Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction Seeking Director Position Applications
Sep 19, 2023
The Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) is searching for a faculty member to lead the interdisciplinary Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction (CSUA). Applications for the position are open until October 1, 2023. For more information about the position, please visit CSUA’s website. The…
Long-term study of early brain and child development launches enrollment
Sep 13, 2023
Penn State researchers are launching enrollment for the largest long-term study of early brain and child development in the U.S. Penn State researchers aim to enroll 300 people, about 4% of the total cohort. The researchers will follow participants and their children from before birth through early…
Next-day effects of heavy drinking on young adults the focus of NIH grant
Aug 14, 2023
Nausea, headaches and difficulty concentrating are just a few of the hangover symptoms that can besiege young adults who drink alcohol to excess. To gain a greater understanding of how heavy drinking impacts young adults, Ashley Linden-Carmichael, Penn State associate research professor of health…
'Growing Impact' podcast examines effects of flooding on substance use, support
Jul 10, 2023
The latest episode of the "Growing Impact" podcast explores the world of substance use and addiction through the lens of environmental disasters. Social Science Research Institute cofund Kristina Brant and her team are investigating how flooding in rural areas can affect drug use and what support…
Max Crowley appointed new director of the Prevention Research Center
Jul 10, 2023
The College of Health and Human Development has announced that Max Crowley, professor of human development and family studies and public policy, has been appointed director of Penn State's Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center (PRC), beginning Aug. 15. Crowley succeeds Stephanie Lanza,…
Tobacco smoke exposure may increase heavy metal levels in children’s saliva
Jun 26, 2023
Secondhand tobacco smoke continues to be a major source of indoor air pollution that causes more than 41,000 nonsmoking adults to die every year in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The exposure is even more dire for children, who can be more affected…
Race- and gender-specific interventions may lower drug overdose death rates
Jun 26, 2023
Interventions to address stimulant and opioid use that consider race and gender may prove more effective at preventing overdose deaths than current methods, according to a Penn State-led team of researchers who studied how drug treatment admissions and overdose deaths differed among race and gender…
Annual substance use conference examines stigma, opioid crisis
May 11, 2023
The Penn State Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction (CSUA) recently hosted its fourth annual conference in the HUB-Robeson Center at the University Park campus. Drawing over 150 attendees throughout the day, including through the Zoom livestream, the conference kicked off with a welcome from…
Zgierska elected as Vice President to American Society of Addiction Medicine
Apr 18, 2023
Aleksandra Zgierska, MD, PhD, DFASAM, Jeanne L. and Thomas L. Leaman, MD, Endowed Professor and Vice Chair for Research at the Department of Family and Community Medicine at Penn State Hershey and Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction advisory board member, was recently elected as Vice…
Brothers receives Sociological Practice and Public Sociology Outstanding Publication Award
Apr 18, 2023
Sarah Brothers, assistant professor of sociology and public policy and SSRI co-funded faculty member through the Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction, was recently awarded the Sociological Practice and Public Sociology (SPPS) Outstanding Publication Award for The Methadone Manifesto: Treatment…
Women less likely to seek substance use treatment due to stigma, logistics
Apr 13, 2023
Fewer than 11% of women with a substance use disorder (SUD) received treatment in 2019 according to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. New research from Penn State examined the barriers that women with SUDs reported that prevented them from seeking treatment. The…
Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs Releases Report on Impact of Online Gambling in Pennsylvania
Mar 23, 2023
The Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP), Penn State, and the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) recently released the second annual report analyzing the impact of online gambling, also referred to as interactive gaming or iGaming in Pennsylvania. “This report will…
Increases in opioid overdoses in Pennsylvania varied by county during the COVID-19 pandemic
Mar 21, 2023
The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work. It originally appeared in The Conversation and was written by Brian King, Andrea Rishworth, Louisa M. Holmes, and Ruchi Patel The big idea The COVID-19 pandemic intensified the opioid epidemic, according to our new research, which…News Topics: OpioidsSubstance Use
Prenatal cigarette, cannabis exposure may have associations with childhood obesity
Mar 15, 2023
Childhood obesity rates continue to rise in the United States, putting kids at risk for asthma, sleep apnea, type 2 diabetes, and other health conditions. Children prenatally exposed to both tobacco and cannabis had a 12 times higher risk for obesity by middle childhood (9–12 years of age) compared…
Personal connections matter to families taking care of kin during opioid crisis
Mar 7, 2023
For family members unexpectedly taking care of a relative’s child during the opioid crisis, it can be difficult to navigate the legal waters of assuming custody. The process may be easier — and come with more support — if these caregivers have personal connections to local resource institutions,…
CSUA Conference registration now open
Feb 27, 2023
SSRI’s Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction's annual conference will be held May 1, 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. in the HUB-Robeson Center. The conference is free, but registration is required. We encourage researchers, students, staff, and community members to attend. This event is in-person at the…News Topics: CSUASubstance Use
Trauma causes high levels of intergenerational substance use among Black women
Feb 22, 2023
Government data show that approximately 7.2 million women in the United States have substance use disorders (SUDs) and almost 20 million reported illicit substance use in the past year. New research suggests that trauma leads to high levels of intergenerational substance use among Black women, and…
Penn State leads multi-state project to help prevent opioid misuse
Feb 8, 2023
Opioid use disorder continues to wreak havoc across the United States. Opioids were involved in more than 68,000 overdose deaths in 2020, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Penn State recently received a $1.3 million, two-year grant from the Substance Use and Mental…News Topics: Substance UseOpioids
Piazza Center creates national hazing and dangerous drinking prevention study
Feb 2, 2023
The Timothy J. Piazza Center for Fraternity and Sorority Research and Reform is partnering with the WITH US Center for Bystander Intervention at California Polytechnic State University and the Gordie Center at the University of Virginia to determine best practices in hazing and substance misuse…News Topics: AlcoholSubstance Use
Bimodal intervention shows promise for intimate partner violence survivors
Jan 23, 2023
Black women involved in the legal system disproportionately experience intimate partner violence (IPV) but currently have few options for tailored interventions that consider intersectionality, according to a Penn State College of Education researcher. Brandy Henry, assistant professor of education…
Education project aims to improve overdose-death reporting
Jan 17, 2023
Accurate reporting on causes of death has direct impacts on mortality data, policy making, and setting priorities in public health. A Penn State-led project aims to educate coroners, medical examiners, and others in the death certifier community in Pennsylvania about the reporting of accidental…
Sterner honored by Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health for work on opioid crisis, human trafficking
Jan 5, 2023
Glenn Sterner, a Social Science Research Institute co-funded faculty member through the Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction and assistant professor of criminal justice at Penn State Abington, received the 2022 Rural Health Hero of the Year Award by the Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health for…
Can parents help prevent risky cannabis and alcohol use by college students?
Dec 16, 2022
Cannabis use by college students is on the rise, causing concern among substance-use experts. In 2020, 44% of college students reported using marijuana in the past year, compared to 38% in 2015, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Penn State researchers are testing an intervention…News Topics: Substance UseCSUA
Sterner contributes to article about opioid settlement funds reaching rural communities
Dec 14, 2022
Glenn Sterner , a Social Science Research Institute co-funded faculty member and assistant professor of criminal justice at Penn State Abington, contributed to an article on CNN and KHN about how opioid settlement funds are often shortchanged by rural communities. The article mentions that…Ensuring fair distribution of the $1 billion+ opioid settlement in Pennsylvania
Nov 30, 2022
To ensure fair and impartial distribution of the $1.07 billion that was awarded to Pennsylvania as part of 2021’s massive settlement with opioid manufacturers and distributors, a team of interdisciplinary researchers from Penn State worked with counties across the commonwealth to develop the…