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Alcohol and Drug Use

9 important questions on Alcohol and Drug Use

Succesful interventions for drug and alcohol

Succesful interventions for substance dependence tend to be psychological, including cognitive behavioural therapy, motivational interviewing or systemic therapy. Some people have great difficulty quitting drugs or alcohol, but it is common to change with little or no professional assistance, or with some support from self-help organisations. Those with less severe problems tend ot have better outcomes. Clinical thinking on drug problems can be exaggerated because clinicians see people who have not successfully self-controlled their problems.

Social construction of drug and alcohol problems

The standard view of substance use problems tended to originate in sociology and social policy. Critiques tend to point out that problems of addiction are socially constructed, are often correlated with poverty and deprivation, and that the substance using habits of the poor and socially excluded tend to be constructed as social and personal problems meriting intensive interventions, whereas the identical behaviours of more included and affluent citizens are constructed as normal, udnerstandable and meriting lighter interventions.

The stigma of drug injecting (human risk management)

In the recent past drug injectors have often been denied health-protecting measures ont he rather twisted logic that protecting their health was 'encouraging them' to use drugs. On this reasoning, quality controlling alcoholic drinks, rahter than letting them contain poisons, 'encourages' excess drinking (it does, but...).

Conversely, people tend to do less of activities perceived to be dangerous, until those activities begin to be perceived as safe, because the actual dangers now rarely occur.

Harm of alcohol, not just minority

surveys of alcohol consumption have enabled progress in understanding what affects drinking. With opposition from the alcohol industry, who locate alcohol harms in a problematic minority of drinkers, it is now clear alcohol harm at the population level is largely a function of intake, which is in turn a function of population-level parameters including the price of alcohol, how available it is and cultural norms about appropriate and inappropriate drinking.

Transtheoretical model of behavior change

Assesses an individual's readiness to act on a new healthier behavior, and provides strategies, or processes of change to guide the individual through the stages of change to Action and Maintenance. It is worth noting that this model has largely failed as an account of behaviour change, although many practitioners continue to find it descriptively appealing.

Theory of planned behaviour

The theory states that attitude toward behavior, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control, together shape an individual's behavioral intentions and behaviors. It has been used to predict substance use and there is considerable potential to use wider models of social cognition as well.

Social cognitive models

One important component of these models may be people's perceived norms for substance use. Substances and patters of use that are more widely publicised and discussed tend to be regarded as more typical than they really are. People tend to believe drug and alcohol use is more common than it really is, which trivialises their own unhealthy behaviour. One implication is that huge publicity about drug and alcohol problems may raise people's perceived norms, increasing use, even although most of the coverage is inteded to warn and deter.

Theories involving outcome expectancies

What people anticipate or believe will happen after doing something - which can quite strongly predict alcohol use, and the decision to quit or moderate drinking.

Contribution of the health psychologists

Clinically, there is a need for more applied research and reflective practice of the kinds that health psychologists are competent to conduct. Part of the scientific attitude is to be temperate, compassionate and understanding about substance use problems. Patient perspectives and patient udnerstandings are a core part of health psychology that could be better applied to substance use problems. People with physical or mental health problems often need also to address their alcohol and drug use. Prevention work is moving towards the addressing of entire lifestyles, rather than focusing narrowly on drugs or substances.

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Health Psychology

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Alcohol and Drug Use

9 important questions on Alcohol and Drug Use

Succesful interventions for drug and alcohol

Social construction of drug and alcohol problems

The stigma of drug injecting (human risk management)

Harm of alcohol, not just minority

Transtheoretical model of behavior change

Theory of planned behaviour

Social cognitive models

Theories involving outcome expectancies

Contribution of the health psychologists

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