Addiction - STRESS risk factors Flashcards
(10 cards)
What does the self-medication model propose about addiction (stress)?
The self-medication model suggests that individuals use pathological behaviors (e.g., alcohol, drugs, gambling) to cope with psychological symptoms caused by everyday stressors like relationship problems or work stress. The perception that these behaviors help reduce stress can lead to addiction.
How does stress contribute to the initiation and maintenance of addiction?
Stressful events can lead to addiction initiation and maintenance by encouraging people to engage in self-medication behaviors. Moreover, stress during attempts to quit can contribute to relapse and increased cravings, making it harder to break the cycle of addiction.
What did Piazza et al. (1991) discover about stress and addiction in rats?
Piazza et al. showed that stress (via tail pinching) combined with repeated exposure to amphetamines increased dopamine activity, making rats more likely to self-administer the drug. This suggests that stress can enhance the neurobiological effects of drugs, increasing vulnerability to addiction.
How is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) linked to addiction?
PTSD is a stress disorder that can develop after traumatic events (e.g., combat, abuse). People with PTSD are at higher risk of addiction, especially when combined with early childhood trauma, as both PTSD and chronic stress increase vulnerability to addictive behaviors.
What did Epstein et al. (1998) find in terms of the link between childhood trauma and addiction?
Epstein et al. found a strong correlation between childhood rape and adult alcohol addiction, but only for those women diagnosed with PTSD. This suggests that childhood trauma alone does not guarantee addiction; the presence of PTSD or other stressors is a key factor.
What did Arevalo et al. (2008) find about stress and addiction?
Arevalo et al. found that stress was linked to illicit drug use but not alcohol addiction in a sample of women in substance abuse programs. This shows that stress may affect different types of addiction in varied ways.
What is a limitation of the Arevalo et al. (2008) study?
A limitation is that the study used self-report measures, which can be affected by social desirability bias, leading participants to under-report substance use. This could reduce the validity of the findings.
What is a strength of research into stress as a risk factor for addiction?
A key strength is that it offers practical applications. If addiction is linked to stress, then coping strategies for managing stress could reduce the need for addictive behaviors, leading to better prevention and treatment outcomes.
Outline Cleck and Bendy’s study supporting evidence for stress as a risk factor. How does it support this factor?
Cleck & Bendy found that individuals with stress-related psychiatric disorders (e.g., depression, anxiety) often engage in addictive drug use. Chronic stress and traumatic events, like sexual abuse, are linked to increased use of substances like nicotine, alcohol, and cocaine. This supports the idea that stressful events are more likely to lead people to addictive behaviour as a stress reduction technique, therefore suggesting stress as a risk factor to addiction has a degree of validity.
What is one limitation of stress explanations of addiction?
One limitation is that stress’s impact on addiction may vary based on the type of addiction. For example, stress may be a stronger risk factor for certain behaviors (like drug abuse) than for others (like alcohol use).
