Utahns with low-level drug convictions are back in court facing fresh charges more often following the Beehive State’s Justice Reinvestment Initiative (JRI). A recently published legislative audit on the JRI said, “Utah has not achieved its goal to reduce recidivism.” Recidivism is defined as the tendency of a convicted criminal to reoffend. “Offender treatment services… Continue Reading Utah’s Criminal Justice Reform Falls Short Without Adequate Access to Addiction Treatment
According to a Boston University study published in JAMA Network Open, the prevalence of depressive symptoms in adults in the US increased more than three-fold in the spring during the COVID-19 pandemic compared with before the pandemic. During the pandemic, the study found 27.8 percent of US adults had symptoms of depression, as measured by… Continue Reading Depression Rate Has Tripled During COVID-19 Pandemic
It is my pleasure to announce Hans Watson, D.O., as Recovery Ways’ Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Watson trained in general psychiatry at Wright State University where he dedicated considerable time to aviation medicine. It was there he became a certified Flight Surgeon for the United States Air Force. Dr. Watson is a nationally recognized expert in multiple areas including psychotherapy, post-traumatic stress… Continue Reading Welcoming Our New Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Hans Watson
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) should be redefined in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, says Varun Choudhary, M.D., in a recent post for Addiction Professional. “One of the biggest concerns keeping behavioral health specialists up at night is the emotional weight of the coronavirus outbreak.” The number of Americans reporting symptoms of anxiety has tripled… Continue Reading PTSD and the Pandemic
“Why is it that nutrition and fitness are ignored as part of mental health treatment?” asked fitness blogger Amanda Webster in a recent post. “If we want to reduce our stress, anxiety, and symptoms of depression, we are immediately drawn to taking pills without any reflection as to why these things might be afflicting us… Continue Reading The Benefits of Physical Exercise and Mental Health
“Both ancient teachings and modern medical research agree that one of the quickest, most direct routes to restoring harmony and balance in our lives is to foster gratitude and appreciation,” wrote Joel and Michelle Levey in a 2011 article entitled “Understanding The Science Of Gratitude.” “The moment you shift from a mindstate of negativity or… Continue Reading The Power of Gratitude in Recovery
The Utah state mental health crisis hotline is experiencing a significant increase in calls for help while therapists are reporting an increase in demand for their services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Marriage and family therapist Catherine Lundell told KUTV the pandemic has increased our daily stressors. “Any area that you might have had a little… Continue Reading Utahns Increasingly Seek Help for Mental Health Concerns
The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has exacerbated challenges for millions of people with substance use disorder (SUD). Two new studies released in September 2020 revealed the extent to which Americans have begun to turn to psychoactive substances in an attempt to alleviate the severe stress brought on by the pandemic. A cross-sectional study of… Continue Reading COVID-19 Pandemic Drives Significant Increase in Substance Use
Data from the 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance shows that nationally, LGB youth seriously contemplate suicide at almost three times the rate of heterosexual youth. A new prevention plan by the Utah Suicide Prevention Coalition says, “Utah consistently ranks in the top ten in the United States for suicide deaths. LGBTQ+ adults and youth experience… Continue Reading New LGBTQ+ Suicide Prevention Plan for Utah
Fentanyl is the drug most responsible for the increase in overdose deaths in recent years. It is “a powerful synthetic opioid that is similar to morphine but is 50 to 100 times more potent,” explains the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). “It is a prescription drug that is also made and used illegally.” Illicit fentanyl is… Continue Reading Illicit Drugs Laced with Fentanyl Sold in Northern Utah
