risk facotrs Flashcards
what is the D2 receptor - how does it create genetic vulnerability?
D2 receptor is a dopamine receptor - dopamine transmission is affected by the number of dopamine receptors someone has (genetically controlled)
addicts found to have low D2 receptors - fewer receptors means less dopamine
so drugs are used to compensate for this deficiency
what is the nicotine enzyme - how does it create genetic vulnerability?
Pianezza found some people lack fully functioning enzyme CYP2A6 - which metabolises nicotine
variations of this gene can lead to differences in how fast people metabolise nicotine
people who can metabolise nicotine faster tend to smoke more
people with slower metabolism of nicotine are able to quit/ stop more easily
expression of this gene is genetically determined
what did Anderson and teicher highlight about stress as a risk factor?
they highlighted the role of adverse childhood experiences in later addiction - arguing that severe stress can have damaging effects on a young brain - in sensitive development period.
this would create vulnerability to later stress - adolescence / adulthood which trigger early stresses - leads to self medication with drugs or addiction behaviours
explanation of personality - links to risk factors for addiction?
addiction links to disordered personality
Petry - people with antisocial personality disorder also addicted substance users
Robins - argued that APD is casual risk factor as it means they break social norms / are impulsive/ may behave criminally
inevitable that someone with APD will try drugs at a young age - as it offers norm breaking/ criminal activity/ satisfies desires
family influences as risk factors?
Livingston - found that in final year of high school, students who were allowed to drink alcohol at home were more likely to excessively drink following year of college
ones who believe their parents have little/ no interest in their behaviour - more likely to develop addictions
it is their perceptions of this idea that is more important that the truth
peers - as a risk factor for developing an addiction.
O’Connell suggests 3 main elements of peer influences as a risk factor for alcohol addiction
adolescent’s norms of drinking are influenced by associating with peers who use alcohol
experiences provided to use alcohol
individual overestimate how much peers drink - drink more to keep up with the perceived norm
strength for genetic vulnerability
as a risk factor, there’s support from adoption studies
Kedler used data from national Swedish adoption study - looked at adults who had been adopted as children from biological families with at least one parent with an addiction.
they had larger risk developing addiction compared to adopted away with no addicted parent in biological family
supports role of genetic vulnerability - as an importnant risk factor and supported by other research
limitation for stress as a risk factor?
limitation of stress as a risk factor is issue of causation.
many studies show strong positive correlation between stressful experiences and addiction - but does not mean it is a risk factor
what matters is the order of stress and addiction
some people become addicted even if they don’t have stress and their addictions cause greater stress due to lifestyle effects
so can’t conclude that stress is a significant risk factor based on correlational studies
personality strength for risk factors
support link between addiction and APD
some studies show that APD and alcohol dependence are co-morbid (occur together)
Bahlmann interviewed 55 alcohol dependent people - 18 also diagnosed with APD
for them they found APD developed 4 years before an alcohol dependency
suggests that APD is a personality related risk factor for alcohol addictions.
Peers strength as a risk factor
real world application
social norms marketing advertising - intervention to change mistaken beliefs of how much peers are drinking - it uses mass media to give messages and statistics of how much people drink
e.g. beer mats and posters in student unions - people get clearer picture of correct information
means that identification of risk factors can suggest ways to reduce influence of factors
family influences - risk factor strength
research support
Madras - found strong correlations between parents using cannabis and their adolescents use of cannabis , nicotine + other opioids
could be that they observe their parents using a drug and model this behaviour - may infer an approval of using the drug
supports the view that parental substance abuse is a potential risk factor for addiction of off spring
