New Study Reveals Factors Behind Increased Psychosis in Adolescent Cannabis Users

Previous research has consistently demonstrated that cannabis use among adolescents contributes to symptoms of psychosis, but the exact reasons have remained unclear. Researchers have now identified that external factors and self-medication likelihood play a part in increased psychotic symptoms, according to a new study published in JAMA Psychiatry. The study’s authors recommend that their findings […]

Sabra Health Care Cools on Behavioral Health, Prospective Partners are ‘Rarely of Institutional Quality’

Sabra Health Care REIT (Nasdaq: SBRA) is less enthusiastic about doing deals in the behavioral health space. Leaders of the Tustin, California-based health care real estate investment trust (REIT) said they no longer see the same opportunity to diversify portions of their portfolio to behavioral health uses. The company has also identified few prospective behavioral […]

SUD Providers Struggle with Payers’ ‘Lip Service’ on Outcomes Data

Outcomes data has been touted as both the key to value-based care and the best leverage SUD providers have in payer negotiations. A handful of providers are seeing that in reality: Some payers are becoming amenable in negotiations when outcomes data is on the table, industry insiders said at the Behavioral Health Business INVEST conference.  […]

Going Nuclear: In Suing NIMBY Cities, Behavioral Health Providers Face Major Dilemma

Earlier this year, the city commission of Stuart, Florida, said “no” to a zoning variance requested by Behavioral Health Centers LLC, which sought to repurpose an existing building into a mental health and substance use disorder (SUD) center. The commission, and residents of the Florida Treasure Coast town, feared that the clinic’s patients would cause […]

SUD Treatment Providers Eye ‘New Frontier’ While Navigating Lingering Challenges

Macroeconomic factors, including interest rates and inflation, are beginning to improve, creating tailwinds for the substance use disorder (SUD) treatment industry. Lingering impacts of now-improving economic turbulence will continue to affect the industry, however. In turn, investors have had to become more disciplined, industry experts said at the Behavioral Health Business INVEST conference. Operators, meanwhile, […]

‘A Clearer Picture of a Patient’s Progress’: Crossroads Touts Measurement-Based Care Model

Another substance use disorder (SUD) treatment provider is reporting that its measurement-based care model is working for at-risk patients. Crossroads Treatment Center released a white paper Tuesday showing that, after a year in treatment, patients in its measurement-based care program are less likely to get the urge to use substances moving forward. Patients also reported […]

Community-Powered Interventions, MAT Reduces Polysubstance Opioid Overdoses by 37%

A large, federally funded study focused on reducing opioid overdose deaths highlighted mixed results. Community-focused interventions, including naloxone distribution and increased education, can be effective at reducing overdose deaths that involve an opioid and a psychostimulant other than cocaine, according to a study published in JAMA Network Open.  However, the same interventions were found to […]

Methadone Outperforms Other Opioid Treatments in Keeping Patients in Care

Medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) are highly effective, and often life-saving treatments, for patients struggling with opioid use. Not all medications are created equal, however. Methadone may help patients stay in treatment for longer compared to buprenorphine and naloxone, according to a new study published in JAMA.  “Methadone was associated with a lower risk […]

Driving Change: How Mobile Vans Are Transforming SUD Treatment

Lack of transportation is one of the most common barriers to care for people with opioid use disorder (OUD). Some providers are surmounting this problem by bringing care directly to patients. Mobile vans are used by both nonprofit and for-profit substance use disorder (SUD) providers to target people who struggle to access treatment through traditional […]

SUD Treatment Providers Adapting to Market Pressures Through Payer Relations, Service Integration

The substance use disorder (SUD) treatment industry was formerly dotted by small, local providers. In the future, these mom-and-pop providers may go the way of cottage businesses during the Industrial Revolution. To be clear, SUD treatment has not yet been completely limited to assembly lines. Small providers still abound. At the recent Behavioral Health Business […]