EDITORIAL

Dr. Ana Maria Pimenta Carvalho

In presenting this new issue of SMAD, I would like to return to its birth. This journal was born from Prof. Margarita's visionary spirit, who envisioned the void this electronic journal would fill. It was born in the research group on alcohol and drugs, which is part of the Department of Psychiatric Nursing and Human Sciences, whose focus is mental health. Although it publishes studies by researchers from the department and unit (Ribeirão Preto), SMAD attends researchers in these two areas - mental health and alcohol and drugs. A brief look at the institutional origins of articles already published demonstrates the extent of its range.

In its second year of life, the journal is moving towards maturity which, in this case, means being indexed in renowned databases and gaining the confidence of researchers in its area, so as to select SMAD for their publications.

As a professional category, nurses are frequently confronted with situations related to the use of legal or illegal psychoactive substances. However, research has identified the lack of specific training to recognize and handle consumption-related problems. The third article discusses nursing companies required for generalist and specialized activities in this area and suggests strategies for competency development. This experience from the United States can provide important indicators on how other countries can cope with this problem, making the necessary local adjustments.

The material is both rich and diverse and, due to its easy access, can be used in a wide range of contexts.

I strongly invite readers to visit the journal and explore its contents, and researchers to submit their papers.

Dr. Ana Maria Pimenta Carvalho
Department of Psychiatric Nursing and Human Sciences
University of São Paulo at Ribeirão Preto
College of Nursing
Brazil