Annual substance use conference examines psychiatric and opioid use disorders
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The Social Science Research Institute’s (SSRI) Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction (CSUA) hosted the sixth annual conference in May at the the Eric J. Barron Innovation Hub at Penn State University Park.
Drawing over 150 attendees throughout the day,…
People Who Use Drugs Need Access to Treatment, But They Also Need Love and Support
Editor’s note: Dr. Abenaa Jones is an Assistant Professor of Human Development and Family Studies, Ann Atherton Hertzler Early Career Professor in Health and Human Development, and Social Science Research Institute cofunded faculty member at Penn State University. Dr. Jones’ work focuses on the…
Penn State social scientists support federal research funding at COSSA Day
A distinguished delegation of Penn State researchers traveled to Washington, D.C., March 24-25, to participate in the annual Consortium of Social Science Association's (COSSA) Social Science Advocacy Day. The event brought together social and behavioral scientists from across the nation to engage…
CSUA attends Science Coalition's Capitol Hill Day
Last week, the Social Science Research Institute's (SSRI) Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction (CSUA) was on Capitol Hill for "The Science of Addiction & Mental Health" hosted by The Science Coalition.CSUADirector Joel Segel and SSRI cofunded faculty member Glenn Sterner spent time with…
Mindfulness and cognitive behavioral therapy may improve chronic low back pain
HERSHEY, Pa. — The list of treatments for low back pain is endless, but few offer relief for the one in four Americans who suffer from this persistent pain and leading cause of disability globally. More than 80% of those with chronic low back pain wished there were better treatment options. Yet,…
Community coalitions key to combating the opioid crisis
Collaborative, community-driven initiatives can help mitigate the impact of opioid misuse and overdose deaths, according to a research team that includes Brandy Henry, assistant professor of rehabilitation and human services and Social Science Research Institute cofunded faculty member at Penn…
Psychiatry professor to present at annual substance-use and addiction conference
The Social Science Research Institute’s Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction will host its sixth annual conference, in-person and via Zoom on Monday, May 5, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Barron Innovation Hub at the University Park campus. The all-day event is free, but all in-person and…
Annual substance use and addiction conference to be held on May 5
The Social Science Research Institute’s Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction (CSUA) will host its sixth annual conference, in-person and via Zoom on Monday, May, 5 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Barron Innovation Hub at the University Park campus.
The all-day event is free, but all in-…
Emails with personal stories may be more likely to catch lawmakers’ attention
Email is one of the easiest ways to contact policymakers, especially for researchers who want to share their expertise on complex topics like substance use, but can an email effectively foster connection? Researchers at Penn State recently found that policymakers were more likely to engage with…
Grants support research collaboration between Harrisburg, College of Medicine
Four teams of faculty from Penn State Harrisburg and Penn State College of Medicine, including SSRI cofunded faculty member Sujeong Park, have been awarded the inaugural planning and seed grants from the Penn State Inter-Campus Health and Medicine Research Program, a partnership created to support…
Experts share research and best practices at Tenth Annual Addiction Conference
Penn State College of Medicine is marking a milestone of a decade of sharing expertise and best practices at the upcoming Tenth Annual Penn State Addiction Conference. The conference, scheduled for Nov. 11 and 12, is run by the Penn State Addiction Center for Translation with additional…
Students who feel more university connection may be more likely to binge drink
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Students who feel a sense of belonging at their university are more likely to binge drink than those who do not feel the same connection, according to a new study by researchers at Penn State, the University of California, Santa Cruz and University of Oregon.
In the study,…
Expert in promoting well-being of diverse communities to speak at Penn State
The Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center at Penn State will honor Phillip W. Graham, a principal scientist at the nonprofit research institute RTI International, with the title of 2024 Bennett Lecturer in Prevention Science. Graham, a leading expert in conducting community-level research…
Recovery community centers linked to support factors for substance use recovery
More than 46 million people in the U.S. suffered from substance use disorders and more than 100,000 died by overdose in 2001, according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. To address this crisis, recovery community centers (RCCs) have emerged in cities across the U.S.…
Harm reduction education, tools access may help women prevent opioid overdose
Woman with opioid use disorder and who are also involved with the criminal legal system face unique challenges and stigmas that may keep them from seeking substance use treatment and harm reduction tools that could prevent overdose deaths, according to new research led by a team from Penn State.…
Bringing health care back to a rural Pennsylvania community
Snow Shoe Township is a small, rural community of around 1,700 people in central Pennsylvania that lies approximately 30 miles north of State College. A former coal mining town, Snow Shoe has seen an economic decline over the years.
Then, in the span of one year starting in 2020, Snow Shoe lost its…
Teens and drinking: What parents need to know and how they can influence behavior
Parents of teens and young adults can help keep their kids safer from the dangers of drinking, says Rob Turrisi, Penn State professor of biobehavioral health and SSRI cofund. Learn more in this new episode of the Raising Good Humans podcast with Dr. Aliza.
Faculty success and equity workshop registration now open
Registration is now open for the “Initiative for Faculty Success and Equity Workshop (IFSE)” to be held from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 19, at the Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center.
The workshop — sponsored by the Social Science Research Institute (SSRI), the Office of the…
Annual substance use conference examines cannabis use, future of tobacco
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Social Science Research Institute’s (SSRI) Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction (CSUA) recently hosted its fifth annual conference in the Eric J. Barron Innovation Hub at the University Park campus.
Drawing over 140 attendees throughout the day including…
Women may face unique obstacles while seeking treatment for opioid use
Women experiencing opioid-use disorders may face unique challenges accessing treatment, according to a new study led by Penn State researchers. The study — published in the journal Women’s Health — provides new insight into how pregnancy and parenting can make getting medications for…
President Bendapudi visits SSRI
Recently, Penn State President Dr. Neeli Bendapudi visited SSRI to learn about our institute and the important research being conducted in the social sciences at Penn State. After a welcome from SSRI Director Deborah Ehrenthal, President Bendapudi heard highlights from SSRI core research resources…
Fentanyl and COVID-19 pandemic reshaped racial profile of overdose deaths in US
For as long as statistics about opioid overdose deaths have been collected in the United States, white individuals have been much more likely to die than Black individuals of the same age. With the rapidly increasing rate of fentanyl overdoses in the late 2010s, that trend began to…
Penn State-led report reveals gambling participation increases in Pennsylvania
Online and offline gambling is increasing rapidly in Pennsylvania since its legalization in 2017, according to the latest Pennsylvania Interactive Gaming Assessment: Online Gambling Report 2023. The report was developed by Penn State’s Criminal Justice Research Center under contract with the…
Annual Substance Use and Addiction Conference to be held on April 29
The Social Science Research Institute’s Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction will host its fifth annual conference, in-person and via Zoom on Monday, April 29, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Barron Innovation Hub.
The all-day event is free, but all in-person and virtual…
Suicidality among individuals with substance use disorders increased in 2020
Individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs) were significantly more likely to consider, plan and attempt suicide than those without SUDs in 2020, according to a new study by researchers at Penn State. Adolescents and women with SUDs were also more likely to experience suicidality — the term for…