Psychologists Devise Innovative Ways to Address Addiction

Substance abuse is on the rise for most drugs, except alcohol abuse, according to two June 2023 and January articles published in the American Psychological Association (APA) journal.

1. Psychologists
Devise Innovative
Ways to Address
Addiction

2. Substance abuse is on the rise for most drugs, except alcohol abuse, according to two June 2023 and January
articles published in the American Psychological Association (APA) journal. The June 2023 article based this rise in
substance abuse on the 54 percent jump in fatalities since 2019, and the January 2024 APA article reported the
rate of alcohol use disorder (AUD) had dropped since the pandemic's increase in cases. As those in the addiction
treatment field adjust to these trends, psychologists are finding new ways to address addiction problems.
Approximately two-thirds of the 54 percent jump in drug-related fatalities involved fentanyl, an illegally
manufactured opioid that is 50 to 100 times stronger than heroin. More troubling, manufacturers are mixing
fentanyl with cocaine, methamphetamine, and xylazine, sedative veterinaries use. This fact, combined with the rise
in cannabis use, with 11 percent of users between the ages of 19-30, has made tackling substance abuse
addiction challenging, especially because today's drugs are much more harmful than 10 years ago.

3. Alcohol is the exception in terms of decreasing rates, according to Kate B.
Nooner, Ph.D., a psychology professor at the University of North Carolina in
Wilmington who studies treatment and prevention. While she stated that there
was a decrease in the rate of AUD since the pandemic, she says that the pre-
pandemic numbers were not that great to begin with, and she did not give any
specific percentages.
That stated, to address the new challenges in substance abuse addiction,
psychologists are coming up with new methods for treating people with a
myriad of addictions, such as collaborating with other organizations. For
instance, Rose Marie Martin, Ph.D., an experimental psychologist and principal
investigator of the National Institute of Health's Helping to End Addiction Long-
Term (HEAL) initiative, and her team have built alliances with probation staff and
community health providers to close gaps in healthcare.

4. In the past, those who worked in substance abuse treatment kept information regarding
those receiving assistance from probation officers for fear they might reincarcerate the
individual with the addiction. However, after a meeting between HEAL and probation
officers and community health providers, probation workers in Rhode Island started
screening people for opioid use when paroled or on probation. Furthermore, probation
officers and community health organizations are sharing information regarding patients
struggling with opioid use. Ultimately, this closes gaps in care.
In addition to building alliances, psychologists are conducting research on new
pharmaceutical therapies (drugs) to address cannabis and opioid addictions.
Researchers, for example, have discovered that they can block a cannabinoid receptor
responsible for the "high" that comes from the THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) in cannabis.
The only problem is that the drug also inhibits a naturally occurring cannabinoid, which
can lead to depression, thoughts of suicide, and withdrawal. A more promising
pharmaceutical treatment, AEF0117, interferes with a subset of intracellular activity that
culminates from THC stimulating the receptor.

5. Another approach to treating addiction is to implement a rewards
system, or contingency management, that renumerates people for
positive behaviors. Patients enrolled in this system receive monetary
rewards, such as gift cards, for behaviors that result in them having a
urine test or other measures come back negative. Even though the
evidence shows that these programs are effective, the Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services tend not to fund programs for fear
of fraud, so many programs that receive this support do not
implement contingency management programs.
In the case of alcohol, psychologists have begun to focus on the
psychological and social conditions and physiological (genes and
pre-addiction) that contribute to substance abuse. Research
supports that over half of the risk comes from environmental factors,
such as adverse childhood experiences. Researchers are also
examining how genes play a role in addiction, discovering that genes
can play a role in addiction through self-regulation and impulsivity.

6. Finally, researchers are studying pre-addiction factors as a preventive measure. For example, the
PreVenture program focuses on personality risk factors associated with substance abuse
(impulsivity, hopelessness, anxiety, sensitivity, and sensation-seeking). Clinical trials conducted
in multiple countries to determine PreVenture's effectiveness have culminated in the intervention
delaying or reducing drug/alcohol use in adolescence. At the same time, it improved mental
health in this population.

7. Substance abuse is on the rise for most drugs, except alcohol abuse, according to two June 2023
and January articles published in the American Psychological Association (APA) journal. The June
2023 article based this rise in substance abuse on the 54 percent jump in fatalities since 2019,
and the January 2024 APA article reported the rate of alcohol use disorder (AUD) had dropped
since the pandemic's increase in cases. As those in the addiction treatment field adjust to these
trends, psychologists are finding new ways to address addiction problems.
Approximately two-thirds of the 54 percent jump in drug-related fatalities involved fentanyl, an
illegally manufactured opioid that is 50 to 100 times stronger than heroin. More troubling,
manufacturers are mixing fentanyl with cocaine, methamphetamine, and xylazine, sedative
veterinaries use. This fact, combined with the rise in cannabis use, with 11 percent of users
between the ages of 19-30, has made tackling substance abuse addiction challenging, especially
because today's drugs are much more harmful than 10 years ago.