Inteventions Of Addiction

Question 1

Gambling

Ao2

Answer 1

No treatments approved
SSRI and dopamine antagonists trialled
Evidence of serotonin dysfunction in gamblers
Dopamine antagonists reduce the reward pathway

Gamblers treated with SSRI = improvement

Treated with dopamine antagonists = decrease in gambling thoughts

Question 2

Psychological

Ao2

Answer 2

Reinforcement effects addiction 
Give people rewards to stop 
Financial rewards to heroin addicts 
Two groups reward and no reward 
Found the reward group tested negative for drugs more 60% decrease 

Not root of problem
Replace one addiction with another

Question 3

CBT

Ao2

Answer 3

Change the way you think about addiction
Develop new coping mechanisms instead of self medicating
Illogical thinking addressed

66 gamblers to CBT group or waiting list
85% no longer gamblers
Increased self efficacy so felt in more control
Year later = maintained

Question 4

Public health

A02

Answer 4

Gov sponsored studies designed to interfere with the cycle of addiction
Funding from the government

487pps
Group drug C
Cbt and group drug C
Psychotherapy and group drug C
Group and individual C - BEST
All reduced days of drug use in a month 10 to 3

Question 5

Public health

Bans

Answer 5

Drinking in non licensed area
2007 smoking ban - study of bar workers saliva and lungs showed respiratory Heath increases
-children’s exposure to second hand smoke decreases by 70% from 1996/2007

In America theyre thinking of reducing harmful compounds in cigarettes (nicotine) - would you just compensate

• study done and found amount smoked didn’t increase
• geneticists now looking at producing tobacco plants with less nicotine

Question 6

Heroin and methadone

Ao2

Answer 6

Methadone has a similar effect as heroin
Less addictive
Increase does of methadone to increase tolerance
Dosses brought down until no longer need methadone or heroin

Can be addicted to methadone
Substituting addiction for addiction
2007 - 300 deaths
Black market