Drugs, Habits and Social Policy Current Issue

Recent alcohol use and binge drinking behaviors among sexual minority undergraduate women and sorority members

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Purpose

Sorority members and sexual minority (SM) women engage in high rates of alcohol consumption and risky drinking in the college environment. Little is known of the alcohol use behaviors of SM sorority members, who may be especially at-risk. This paper aims to not only further investigate SM undergraduate women’s alcohol use broadly but also to understand how sorority affiliation may potentially impact their use patterns.

Design/methodology/approach

Participants included 30,036 (20.7% SM) cisgender undergraduate student women aged 18–23 from the 2018–2019 Healthy Minds Study cohort. Logistic regression models were used to identify group differences in any past two-week drinking and binge drinking. Interaction terms investigated the potential moderation effect between sorority affiliation and sexual orientation on the two drinking outcomes.

Findings

Sorority affiliation significantly predicted both past two-week drinking outcomes. Heterosexual, lesbian and “other” SM students were less likely than bisexual students to endorse any past two-week drinking and binge drinking. Sorority affiliation moderated the association between sexual orientation and binge drinking, such that heterosexual sorority women were at the greatest risk.

Originality/value

This research supports emerging findings regarding bisexual undergraduate women’s heightened risk for hazardous alcohol use. Furthermore, this work tested a novel hypothesis regarding the drinking behaviors among SM sorority members, a group that has received limited attention despite potential for more negative health outcomes. Future research is needed to understand the experiences of both sorority and non-sorority SM undergraduate women and develop interventions that target their unique vulnerabilities.

Social reintegration of methadone maintenance patients in Morocco: barriers and opportunities

Mon, 26 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Purpose

Methadone maintenance patients’ enjoyment of economic, social and cultural rights are understudied. This study aims to explore the objectives of Moroccan methadone patients regarding their enrolment in the program, and their access to housing and professional reintegration as outcomes of their enrolment.

Design/methodology/approach

The study was a two-month engagement of 300 methadone patients conducted in three addiction community centres in the city of Tangiers. The participants were aged more than 18 years, Arabic-speaking and enrolled in the methadone maintenance program. The data for the study were collected through a self-administered questionnaire. This study instrument is multidimensional, consisting of statements based on self-reports of the surveyed public (Yes/No), binary responses and multiple-choice responses. The evaluation of patient satisfaction on methadone treatment was done using a five-point Likert scale.

Findings

Patients have well-defined objectives concerning opioid agonist treatment with methadone, and this treatment is perceived as a catalyst for realizing social integration (including rights to adequate housing and work). Although the findings demonstrate no significant correlation between the treatment and professional reintegration, the flexibility of the methadone program and the provision of treatment contribute to facilitating entry into the job market and achieving stability. However, in terms of housing and familial reintegration, the family continues to be a source of both support and stigma.

Originality/value

The social reintegration outcomes of opioid agonist therapy (OAT) among methadone patients in Morocco are understudied. This research, conducted on the ground in three methadone centres in Tangiers provides a first-hand overview of the positions of patients themselves, describing their social and economic situation and how they perceive the benefits of enrolment in OAT.

Navigating uncertainty: psychological well-being and risky alcohol use in college students during COVID-19

Wed, 17 Dec 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Purpose

Thcis study aims to describe college students’ psychological well-being (PWB), coping strategies and alcohol use during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the study investigated whether different coping styles moderate the relationship between alcohol use and PWB.

Methodology

A sample of 1,415 students (70% female, 72% White, mean age 19.34) were recruited during COVID-19. The study conducted nonparametric analyses to explore demographic variations and linear regression models to test the moderating effect of coping styles on the relationship between alcohol use and PWB.

Findings

Students reported moderate PWB (M = 157.23, SD = 14.76) and higher levels of adaptive (M = 33.70, SD = 7.28) compared to maladaptive coping (M = 26.55, SD = 6.73). Participants reported AUDIT-C (M = 3.51, SD = 2.91) and heavy drinking levels (M = 4.78, SD = 4.91) that were lower than rates reported by similar populations in prior studies prepandemic. Adaptive coping was associated with higher PWB and attenuated the negative association between alcohol use and PWB at high coping levels, while maladaptive coping showed limited moderating effects for hazardous drinking only.

Originality

This study findings suggest that college students maintained moderate levels of PWB during COVID-19. Consistent with other studies, rates of alcohol use in this sample were comparatively lower than those reported in prepandemic studies. The study highlights the protective nature of coping during the COVID-19 pandemic, indicating that in times of high external stress, adaptive coping skills may serve to attenuate the negative association between alcohol use and PWB among college students.

Concurrent use of substance-use disorder treatment and mental healthcare in rural as compared to urban communities

Thu, 06 Nov 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Purpose

This study aims to compare receipt of mental health (MH) treatment, substance-use disorder (SUD) treatment or the receipt of both types of treatment in adults in the USA according to rural−urban classification.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors analyzed the 2021–2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, a national convenience sample of the US noninstitutionalized population. The authors included adults between 18 and 64 years with predicted mental illness and SUD according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, fifth edition criteria. The main outcome was the receipt of both MH and SUD treatment, only MH treatment, only SUD treatment or neither treatment.

Findings

Based on the analytic sample of 8,952 respondents, 2% received both MH and SUD treatment, 1% received only SUD treatment, 23% only MH treatment and 74% received neither type of treatment. The multivariable analysis found no association in the type of treatment received between rural−urban classification. The study analysis highlights persistent disparities based on patient demographics and economic status in the receipt of treatment addressing both MH and SUD but does not support the hypothesis of differential use of these treatments between rural and urban areas.

Originality/value

This study provides unique insight on the dynamics that influence the receipt of concurrent MH and SUD treatment in the USA. Concurrent treatment is effective in addressing the needs of MH and SUD in adults with both conditions; however, there is a substantial treatment gap in the USA, with little emphasis in research on the disparities in the receipt of concurrent treatment.

Preventing drug-related deaths in Scotland: perceptions and experiences of engagement in a “shared care” model of service delivery

Fri, 24 Oct 2025 00:00:00 GMT

Purpose

Scotland faces a crisis of drug-related deaths, disproportionately affecting people living in the most deprived areas. The purpose of this paper is to explore patient and service provider perceptions of engagement within shared care treatment systems, acknowledged as a critical factor in preventing drug-related harms and deaths.

Design/methodology/approach

A qualitative case study approach was adopted, focusing on two primary care practices in highly deprived urban areas. Thematic analysis was used to investigate the interplay of individual, organisational and structural factors acting as facilitators and barriers to service engagement. Data were collected through 34 semi-structured interviews with 6 people who use drugs, 4 family members, 20 health-care practitioners and 4 policymakers.

Findings

Engagement challenges were multifaceted, encompassing relational aspects (e.g. trust and stigma) and systemic issues, including poor collaboration across professional groups, fragmented services, inadequate communication and resource constraints. Participants emphasised the cumulative impact of socioeconomic deprivation and structural inequalities, which shaped the environments in which drug use occurred and constrained effective care delivery. Practitioners used various strategies, including harm reduction approaches and personalised support, to enhance engagement.

Originality/value

This paper provides new insights into the challenges faced by practitioners, people who use drugs and families in navigating the shared care system. The findings of this study highlight the need for policy action to strengthen service provision as well as reinforcing the importance of tackling cumulative health and social inequalities, seen as a key factor in drug-related deaths.