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Overcoming the Stigma of Addiction

September 14, 2016

 

Twenty-three million people in the United States struggle with substance use disorders. The prevalence of these disorders and their wide-ranging effects has made them the number one public health concern in the country—unintentional overdose is the leading cause of accidental death, and according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse,  the annual economic cost is $700 billion from lost productivity, health care spending and criminal justice involvement.

In...

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Marijuana and the Teen Brain

September 14, 2016

 

With Election Day right around the corner, the legal landscape for marijuana in the United States is poised to change yet again. Marijuana is currently legal for recreational use in four states and for medicinal use in 25 states (plus the District of Columbia). On November 8th, five more states, including Massachusetts, will decide whether to legalize recreational use and another four will vote on medical use.

Perceived Harm of Marijuana Use Is Decreasing

This trend toward legalization signals a related decrease in the perceived harm of using...

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A New Angle on Anxiety

September 6, 2016

BOSTON – Clinical anxiety affects up to 30 percent of Americans who are in great need of better treatments with fewer side effects. A study from Boston Children’s Hospital, published September 6 by the journal Molecular Psychiatry, finds that certain neurons in the hypothalamus play a central, previously unknown role in triggering anxiety. Targeting them, rather than the whole brain, could potentially provide a more effective treatment for anxiety and perhaps other psychiatric disorders, say researchers...

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