{"title":"We need to talk about shrooms.","authors":"Matilda Hellman","doi":"10.1177/14550725251341722","DOIUrl":"10.1177/14550725251341722","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":46180,"journal":{"name":"Nordic Studies on Alcohol and Drugs","volume":" ","pages":"14550725251341722"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-05-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12095217/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144143928","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lillian Bruland Selseng, Sari Kaarina Lindeman, Monika Alvestad Reime
{"title":"Bereavement and support in the conduct of everyday life: Insights from dual experiences of loss and drug use.","authors":"Lillian Bruland Selseng, Sari Kaarina Lindeman, Monika Alvestad Reime","doi":"10.1177/14550725251329826","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1177/14550725251329826","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Aims:</b> Individuals with a history of heavy drug use are especially vulnerable to losing loved ones to drug-related deaths, and drug use and complicated grief reactions are closely linked. However, limited knowledge exists on supporting them through bereavement. The present study, which was conducted in Norway, aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of how individuals dealing with heavy drug use and bereavement can be supported through professional support services. The bereaved person's reflections on help experiences are seen as grounded in their conduct of everyday life. <b>Methods:</b> We conducted qualitative interviews with individuals who have experienced bereavement in the context of heavy drug use. Using reflexive thematic analysis, we examined their stories and reflections on what was helpful and unhelpful, aiming to identify key themes, providing an understanding of how individuals dealing with heavy drug use and bereavement can be supported. <b>Results:</b> Five themes were identified. The first theme, 'Support Complexity', addresses the uncertainty about strengthening the help provided for processing losses. The other themes - \"The Ripple Effect of Trust and Distrust\", \"Offering Supportive Communication\", \"Fostering Tailored Support\" and \"Promoting Support Through Companionship\" - point to the key dimensions of the support that can help strengthen responses to drug-related bereavement. <b>Conclusions:</b> The study underlies how diverse expectations, norms and positions in the help provision setting influence the nature of support, as well as the access to, acceptance of and adaption to support initiatives. Furthermore, we discuss how the support context can provide multifaceted and contextualised bereavement support tailored to the various needs of the bereaved. The study also underscores the need for provider training focused on the intersections of bereavement and drug use.</p>","PeriodicalId":46180,"journal":{"name":"Nordic Studies on Alcohol and Drugs","volume":" ","pages":"14550725251329826"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11985477/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144038216","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Editor's Note: The war on good research: Debating research ethics and methods on the basis of Jay Levy's <i>The war on people who use drugs: The harms of Sweden's aim for a drug-free society</i> (Routledge, 2017).","authors":"","doi":"10.1177/14550725241298435","DOIUrl":"10.1177/14550725241298435","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":46180,"journal":{"name":"Nordic Studies on Alcohol and Drugs","volume":" ","pages":"198"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11877451/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143568501","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Professional competencies in social work concerned with alcohol use problems in Lithuania: Moving beyond 'know-how'.","authors":"Justina Kievišienė","doi":"10.1177/14550725241291330","DOIUrl":"10.1177/14550725241291330","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Aims:</b> There has been relatively little research on professional competencies in social work with individuals with alcohol use problems. The present study investigates the patterns of competencies and abilities that constitute different competence dimensions in this field of social work. Additionally, the study attempts to confirm the validity and assess the reliability in the use of the Perceived Social Work Competence Scale (PSWCS) for measuring professional competencies in Lithuania. Exploratory factor analysis was used for both purposes. <b>Methods:</b> First, the translated scale's reliability and validity were examined, after which an interpretative competence dimension analysis was performed. <b>Results:</b> The study shows that the translated scale, consisting of 30 items covering eight competence dimensions (consultation, emotional support, case management, professional resilience, retrospective consultation, team working, community work and relationship formation), demonstrates strong reliability. <b>Conclusions:</b>The study provides insight into the ways in which Lithuanian social workers employ a combination of procedural and meta-competencies with field-specific characteristics in their work with alcohol use problems.</p>","PeriodicalId":46180,"journal":{"name":"Nordic Studies on Alcohol and Drugs","volume":" ","pages":"147-167"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11653386/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142865779","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Science, DEI and expanded thinking.","authors":"Matilda Hellman","doi":"10.1177/14550725251325497","DOIUrl":"10.1177/14550725251325497","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":46180,"journal":{"name":"Nordic Studies on Alcohol and Drugs","volume":" ","pages":"103-106"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11915224/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143664912","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Thomas F Babor, Bryon Adinoff, Luke Clark, David Crockford, Zsolt Demetrovics, Paul Dietze, Jean-Sébastien Fallu, Sally Gainsbury, Gail Gilchrist, David A Gorelick, Kathryn Graham, Derek Heim, Matilda Hellman, Anne-Marie Laslett, Caravella McCuistian, Michal Miovsky, Neo K Morojele, Jacek Moskalewicz, Isidore S Obot, Richard Pates, Robin Room, Marta Rychert, Aysel Sultan, Carla Treloar, Nigel E Turner, Samantha Wells, Emily C Williams, Katie Witkiewitz, Jason Grebely
{"title":"A clarion call to the addiction science community: It's time to resist the anti-scientific policies of the US Trump administration.","authors":"Thomas F Babor, Bryon Adinoff, Luke Clark, David Crockford, Zsolt Demetrovics, Paul Dietze, Jean-Sébastien Fallu, Sally Gainsbury, Gail Gilchrist, David A Gorelick, Kathryn Graham, Derek Heim, Matilda Hellman, Anne-Marie Laslett, Caravella McCuistian, Michal Miovsky, Neo K Morojele, Jacek Moskalewicz, Isidore S Obot, Richard Pates, Robin Room, Marta Rychert, Aysel Sultan, Carla Treloar, Nigel E Turner, Samantha Wells, Emily C Williams, Katie Witkiewitz, Jason Grebely","doi":"10.1177/14550725251325970","DOIUrl":"10.1177/14550725251325970","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":46180,"journal":{"name":"Nordic Studies on Alcohol and Drugs","volume":" ","pages":"107-112"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11966620/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143796644","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Wishing for a more sober society: A scoping review on addiction problems and treatment in Greenland preceding the 2016 national treatment strategy.","authors":"Julie Flyger Holflod, Christina Viskum Lytken Larsen, Birgit Niclasen, Anette Søgaard Nielsen","doi":"10.1177/14550725241276306","DOIUrl":"10.1177/14550725241276306","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Introduction:</b> The per capita intake of alcohol in Greenland has risen rapidly since it became commercially available, leading to a corresponding increase in addiction problems and demands for treatment services. Despite efforts to establish addiction treatment services, none were deemed adequate. In response, the Greenlandic parliament initiated a new treatment service strategy in 2015. The aim of this study was to explore the pre-implementation process of this national service by examining literature on addiction problems and treatment services. <b>Methods:</b> Using a scoping review and document analysis methodology, we focused on documents related to alcohol, cannabis, gambling, addiction and treatment within the context of Greenland. Data were sourced from parliamentary records, governmental publications and academic literature in the period 2010-2016, leading up to the decision on the new treatment service. A total of 54 documents were identified and organised into three main themes: the national discourse on addiction problems; strategies and action plans addressing addiction; and demographic mapping of addiction issues within the population. Notably, addiction problems emerged as a significant public concern across all themes. <b>Results:</b> Three key documents emerged as pivotal in the implementation of the new treatment service: a government report from 2012; a parliamentary inquiry in spring 2013; and an agenda item in fall 2013. These documents played a crucial role in shaping discussions and decisions. <b>Conclusion:</b> The findings underscore the widespread recognition of addiction problems as a pressing issue in Greenland, as evidenced by the prominence of relevant documents in shaping policy discussions and the implementation of new treatment initiatives.</p>","PeriodicalId":46180,"journal":{"name":"Nordic Studies on Alcohol and Drugs","volume":" ","pages":"113-133"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11572557/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142677074","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A place of encounter: Health and social care workers' perspectives on public gathering spaces for people using drugs.","authors":"Stig Bjønness, Amalie Jøntvedt Lie, Trond Grønnestad","doi":"10.1177/14550725241280759","DOIUrl":"10.1177/14550725241280759","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Background:</b> The use of drugs is an escalating concern, with significant implications for the health and daily functionality for individuals. It has proven challenging to provide accessible health and social services. In the context of addressing substance use issues in urban areas, public gathering places for individuals who use drugs play a multifaceted role, serving as sites of belonging, support and potential illicit activity. This qualitative study explores the experiences of healthcare and social workers regarding a public gathering place, referred to as \"the Bench\", in a medium-sized Norwegian city. <b>Methods:</b> A qualitative research design consisting of semi-structured focus group interviews and individual interviews with 13 participants representing various support agencies. <b>Results:</b> The analysis resulted in four thematic areas: (1) belonging and a gateway to support and services; (2) balancing user autonomy at the Bench and systems support; (3) the role of a centralised location; and (4) the preventive role of support workers at the Bench. <b>Conclusion:</b> While the Bench fosters a sense of community and provides access to vital services, concerns about illicit activities persist due to its visibility. Nevertheless, its central location facilitates outreach efforts and ensures easy access to support services. The study underscores the preventive role of healthcare and social workers in stabilising the environment and mitigating conflicts. Furthermore, it highlights the importance of central locations for public gathering places, emphasising the proximity to low-threshold services. The Bench represents a crucial venue for establishing relationships and providing assistance to individuals who use drugs, contributing to harm reduction efforts in the community.</p>","PeriodicalId":46180,"journal":{"name":"Nordic Studies on Alcohol and Drugs","volume":" ","pages":"134-146"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11572514/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142676484","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
David Forsström, Olof Molander, Anders Nilsson, Håkan Wall
{"title":"Demographics and help-seeking among significant others contacting the Swedish gambling helpline.","authors":"David Forsström, Olof Molander, Anders Nilsson, Håkan Wall","doi":"10.1177/14550725251320749","DOIUrl":"10.1177/14550725251320749","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Aims:</b> Concerned significant others (CSOs) to individuals that have gambling problems experience several negative consequences. Even though CSOs experience negative somatic and mental health consequences, there is an overall lack of research and available preventive or treatment strategies to help this vulnerable group. In Sweden, there is a helpline available to help individuals that gamble, but also helps concerned significant others. The aim of the present study was to investigate and describe facets of help seeking among CSOs who have called the Swedish national gambling helpline. <b>Methods:</b> The data was collected by personnel at the Swedish helpline. Descriptive statistics and chi-squared were used to analyze data. The sample consisted of a total of 4111 callers during a three-year period. <b>Results:</b> The results showed that CSOs constitute a diverse population with various needs for support. These needs can be linked to one's relationship with the individual who gambles (e.g. partners have different needs than parents). Moreover, CSOs have learned about the gambling problems in different ways and have known about the gambling problems for varying periods of time, which in turn affects what type of help they look for. <b>Conclusions:</b> The main implication of the study is that the CSO-group is diverse and has different needs when calling help services and different needs on an overall level. Prevention and treatment strategies need to adhere to this fact when creating different interventions to help this group.</p>","PeriodicalId":46180,"journal":{"name":"Nordic Studies on Alcohol and Drugs","volume":" ","pages":"184-197"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11948247/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143754710","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Tanja Grönroos, Heli Hagfors, Jukka Kontto, Tiina A Latvala, Anne H Salonen
{"title":"Trends in attitudes towards gambling among Finnish women and men: Cross-sectional population studies 2011, 2015, 2019 and 2023.","authors":"Tanja Grönroos, Heli Hagfors, Jukka Kontto, Tiina A Latvala, Anne H Salonen","doi":"10.1177/14550725251320729","DOIUrl":"10.1177/14550725251320729","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Aims:</b> To compare the attitudes towards gambling in Finland by age among women and men from 2011 to 2023. <b>Methods:</b> Four cross-sectional random sample data sets of 15-74-year-olds were collected in 2011, 2015, 2019 and 2023. The data were weighted based on gender, age and residential area. The eight-item Attitude Towards Gambling Scale (ATGS-8) was used. <b>Results:</b> Overall, public attitudes towards gambling were generally unfavourable each year, apart from 2015, when attitudes were favourable. Among women, attitudes became more unfavourable for those aged 15-29 years, whereas they became more favourable for those aged 45 to 74. Among men, attitudes became more unfavourable for those aged 15-44 years, whereas they became more favourable for those aged 60-74 years. Men aged 45-59 years were the only age group with favourable attitudes in 2023. <b>Conclusions:</b> Attitudes towards gambling were mainly unfavourable, with no notable shift observed between 2011 and 2023. The Finnish gambling monopoly system is set to be replaced by a licensing system, opening the online gambling market to competition. Because of this change, it is increasingly important to monitor attitudes towards gambling and possible changes in them in the coming years.</p>","PeriodicalId":46180,"journal":{"name":"Nordic Studies on Alcohol and Drugs","volume":" ","pages":"168-183"},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11897992/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143625765","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}