Lecture 8 Flashcards
(19 cards)
What is a substance use disorder?
A treatable mental disorder affecting the brain and behaviour, causing inability to control substance use despite harmful consequences.
What is commonly seen alongside substance use disorders?
Co-occurring mental health disorders, which worsen prognosis, increase service use, stigma, and illness burden.
What are the historical attitudes towards substance use?
Negative effects noted in ancient writings
Alcohol preferred in Middle Ages due to poor water
Addiction seen as illness by early psychiatrists
Define the following: misuse, abuse, dependence, and use disorder.
Misuse: Harmful use.
Abuse: Repeated use affecting health/social life.
Dependence: Adaptive state causing withdrawal.
Use disorder: DSM-5 term replacing abuse/dependence.
What is addiction?
A term describing the disease process behind substance use disorders or behavioural compulsions; not a diagnosis itself.
DSM-5: Key feature of substance use disorders?
Continued use despite significant substance-related problems (cognitive, behavioural, physiological)
What are common withdrawal symptoms for:
a) Alcohol
b) Caffeine
c) Cannabis
a) Tremors, sweating, seizures
b) Headache, fatigue, irritability
c) Irritability, sleep problems, decreased appetite
How many Australians have used illicit drugs in their lifetime?
38%
Which groups are most likely to develop a substance use disorder?
Males
18–25 year olds
Urban residents
Certain minority populations (e.g., LGBTQIA+, First Nations, people with mental illness).
What factors contribute to higher abuse potential of a drug?
Faster onset and shorter half-life.
Name 4 reasons people use substances.
Ritual/cultural, medical, social/recreational, occupational/functional.
What is the Enlightenment model of addiction?
Addiction is lifelong and progressive; recovery requires surrender to a higher power (e.g., Alcoholics Anonymous model).
What are some of the underlying causes of problematic drug use?
Moral weakness
Lack of education
Social learning (e.g. peer influence)
Classical/operant conditioning
Biological
Biopsychosocial model
Public health model (interaction of drug, individual and environment)
What are common treatment strategies for Substance Use Disorder?
Psychotherapy/behavioural counselling
Medication
Management of withdrawal symptoms
Treatment of co-occurring mental health conditions
Relapse prevention
Detoxification
Name 3 harm minimisation strategies.
Needle programs
Opioid substitution therapy
Sobering-up services
What is the Stages of Change model?
Precontemplation → Contemplation → Preparation → Action → Maintenance (→ Relapse possible).
What percentage of Australians have gambled in the past year?
~70%
Risk factors for gambling disorder?
Male gender
Young age
Aboriginal status
Unstable relationships
Lower SES
Early big wins
Family history
Why are gambling machines particularly addictive?
Operate on intermittent reinforcement—most powerful form of behavioural conditioning.
