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Sexual minorities continue to face discrimination, despite increasing support

Despite increasing support for the rights of people in the LGBTQ+ community, discrimination remains a critical and ongoing issue for this population, according to researchers. In a recent study, researchers found that adults who identified as gay, lesbian or bisexual — as well as people who…

Registration open for fifth annual Penn State Addiction Symposium on Dec. 10

Registration is open for Penn State Addiction Center for Translation’s fifth annual Penn State Addiction Symposium. This symposium will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Dec. 10 at Junker Auditorium, Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. This symposium will feature…

Penn State, PA team up to promote treatments for substance abuse disorders

The opioid epidemic and larger problems of substance misuse continue to deeply impact communities across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the nation. In 2017, more than 70,000 drug overdose deaths occurred in the United States, with Pennsylvania ranking third with the highest rates of death due…

New project to track post-prison trajectories of men living with addiction

Despite widespread national attention, the opioid epidemic and larger problems of substance use and misuse continue to deeply affect communities across Pennsylvania and throughout the nation. The impact of the opioid crisis and other substance abuse problems hits even harder for people grappling…

College of Medicine researchers receive NIH funding for addiction research

The National Institutes of Health have awarded more than $2 million to Patricia “Sue” Grigson, professor and chair in the Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, and Scott Bunce, associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral health and clinical psychologist, as part of the…

Training program available to recovering addicts

If you have a history of addiction recovery and want to help others, Penn State Shenango will host a Beaver campus Continuing Education course on “Certified Recovery Specialist Training” from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Saturdays, beginning Oct. 5 and ending Dec. 14, in Sharon Hall room 108 in downtown…

Douglas W. Pollock Center for Addiction Outreach and Research dedicated

Substance abuse has been among the most serious health care challenges facing communities across Pennsylvania and the nation. As a strategic priority, Penn State is committed to combating substance abuse and as a result has established the Consortium to Combat Substance Abuse. As part of the…

Marijuana may boost risky effects of drinking alcohol

As the legalization of medical marijuana and marijuana use are both on the rise in the United States, people are not necessarily using alcohol less and may be unaware of the risks of combining alcohol and marijuana, according to researchers. A new study from Penn State found that compared to people…

Researchers estimate societal costs of the opioid epidemic

The devastating consequences of the opioid crisis are far-reaching in the United States, impacting public health as well as social and economic welfare. Penn State researchers recently collaborated to address the issue in a supplement of The American Journal of Managed Care, titled “Deaths, Dollars…

Penn State-led national coalition bringing prevention science to life

Over the past four decades, prevention science has grown steadily, producing evidence-based practices and policies that prevent negative medical, social and emotional impacts before they occur. Increasingly, the Penn State-led National Prevention Science Coalition to Improve Lives(NPSC) is being…

Criminal justice professor presents research on police views of addiction

Police officers who are repeatedly called to the scene of opioid overdose incidents may be at risk for “empathy fatigue,” according to a Penn State researcher who said additional training may be helpful in preventing emotional burnout. Jennifer Murphy, associate professor and program coordinator…

Smoking may impair body's blood pressure autocorrect system

Smokers may be at a higher risk for developing hypertension, and an overactive response to normal drops in blood pressure may help explain why, according to researchers. "The human body has a buffering system that continuously monitors and maintains a healthy blood pressure," said Dr. Lawrence…

For many, friends and family, not doctors, serve as a gateway to opioid misuse

In a common narrative of the path to opioid misuse, people become addicted to painkillers after a doctor prescribed them pills to treat an injury and then, later, switch to harder drugs, such as heroin. However, nonmedical opioid users were more likely to say they began abusing opioids after…

Studying implications of policy and law for treatment of substance use disorders

People who suffer from substance use disorder need effective treatments, however, 90 percent of those who need treatment do not receive it. One Penn State professor and his team are looking into the legal and financial barriers to treatment and how the law can be used to break down or build…

Collaboration brings 'Opioids: The Crisis Next Door' conference to Schuylkill

Penn State Schuylkill and Lehigh Valley Hospital - Schuylkill, part of the Lehigh Valley Health Network, are teaming up to present the 2019 Wellness Conference, titled "Opioids: The Crisis Next Door." The conference will address the facts about the disease of addiction, the signs of opioid abuse,…

Penn State participates in Social Science Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C.

Penn State researchers recently attended the Consortium of Social Science Association’s (COSSA) 2019 Social Science Advocacy Day in Washington, D.C., taking part in a full schedule of events to bring awareness to social and behavioral sciences.  During the advocacy day, COSSA members met with…

PROSPER conference convenes experts and youth to help prevent substance abuse

“We are now addressing a generation that could become addicted if they take a pill a few times. Prevention is critical,” said Steve Forzato, deputy chief of statewide drug initiatives for the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, to the audience assembled May 14 at the Ruth Pike Auditorium for…

Opioid-exposed newborns may react to pain differently after birth

Babies exposed to opioids while their mothers were pregnant with them may need special care even before they start to experience withdrawal symptoms, according to Penn State research. Researchers from Penn State College of Medicine found that as soon as 24 and 48 hours after birth, babies who were…

$2.5M gift to create the Pollock Center for Addiction Outreach and Research

Penn State Harrisburg has received a leadership gift of $2.5 million from the Douglas W. Pollock Foundation to establish the Douglas W. Pollock Center for Addiction Outreach and Research on its campus. The center will address two areas of the substance abuse problem within the central Pennsylvania…

Study: Friends, family are most common gateway to addiction, not doctors

By Rich Lord, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette The often-told story of the prescription for an opioid that launches the patient down the road to ruin is not the typical tale of heroin addiction, according to a new report by researchers from Penn State and other universities. More common, according to the…

Share Your Opioid Story: A Community Conversation at Schlow Library on May 30

The Share Your Opioid Story initiative is hosting a Community Conversation at the Schlow Centre Region Library in State College to tell the stories behind the statistics of the opioid crisis. This community event will take place at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, May 30 in the Downsbrough Community Room. To…

Register Today for the CCSA Conference

There is still time to register for the Consortium to Combat Substance Abuse's first annual conference, Envisioning a Future Free from Addiction: Research, Programs, and Practice to Prevent Substance Abuse, to be held Monday, April 29, on Penn State’s University Park campus at the Hetzel Union…

Preventing Teen Substance Abuse

While legislators and researchers work together to develop treatment options and solutions for the nationwide opioid crisis, community members, schools and caregivers have turned their focus to developing ways to protect future generations from substance abuse. To help build resilient families in…

Sharkey shares impact of Penn State research across University and beyond

Since the University’s founding when Penn State’s first president Evan Pugh set forth the college’s research vision in 1859, innovation and knowledge creation have been a foundational element of the land-grant mission, according to Neil Sharkey, vice president for research.  Describing…

Penn State mounts broad attack on opioid addiction in Pennsylvania

A startling 13 to 16 people die each day in Pennsylvania due to opioid overdose, among the more than 70,000 Americans who succumbed to the epidemic in 2017, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That gives Pennsylvania the dubious distinction of being ranked near the top of…