No abstract

Emerging data suggest that illicit methylphenidate abuse is a growing problem. Although abuse of the drug typically occurs by the intranasal route, oral (per os; p.o.) methylphenidate also has abuse potential. The present study compared the effects of p.o. and intraperitoneal (i.p.) methylphenidate in rats using the conditioned place preference (CPP) procedure. Young adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were trained to consume oyster crackers injected initially with saline. Next, rats were randomly assigned to receive p.o. or i.p. methylphenidate (3 or 10 mg/kg) or saline immediately or 30 min prior to 30-min conditioning trials. Methylphenidate or saline were each paired 4 times with an end compartment; preference for the methylphenidate-paired compartment was then assessed on a drug-free session. When given immediately prior to conditioning, significant CPP was obtained with both 3 and 10 mg/kg of i.p. methylphenidate, but only with 10 mg/kg of p.o. methylphenidate. When given 30 min prior to conditioning, there was no evidence of CPP for any dose of i.p. or p.o. methylphenidate. These findings are the first demonstration that p.o. methylphenidate has rewarding effects, although i.p. methylphenidate is obtained at a 3 mg/kg dose which did not establish CPP with p.o. administration. The lack of CPP following 30 min pretreatment also suggests that conditioning may require the CS to be associated with a US of ascending, rather than descending, brain levels of methylphenidate. These results are consistent with clinical evidence of the reduced abuse liability of p.o. methylphenidate relative to methylphenidate taken by other (e.g., intranasal) routes.

Families in the child welfare (CW) system who cannot be engaged in services are at high risk of negative outcomes. As motivational interviewing (MI) has been shown to improve engagement in similar contexts. This study aimed to systematically review MI with CW families as well as MI training with CW workers and social work students training to become CW workers. The review used Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines and searched multiple databases in June 2018. In September 2019, the initial search was repeated with additional searches to identify gray literature. Eight studies described the acquisition of MI among CW workers or student trainees, and 11 studies evaluated the impact of MI on families in CW. MI’s impact on some family outcomes, such as engagement in services, was mixed, though MI paired with other evidence-based treatments showed positive effects. With regard to training CW workers and students in MI, differences in training duration, intensity, and modality make conclusions difficult, though trainees generally described MI favorably and some studies showed training increased worker empathy and self-efficacy. Importantly, few published studies have evaluated whether MI-trained CW workers impact out-of-home-care placement, and no studies have evaluated their impact on maltreatment.

No abstract

Although each state in the United States legally authorizes involuntary civil commitment on the grounds of severe mental illness, a considerable number do not have comparable laws to mandate drug addiction treatment. This discrepancy is due, in part, to differing ethical positions regarding whether a substance use disorder diagnosis provides sufficient justification to suspend individual liberty rights. This article chronicles some of the legal and ethical thinking on the subject and applies them to a social work-specific context.