris Torry

Chris Torry is autistic and has worked in addiction treatment services for many years. He is part of the SABAA project

The opinions expressed in this post reflect the views of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official positions of the SSA. The SSA does not endorse or guarantee the accuracy of the information in external sources or links and accepts no responsibility or liability for any consequences arising from the use of such information.

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In this two-part podcast, the SSA's Rob Calder explores autism and addiction. He talks to Professors Julia Sinclair and Sam Chamberlain, Dr Janine Robinson and Chris Torry from the SABAA: Substance use, Alcohol and Behavioural addictions in Autism project that’s been funded by the SSA.

In this first episode, we look at how symptoms of behavioural and substance addictions can overlap with autism and how this can complicate diagnoses for both. We explore some of the causes of substance use that are particular to autism, whilst looking at how autistic people often use substances in ways that might make them more vulnerable to addiction. This includes issues of using alcohol to address social anxiety. We also ask why some treatment services can be difficult for autistic people to access and how treatment services might start to address these issues.

“Maybe our diagnostic tools need to consider more carefully that fine line between when something maybe becomes a behavioural addiction versus something that perhaps is a core part of autism” - Dr Janine Robinson

“What we have here is several spectrum disorders, people’s substance use might be on a spectrum, alcohol use might be on a spectrum and their manifestation of autism is also on a spectrum.” - Professor Julia Sinclair

“Treatment structured around groupwork can be really difficult for some people because it’s overwhelming or stressful. The sensory environment can be really unpleasant lots of fluorescent lights and noise and lots of people interacting in sometimes intense and difficult to process ways.” - Chris Torry

“One issue is that many clinicians may not be familiar with autism. Other clinicians, for example, who are familiar with autism may have no training in behavioural addictions or substance use disorders.” - Professor Sam Chamberlain

Professor Julia Sinclair

Julia Sinclair is Professor of Addiction Psychiatry in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Southampton, and honorary consultant in alcohol liaison at University Hospital Southampton.

Dr Janine Robinson

Janine Robinson is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist and a specialist in the field of autism in adults. She completed her DClinPsy at the Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College, London in 2000.

Professor Sam Chamberlain

Sam Chamberlain is Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Southampton, and Honorary Consultant Psychiatrist at Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust.

Chris Torry 

Chris Torry is autistic and has worked in addiction treatment services for many years. He is part of the SABAA project.

The opinions expressed in this post reflect the views of the author and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official positions of the SSA or the author’s academic institution. The SSA does not endorse or guarantee the accuracy of the information in external sources or links and accepts no responsibility or liability for any consequences arising from the use of such information.

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In this SSA podcast, Alexis Roth gives us a preview of her talk at our 2022 Annual Conference. Dr Roth talks about the UnityPhilly app and wearable and other technologies that are being developed to help prevent opiate overdoses.

Alexis talks about the consumer led way in which the app was designed as well as her experiences working with technology companies:

“…they had already built the sort of ‘Uber-for-overdose’ component where it’s like ‘You signal, we alert, we can geofence these things’. That part was there. But then trying to work with them to customise it, to make it simpler, more streamlined, more like what you might find on a game kind of app was a challenge. And something we are still working towards”

She also talks about developing a wearable biosensor that fits in people’s underwear that monitors respiratory rate. As well as the next steps in developing technology to identify an overdose and remotely administer naloxone.

"Technology, when done in consultation with folks who would be the end users of these products and developed to respond to their concerns, their needs .... have a lot of potential."

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In this episode, Dr Claire Garnett, winner of the SSA’s Fred Yates prize 2022, talks about her research and career. She focuses on her work at UCL developing the Drink Less app for reducing alcohol related harms and drinking. Claire also talks about how the team developed an app that was based on theoretical models of change and on health psychology and behavioural science principles.

“My career thus far has been: If I’ve really enjoyed doing something and found it interesting, I’ve kept going”

Claire also talks about her work on user testing and the lengthy process of making sure that health related apps work how they are intended before then evaluating them.

“We thought we’d created the best app – I was so proud of it. We did those first ones and no one had any idea what to do when they arrived at the landing page [...] And it was so obvious to us because we’d been so involved with it, and it really highlighted the importance of [user testing].”

Claire also talks about the impact of being endorsed by a certain 51-year-old celebrity…

“I was like ‘everyone knows who Adrian Childs is’, and somebody went ‘no they don’t’ […] so we need to explain from a scientific perspective who actually is this person and why might it matter that he spoke about the app.”

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Rob talks to WDP about the challenges and rewards of running an IPS employment support programme.

In this episode of Addictions Edited, Rob looks at how addiction treatment services can help people to find and keep employment. Recorded on 20 March 2022, Rob met three people who work in WDP’s Individual Placement and Support service (IPS Into Work); Rebecca Odedra, Harj Bansil and Claire Bowey. They each talked about finding jobs, the range of jobs they work with and how they deal with potentially stigmatising views when talking to employers. As well as the challenges, they also talk about how rewarding their work can be when helping people in their recovery.

Rebecca discusses how IPS was adapted from mental health settings, how it is evaluated and their experiences of fidelity rating.

“You’ve got people who may have been unemployed for 10 sometimes 20 years, so that is a huge step for them and it’s such an achievement and it’s just nice to be a part of that and help people realise their goals”

Claire Bowey

“What really appealed to me about the IPS model, was that it did not discriminate, it wasn’t someone telling service users that you have to be well to be working, it was very much based on their motivation and then developing the right support around them to foster successful outcomes”

Harj Bansil

Useful links:

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For this special episode, Rob visits a London treatment service to talk to Martin McCusker from Lambeth Service User Council and Dr Martin Sefranek a substance misuse worker and researcher and Dr Rebecca McDonald an addictions researcher who joins them on zoom from Oslo.

The podcast covers several key issues relating to naloxone, including how it works, how to administer it, legal implications and the latest research. They talk about the role of naloxone in reducing drug-related deaths in the UK and the implications for drug policy.

They also discuss how to encourage people who use drugs to carry naloxone and the reasons why some people might not. Martin McCusker and Martin Sefranek talk about training people to use naloxone. And in particular their work with family and parents.

“You always call the ambulance, but then …. you are counting the minutes or seconds yeah, but if you have naloxone you can do something more. And I think for these parents it was important to know that this is something they can do.” – Martin Sefranek

“We’ve had really positive interactions between people and police …where they’ve been stopped and searched and it’s been a tense situation but then the naloxone is found and the whole vibe of the search changes.” – Martin McCusker

“There is the estimate that two-thirds of overdoses could be prevented, but this very much relies on people not using on their own.” - Rebecca McDonald

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The SSA interviews Professor Gabriele Fischer in advance of her Society Lecture at the 2022Annual Conferencein November. This year's conference will be in Bristol on 4 and 5 November. early-bird tickets are now availablehere.

In this interview, Professor Gabriele Fischer talks about her interest in human rights work in relation to people who use drugs. She discusses the implications of UN human rights treaties and how they apply to psychiatry. She also talks about the importance of incorporating family planning and trauma informed care into treatment services along with international issues around coercion in treatment.

Professor Fischer outlines the information about human rights that are important for people who use drugs, but also about the human rights responsibilities for states in providing treatment services, noting that "financial complaints is no justification for having violated human rights aspects".

“I’m not a supporter of only talking about female substance use disorder. It has to be about sex and gender differences […] and what both sexes share.”

See the SSA pages on adopting a rights based approach to treatment delivery. 

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In this bonus episode of the Addictions Edited podcast to mark International Women's Day 2022, Dr Polly Radcliffe and Dr Emma Smith discuss research exploring the best way of providing care for women who use drugs during pregnancy and their infants.

The Stepping Stones study brings together researchers from Kings College London, University of Huddersfield, University of Stirling and Homerton University Hospital Foundation Trust, and is led by Dr Polly Radcliffe of King’s College, London and Professor Helen Cheyne of the University of Stirling.

Listen to this extended interview with researchers Dr Polly Radcliffe and Dr Emma Smith, a segment of which was played in the February Addictions Edited podcast. Polly and Emma talk about:

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The SSA talks to the editors behind a new textbook about recovery from substance use problems. They discuss the different types of experiences and stories that went into the book, how this text consolidates and advances knowledge about recovery, and give a behind-the-scenes look at the world of academic publishing.

Meet the guests of this bonus episode of Addictions Edited:

Sarah, Alastair, and Amanda collaborated on a book titled “Long-term recovery from substance use: European perspectives”, which was published on 14 January 2022. This unique text centres the voices of people with substance use problems, and brings together international experts to explore different aspects of people’s experience of long-term recovery from substance use.

Reactions to the book:

"This book will get you thinking. Drawing on research and experiences from different countries and different substances, it skillfully explores relationships, trauma and life stages presenting lived experiences of long-term recovery."Hilda Loughran, Associate Professor of Social Work/Social Policy at University College Dublin

"A particular strength of the book is the prominence it gives to the voices of experts by experience, either because their substance use has been problematic for them or because it has affected them as family members." Jim Orford, University of Birmingham and King's College London

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Dr Ed Day talks to the SSA about his role as the UK government's first Recovery Champion. He talks about shaping this new role, about policy history and what he has learned from people in recovery.

Ed discusses his work in recovery settings from the early 2000s and reflects on what can be learned from that era. He talks about DANOS and workforce development, reflecting many of the themes in the Dame Carol Black report.

He talks about the difficulties caused when harm reduction and abstinence were pitched against each other noting that this division distracted many people from the damages caused by years of disinvestment in addiction treatment services.

Ed goes on to describe Recovery Oriented Systems of Care and how they have the potential to tap into the huge support systems in recovery. He emphasises, however, that they need supporting through infrastructure and investment to give them the value they deserve, noting that “recovery support services need parity of esteem”. 

“There are some amazing individuals around the UK who have battled through horrendous life stories and they’ve now gone on to devote a lot of their energy to helping people out of this.”

“Unless we tap into that massive energy, we are missing something enormous in the treatment sphere.” 

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This month’s guest on the SSA podcast is Dr James Morris from London South Bank University who hosts The Alcohol Problem podcast. James joins the podcast regulars Dr Rob Calder and Dr Carol-Ann Getty to talk about the latest news, research, policy and debates relating to addiction.

“Guidelines or statistics about risk do not resonate with people, but lived experience and stories about people’s lives absolutely do resonate. So we have to be aware of that when we’re thinking about how to change opinion or get people thinking about change or behaviour change.”- Dr James Morris

We interview Dr Polly Radcliffe and Emma Smith about their research into services for pregnant women who use drugs (the full interview will be published later in February 2022) and we talk to Dr Nathan Critchlow about the impact of Ireland's recent alcohol policy changes.

Go to the SSA website for links to all the news, research and other features discussed in this podcast.

Follow James (@jamesmorris24) and the SSA (@SSA_Addiction) on twitter

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In this Addictions Edited Interview, Dr Nathan Critchlow talks about his latest research on alcohol advertising. His most recent study focused on Ireland’s Public Health (Alcohol) Act and examined changes in advertising awareness once some of the new restrictions had been implemented, for example a ban on alcohol advertising on public transport:

“Understanding the impact this legislation has is important both in the Irish context, but it is [also] going to have much wider repercussions for countries that either have controls on alcohol marketing and advertising at the moment, or are considering implementing similar policies in the future”

Nathan also discusses the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on data collection and how the data collected will provide more information than expected for future policy makers.

“It’s kind of a very fun, very complicated natural experiment of which the pandemic was an intervention that we didn’t necessarily plan”

He also talks briefly about the next steps in his research, including longer-term monitoring of Ireland’s legislation and new data from Northern Ireland:

“What we are looking to do is collect data at the same point every year to build long-term understanding about the impact these restrictions have had…and by having several waves of data from Northern Ireland we are also going to have the control group, which will be crucial in being able to pinpoint the relative contribution of the legislation versus the pandemic”.

You can read more about Nathan’s research in his latest publication in the Journal of Public Health (here) and a policy briefing on the research (here).

The survey research was funded by both the SSA, the Institute of Public Health in Ireland, and the University of Stirling. 

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In this episode, Dr Sharon Cox from University College London's Department of Behavioural Science joins the SSA's Rob Calder and Dr Carol-Ann Getty from the Addiction journal newsroom.

"We have this situation in the UK where, almost the more health and social needs you have the less likely your smoking is to be addressed, it’s seen by health practitioners as the last comfort or the last pleasure, so that’s something that my work really tries to tackle."Dr Sharon Cox

There is a feature on smoking cessation in mental health settings with Mary Yates, a smoking cessation lead for SLaM (South London and Maudsley NHS trust), one on Ketamine for alcohol use disorders and smoking cessation in addiction treatment both from thePhD: Addicted to Research team. We also have the regular roundup of the latest addiction news and research.

News links:

Research links:

SSA’s news and research picks from December

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In this podcast, Rob talks to Dr Will Haydock about his experiences as an addiction treatment commissioner. Will talks about the importance of reviewing service provision and the impact this can have on treatment delivery. He gives some valuable insights into the pressures on commissioners and the behind-the-scenes work involved in this role. This interview is essential listening for anyone involved in treatment provision in England.

"Part of the impetus behind of those kinds of [commissioning] cycles is often funding, and how far into the future....any given commissioning organisation is prepared to commit. And I think often that comes from a tendency for strategies or financial plans of organisations...to be 3 to 5 years. And so those feel like lengths of time that people making decisions about...finances feel they can commit to. But, I think, in reality there's no particular reason for those time limits."

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The opinions expressed in this podcast reflect the views of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official positions of the SSA.

The SSA does not endorse or guarantee the accuracy of the information in external sources or links and accepts no responsibility or liability for any consequences arising from the use of such information.

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In this episode Rob and Carol are joined by Oliver Standing from Collective Voice. They summarise the key news stories and look at policy and treatment.

There is a feature on recommissioning with interviews from Dr Will Haydock and Professor Alison Ritter, a feature on treatment and research during COVID-19 lock-down by SSA-funded PhD student Chloe Burke and an interview with specialist prescribing nurse Dr Peter Kelly.

News picks

Oliver:

Review of drugs part two: prevention, treatment, and recovery. By Dame Carol Black. Published by the Department of Health and Social Care (2021).

Carol:

Swedish government to return € 1.3 million worth of Bitcoin to drug dealers. Published in Addiction News (2021).

Rob:

MHRA publishes clear guidance to support bringing e-cigarettes to market as licensed therapies. Published by Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (2021).

Research picks

Oliver:

Less than human: dehumanisation of people who use heroin. By Harry Sumnall and colleagues. Published in Health Education (2021).

Carol:

Do naloxone access laws affect perceived risk of heroin use? Evidence from national US data. By Brian C. Kelly and colleague. Published in Addiction (2021).

Rob:

·        Exploring essential components of addiction recovery: a qualitative study across assisted and unassisted recovery pathways. By Anne Dekkers and colleagues. Published in Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy (2021).

·        Recovery and identity: a five-year follow-up of persons treated in 12-step-related programs. By Ninive von Greiff and colleague. Published in Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy (2021).

Illegal drug market responses to state recreational cannabis laws. By Angélica Meinhofer and colleague. Published in Addiction (2021).

Increased illicit substance abuse among the Zimbabwean adolescents and youths during the COVID-19 era: An impending public health disaster. By Solomon Mukwenha and colleagues. Published in Addiction (2021).

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The opinions expressed in this podcast reflect the views of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the opinions or official positions of the SSA.

The SSA does not endorse or guarantee the accuracy of the information in external sources or links and accepts no responsibility or liability for any consequences arising from the use of such information.

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Dr Rob Calder introduces the new podcast from the Society for the Study of Addiction.

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