Addiction

A literature review of 47 studies found that nearly half of cannabis users met criteria for cannabis withdrawal syndrome. The review was published in The Journal of the American Medical Association. Although cannabis is typically seen as a relatively safe...

A new study in Psychological Reports suggests that personality influences how people use social media. Their findings showed extraverted personalities along with people who have a fear of missing out (FOMO) on fun experiences exhibit more addictive behaviors on Instagram....

New research published in Frontiers in Psychology suggests that being absorbed by your smartphone might bear some resemblance to a hypnotic trance. A hypnosis experiment found that students with heightened smartphone addiction scores followed more hypnotic suggestions than their counterparts....

A recently published study provides new insight into the brain mechanisms underlying addictive smartphone use. The research, which appears in the journal Addictive Behaviors, found evidence of altered neural activity in response to smartphone cues among compulsive smartphone users. The...

Individuals experiencing higher levels of psychological distress and those who are more impulsive may be at a greater risk of problematic ecstasy use, according to new research published in Addictive Behaviors. The research found that both of these factors are...

Habitual coffee drinkers are able to detect the odor of coffee at lower thresholds and are also faster to identify it, according to new research published in Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology. The findings provide new insight into sensory changes that...

People who are obsessed with celebrities are more likely to engage in addictive use of social media, according to new research from Eötvös Loránd University and Pázmány Péter Catholic University. The findings have been published in the journal Psychology of...

New research provides evidence that a brief breath counting exercise can reduce alcohol-seeking behavior. The findings have been published in the journal Addictive Behaviors. "Our previous work had shown that people who learn to use alcohol to cope with negative...

New research published in Addictive Behavior Reports sheds new light on perfectionism and how parenting contributes to risk for alcohol–related problems. The study found that authoritarian parenting by mothers -- but not fathers -- was linked to negative facets of...

A single infusion of ketamine combined with mindfulness-based addiction treatment shows promise in the treatment of cocaine dependence, according to a new clinical trial published in The American Journal of Psychiatry. Ketamine, an anesthetic also known by its party drug...

New research provides evidence that a mindfulness-based app can help people stop smoking -- and it appears to help by reducing brain reactivity to smoking cues. The study has been published in the journal Neuropsychopharmacology. "Current programs to help people...

New research suggests that ADHD symptoms may lead to hypersexuality (now called Compulsive Sexual Behavior Disorder in ICD-11) among both genders and to problematic pornography use among men. The study appears in The Journal of Sexual Medicine. ADHD (attention deficit...

Engagement with "loot boxes" -- randomly generated prizes of undisclosed value that can be attained or purchased within a game -- is correlated with gambling beliefs and problematic gambling behavior in adult gamers, according to a study published in Addictive...

Anxiety sensitivity is associated with increased opioid misuse among adults with chronic pain, according to new research published in The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse. "Opioid use is a significant public health epidemic that is dominating the media....

Some teenagers develop a craving to use a cell phone during inappropriate times, and new research suggests it is not something that is likely to change as they become young adults. The study has been published in the journal Computers...