Introduction: Substance use disorders (SUDs) are complex interactions between various genetic, environmental, developmental, and social factors. Yoga is recommended as a nonmainstream treatment for many health conditions, including SUDs. Methods: Five databases were searched for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that evaluated yoga as an intervention in adults with any type of substance use disorder. The interventions being studied included Hatha yoga, Sudarshan Kriya yoga, breathing yoga exercises, and meditation. Studies, where yoga was combined with other interventions were excluded. The effect of yoga as an intervention was analyzed using primary outcomes such as anxiety, pain, and craving. Eight RCTs met the eligibility criteria, and quality analysis was conducted using the Cochrane criteria. Results: Among the 8 final studies eligible for quality analysis, 2 had undefined substance use, while the others were focused on tobacco, alcohol, or opioids. Seven out of 8 studies showed significant results and improved primary outcomes such as anxiety, pain, or substance use. Seven out of the 8 studies showed significant positive outcomes using yoga in conjunction with other pharmacological treatment modalities like opioid substitution therapy. Conclusions: Six out of 8 studies showed low concerns, while 2 studies showed some concerns about the risk of bias judgment. Although the results look encouraging, RCTs with larger sample size are needed to better evaluate the effectiveness of yoga as a treatment modality for substance use.

Adverse childhood experiences,non-suicidal self-injury,systematic review,youth

Post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) or more commonly known as Long COVID-19, is the term given to persistent symptoms 12 weeks from the initial presentation of COVID-19 infection. Several multi-organ symptoms have been reported by patients. Some common symptoms include headaches, fatigue, memory impairment and mental health complications such as anxiety and depression. People with previous psychiatric diagnosis are at greater risk of developing longer mental health implications from persistent COVID-19 symptoms. Additionally, healthcare workers are at increased risk of being long haulers leading to burnout and exhaustion. The objective of this review article is to provide comprehensive evidence from existing literature on various symptoms reported by patients experiencing Long COVID-19 and the rate of occurrence of such symptoms in different populations. A long-term disease surveillance is required to further understand the persistent symptoms or the long-term impact of this infection.

Kombucha, a domesticated consortium of several microorganisms grown on sugared tea, has been valued as a nutritive health aid for over a millennium. In this study, three cultures of kombucha were obtained from diverse sources. Different inoculation methods were compared, and the wet and dry weights of the nascent pellicles were measured when cultured on several carbon sources. In addition, the anti-bacterial properties of the fermented kombucha teas were tested against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus epidermis. Inoculation with macerated pellicles gave the fastest kombucha growth. The best carbon sources for growth of the nascent kombucha pellicles were sucrose, glucose, and fructose. On maltose, galactose, and lactose, not only did the kombucha pellicles grow poorly but 25% were also contaminated by common airborne molds. Good growth of the kombucha cultures was correlated with low pH of the fermented tea. Antibacterial effects of concentrated fermented teas and vinegar were similar to those of 1 mmol ampicillin against Escherichia coli or 0.01 mmol penicillin against Staphylococcus epidermis. When the pH of concentrated kombucha teas was neutralized, their bactericidal effects were no better than unfermented controls.

Purpose: The objective of this analysis was to find an association between employment status, psychological distress, and alcohol consumption. Methods: Data from the 2020 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) data was used. Patient health questionnaire-4 (PHQ-4) data and an average number of drinks per week were used to assess psychological distress and drinking status. Results: Out of the 3865 people who answered the survey in the year 2020, 1890 (59.11%) were employed in one or multiple jobs during the time of the survey. The sample included 1561 men and 2204 women with an average age of 48.4 years. More than half (58.7%) of them were Non-Hispanic White followed by Hispanic and Non-Hispanic Black at 15.73% and 10.32%, respectively. Bivariate analysis showed a significant association between employment, psychological distress (p value=0.032), and alcohol drinking (p value=0.002); 60.59% of participants reporting severe distress (PHQ-4 score of 9-12) were unemployed. Alternatively, 73.1% of the employed respondents reported no stress (PHQ-4 score of 0-2). While more than half (75.97%) of those who were unemployed consumed only 1-2 drinks per week on an average, 7.27% consumed >13 drinks per week on an average. After adjusting for covariates, the regression analysis showed a highly significant association (p value< 0.001) between unemployment and psychological distress (OR=1.55; 95% CI 1.03, 2.31), and alcohol consumption (OR=0.67; 95% CI 0.48, 0.92). Conclusion: Unemployment is associated with outcomes like psychological distress and alcohol consumption. However, being employed was found to be more strongly associated with alcohol drinking. We do not know if the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic was a risk factor for the given outcomes.

Objectives: Stimulant medications including illegal use of Methamphetamine (MA) continues to rise in adolescents and young adults. This study aims to examine mortality trends because of the stimulant overdose in this age group (15 to 34 years). Methods: Age-adjusted mortality data, including 95% confidence intervals and standard errors, were extracted using publicly available multiple causes of death files from the United States Centers for Disease Control Wide-ranging ONline Data for Epidemiologic Research (WONDER). The data was filtered using International Classification of Disease (ICD-10) codes: F15.0 (Mental and behavioral disorders because of use of other stimulants, acute intoxication), F15.1 (Mental and behavioral disorders because of use of other stimulants, harmful use), T43.6 (Psychostimulants with abuse potential). The trends analysis for 1999 to 2019 was conducted using Joinpoint regression statistical software. Results: The mortality rate has been consistently increasing in the last decade across all races and ethnicities in adolescents and young adults. Non-Hispanic White population had the highest mortality rates (7.6 per 100,000 in 2019) compared with non-Hispanic Black (3.08 per 100,000 in 2019) and Hispanic population (3.33 per 100,000 in 2019). But the annual percent change in mortality was shown to be highest in non-Hispanic Black population (34.3% between 2009 and 2019). Conclusion: The increase in overall mortality rate because of stimulants use reflects the increase of MA use in this age group. The difference in the rate of change shows worsening racial inequality. Public health policies should be implemented to include evidence-based strategies to prevent MA misuse or overdose.