Policy Brief: Substance Abuse Trends in Indiana - A 10-Year Perspective
Over the past 10 years
⢠Alcohol and tobacco continue to be the most widely used substances.
⢠Indianaâs high smoking prevalence, particularly among expectant mothers, led the state to identify tobacco as one of
its substance abuse prevention priorities.
⢠The opioid epidemic involving both prescription pain relievers and heroin has impacted Indiana tremendously, leading to significant increases in addiction treatment admissions and overdose deaths attributable to these drugs.
⢠The economic impact of substance abuse is considerable. In Indiana, the estimated annual costs attributable to tobacco use were approximately $6.8 billion; alcohol consumption exceeded $4.4 billion; and overdose deaths accrued to $1.4 billion.
⢠Policy recommendations to address substance abuse include
o Expanding access to treatment, especially MAT programs
o Incorporating a recovery-based framework
o Promoting the use of naloxone
o Preventing transmission of HIV and hepatitis C among injection drug users
o Implementing effective youth prevention programs
o Monitoring substance abuse in the state
The full article has been posted in the IPRC's Feature Article Section.
Source Citation: Center for Health Policy Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis. (2017). Substance Abuse Trends in Indiana: A 10-Year Perspective. Indianapolis: Balio, C. & Greene, M.
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Upcoming Trainings
May 15
 Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA)
May 17
Coalitions as a Sustainability Tool Training
May 26
Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA)
June 5
Substance Abuse Prevention Skills Training
(SAPST)
Visit the Training Portal for descriptions and to register.
While youâre there, take one of our FREE courses. CEUs available. |
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Resource of the Month
In 1916, Clifford Beers, the founder of the National Mental Health Association, helped to organize what would later be named the Mental Health Association of Indiana (MHAI). At the time, Indiana was only the third state to have such an organization in the United States. MHAI is affiliated with the national organization and works alongside them to achieve the following goals: Improve attitudes toward mental illness and the mentally ill, improve services for the mentally ill, and work for the prevention of mental illness and promote mental health. The mission of the MHAI is, âto work for the mental health of all citizens and for victory over mental illness and addictive disorders through public education, advocacy and public health reform.â
Services provided by the MHAI are vast and include those fields closely related to their mission. MHAI offers legal services to those with any type of disability or those in recovery who have a legal issue related to or significantly impacted by the disability. MHAI also offers ombudsman (public advocate) services for those who need assistance in using the mental he alth and addiction services throughout Indiana. They also offer services for those using public health care and are signed up for a managed care plan. MHAI additionally participates in multiple outreach initiatives. By working with the National Guard Outreach program and participating in community events, MHAI is able to distribute information relating to mental health and addiction services to multiple communities and populations throughout Indiana. MHAI addresses addiction services with the help of the EmberWood Center, which offers an array of services relating to adult and adolescent treatment services, prevention and positive youth development. Other key components to the services of MHAI include their statewide presence, broad-based perspective and their strong focus on those individuals with mental illness and addictions.
Along with those services previously listed, they also offer grants to those organizations which share the same mission. The IPRC was awarded a mini-grant to conduct two Youth Mental Health First Aid training events for adults in Monroe County. This grant will help facilitate training sessions aiming to educate adults in skills which can reduce mental health problems or crises among youth. To learn more about MHAI, visit https://www.mhai.net/.
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6 Tips on Managing Your Time Effectively
Day-to-day life can be pretty hectic. Itâs easy to panic and get caught up in the madness when everything is being thrown at you at once. Although it may seem impossible to totally plan out your day or week, there are a few tricks that you can use to keep things in order and use your time as effectively as possible.
Write a daily list. Make daily to-do lists and prioritize the items. Compile this list before you start your day, since it will be harder to decide what needs to be done when youâre in the middle of a project or meeting.
Get Creative. Managing your time and staying organized doesnât mean that everything has to be dull and utilitarian. Getting creative while staying organized is quite popular right now. From creating an intricately-decorated journal to personalizing your office space, there are tons of ways to make staying organized fun.
Keep your desk clean. Keeping your desk organized is essential to keeping you organized! By having a clean desk, youâll be able to avoid unneeded stress by being able to find any materials that you may need throughout your workday. This will allow you to maintain motivation on the tasks  at hand, and allow you to focus on whatâs in front of you.
Take a break. Take breaks between tasks. This will allow you to gather your thoughts and specify what you want out of the task at hand, or how you may want to proceed given the outcomes of the task that you just completed. Remembering to take a break will also help to keep you relaxed and keep you from becoming overwhelmed.
Organize your email. There are a number of ways that you can keep yourself from getting overwhelmed by the daily flood of emails. Make sure to schedule time to answer your emails, so you arenât spending all day emailing back and forth. You can also use online tools to organize your emails themselves. Using online features such as creating multiple inboxes and labels on Gmail, using an extension to filter and notify you of time-sensitive emails, and using browser bookmarks could also help to streamline your time.
Create a routine. Make sure to make a repetitive day-to-day schedule. Planning regular blocks of time for daily tasks, either on paper or on a website like Google Calendar, will make them easier to remember and get out of the way. Adding in some âoffice hoursâ just in case anything unexpected comes up is also a good way to make sure that your routine stays intact. Even if your schedule takes on some pretty big changes, that organizational structure will still be there, and you will be able to more easily find a way to fit in unexpected tasks if a regular timeline already exists.
More Details Resource Additional Resource
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Staff Spotlight
Dan Agley is an Evaluation Specialist and Research Associate at the IPRC. His proudest work accomplishment is not one event but the integration of the last 50 years of being a faculty member and serving in the best way in all arenas. Believing that your work matters and makes a ripple in time which affects all of the people it targets is one of Dan's best work tips. He also believes that when something negative occurs, there will be a positive outcome. These are great reminders for when you hit a setback or begin to feel burnout at your job.
Dan enjoys working on carpentry projects and spending time with his grandchildren. Dan most enjoys serving other people in whichever capacity he can, including his commitment to the U.S. Military as a Lieutenant Colonel. Danâs motto in life continues to be, âWherever you go in life, whatever be your goal, keep your eye on the doughnut and not on the hole.â
âThe particulars have no meaning without an infinite reference pointâ
âJP Sartre
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NATIONAL PREVENTION WEEK
What Your Community Can Do!
National Prevention Week (NPW) is fast approaching. Each year, communities and organizations around the country focus on raising awareness for mental health and substance use disorders. The primary goals of NPW are to involve the community in developing prevention strategies and raising awareness of behavioral health issues, to foster partnerships with federal agencies and national organizations dedicated to behavioral and public health, and to promote and disseminate quality behavioral health resources and publications. This year, National Prevention Week takes place the week of May 14, and the theme is âMaking Each Day Count." The daily themes of NPW are as follows:
- Prevention of Youth Tobacco Use: Monday, May 15
- Prevention of Underage Drinking & Alcohol Misuse: Tuesday, May 16
- Prevention of Prescription & Opioid Drug Misuse: Wednesday, May 17
- Prevention of Illicit Drug Use & Youth Marijuana Use: Thursday, May 18
- Prevention of Suicide: Friday, May 19
- Promotion of Mental Health & Wellness: Saturday, May 20
There are many resources out there to help plan fun and successful National Prevention Week events. Community organizations across the country host
health fairs, block parties, town hall meetings, memorial walks, social media campaigns, and outdoor events to help raise awareness about the importance
of preventing substance use and mental disorders. The SAMHSA website
has also released a free partial toolkit that provides materials that help
promote prevention and contain event ideas, checklists, and fact sheets.
A complete hard-copy of this yearâs toolkit can be ordered from SAMHSAâs
NPW coordinator David Wilson and contains SAMHSA's National
Prevention Week resources, SAMHSA's "Talk. They Hear You." underage
drinking prevention campaign, and materials from the CDC and NIDA.
In addition to these promotional materials, the Indiana Collegiate Action
Network (ICAN) will also be hosting National Prevention Week webinars
designed to provide assistance and resources to state and local organizations while planning for NPW. These webinars include the following and the links
to register can be found on the ICAN website or Facebook page:
- âSuicide and Substance Abuse in Young Peopleâ on April 20, 2017
- âNPW 2017 Kick-off Live Webcastâ on May 15, 2017
- "Opioid Addiction and Prevention" on May 17, 2017
- "Emerging Issues in Tobacco Misuse" in June 2017
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Community Corner
Clark County Youth Coalition (CCYC) is Clark Countyâs representing Local Coordinating Council (LCC) for a Drug-Free Indiana, and in 2016, became a first-time Substance Abuse Block Grantee (SABG) through the Department
of Mental Health and Addictions. While the coalition has been a supporter and champion of many prevention, intervention, and law enforcement efforts in the county for more than 20 years, this is the first time CCYC has provided programming itself. Clark County is a large county with a diverse
population and equally diverse substance abuse issues.
With the award of the SABG, CCYC took the opportunity to approach West Clark Community Schools, a school system that was largely untouched by prevention programming, yet had expressed a need for such services. School administrators embraced the opportunity, partnering with CCYC to implement a multi-pronged approach to providing students, teachers, and the community tools to remain drug and alcohol free in a culture and environment that seems to be overwhelmed with a substance abuse crisis. One of these strategies includes the "Whatâs Your Side Effect?" positive messaging campaign that was launched in the districtâs three high schools â Silver Creek, Henryville, and Borden â in April. Large posters, featuring Indiana teens promoting hobbies and skills that help them stay âabove the influence,â have been posted at each of the schools. A PSA video that asks teens to commit to believing in their worth and potential will be shown at each of the schoolsâ after-prom events. Additionally, students can participate in a short 5-question survey on specific key campaign points given on an IPad at after-prom and will receive a pair of sunglasses with the "Whatâs Your Side Effect?" logo on them. This is just the kick-off of the campaign, which will continue to be rolled out with different messaging types throughout the next three years. An advertisement featuring the simple campaign message is planned to appear in student handbooks/planners for the 2017-18 school year, and other social media interaction is in the works to involve students directly.
Thank you to the great efforts of Amy Schneidau and others in Clark County!
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Examining Behavioral Health
Mental Health Effects of Technology and Social Media
Interacting with technology is nearly unavoidable. Whether in work, school, or recreation, smartphones and the internet have changed the way we communicate with others and interact with the world. As technology continues to grow and change at a rapid pace, it stands to reason that technology and social media will change the way we think and feel about others and the world around us. Although there has been plenty of speculation about the interpersonal and mental health effects of smartphone and internet use since the beginning of widespread use of the internet, scientists are just now starting to understand the consequences that constant use may have on our mental health.
Although a plethora of studies focused on the mental health effects of technology are just now being published, the idea of internet as detrimental to mental health has been around since the late 1990s. In a study published in 1998, a psychological researcher described the idea of internet addiction as an impulse control disorder similar to gambling addiction. Internet dependent participants in this study reported negative interpersonal, financial, and academic consequences of excessive internet use, but did not want to cut down on time spent on the internet or were unsuccessful in their efforts to do so.
Concerns over possible internet addiction are still very real, especially with a majority of Americans reporting daily internet use. According to a 2015 survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, 73% of respondents reported going on the internet daily, with 42% going online several times a day and 21% online almost constantly. This trend of high use is especially true for teenagers, with 92% going online daily. With such a high percentage of technology and internet use among teenagers, there are bound to be some social and behavioral consequences. For example, although substance abuse and the opioid epidemic are significant problems in society, there has been a decrease in substance use among adolescents. One popular hypothesis is that use of technology might provide stimulation and reinforcement similar to the sensations provided by drug use. Personal testimonials included in the New York Times article, âAre Teenagers Replacing Drugs with Smartphones,â indicates that some teenagers use their phones as a way to avoid using drugs at parties, and may act as an alternative to drug use.
There is also growing evidence that social media may have both positive and negative effects on individualsâ affect depending on how it is used. On one hand, there have been studies reporting positive effects of social media, such as perceived increased social capital and increased physiological âhappinessâ markers when interacting with others online. Being active in social media instead of a passive viewer may lead to more positive social media experiences. On the other hand, other studies have reported negative emotional effects among heavy social media users. According to a study by Brian Primack, young adultsâ heavy use of social media sites led to a higher number of depressive symptoms and greater feelings of social isolation. If respondents in this study used social media for two hours or more a day, they were twice as likely to feel socially isolated when compared to respondents that used social media for half an hour per day or less. These results are not necessarily surprising in the research community, since internet addiction may be associated with depression.
More Details Resource Additional Resource NPR Article NY Times Article
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A total of 8,059 students 18-25 years
of age from 23 Indiana colleges participated in the Indiana College Substance Use Survey conducted in Spring 2021.
Risk and Protective Factors
