Risk factors Flashcards
What is a risk factor?
Anything internal or external that increases likelihood of an individual starting to engage in addictive behaviour or use drugs
Name the 5 risk factors?
Genetic vulnerability
Stress
Personality
Family influences
Peers
What can inheriting a predisposition increase?
The risk of addiction
What is genetic vulnerability explained as?
An interaction between genes and environmental factors
Two reasons for genetic vulnerability?!
D2 receptors
Metabolism
What is the D2 receptor responsible for?
Communicating with dopamine
What is the amount of D2 receptors an individual has down to?
Genetics
Is having more or less D2 receptors associated with addiction? Why?
Less as it leads to problems with experiencing pleasure from everyday activities, turn to substance/behaviour to compensate for deficiency
How is metabolism relevant to addiction?
Some individuals metabolise substances quicker than others as they may need more
How does an individual have a fast metabolism?
Inherited through genes
Who found that some people lack a fully functioning enzyme?
Pianezza
What enzyme did Pianezza find?
CYP2A6
What does CYP2A6 enzyme metabolise?
Nicotine
Are you more or less likely to smoke if you lack the CYP2A6 enzyme?
Less
What is stress?
An individual experiences state of arousal that occurs when they do not have the ability to cope with perceived threat
What may people who experience stress turn to?
Addictive substances or behaviours as a form of self-medication for stress
What have been linked to the risk of developing addiction? (stress)
Periods of chronic, long lasting stress
Traumatic life events in childhood
What did Anderson and Teicher find about stress?
early experiences of severe stress have damaging effects on a young brain, further stress could trigger vulnerability
What does an addictive personality suggest there is a correlation between?
Certain traits and addiction
What personality disorder leads to a high vulnerability to addiction?
Anti social personality disorder
What kind of personality traits is included in the anti-social personality disorder?
Neurotic and psychotic traits
High levels of neuroticism shown through?
High levels of anxiety, irritability, low self efficacy
High levels of psychoticism shown through?
Aggressive, impulsive, emotionally detached
Are individuals with pathological personalities more likely to become addicts? Why?
Yes, offers some relief and helps them
What are the three family influences on her create vulnerability to addiction?
Perceived parental approval
Little interest in monitoring behaviour
Exposure to substance/behaviour
Why does perceived parental approval make someone more vulnerable to addiction?
Their parents show positive attitudes towards a certain behaviour/substance making the adolescent think it is appropriate
What did Livingstone et al find about family influences?
Final year high school students who were allowed, by their parents, to drink alcohol were more likely to drink excessively at college
What does SLT suggest about family influences?
Individual observes a family member (role model) engaging in addictive behaviour and imitate this behaviour as they identify with them
Define peer?
People who share interests, age, background and social status
Why do peers influence an individuals development during adolescence?
Spend more time with them and less with family
Some psychologists may argue peers are a ? to addiction
Gateway
What did O’Connell et al suggest about peers?
Adolescents are at risk of developing alcohol addiction due to influence of their peers
What were O’Connells 3 major elements? (peers)
Attitudes and norms to drinking alcohol
Opportunities to drink alcohol
Individual perception
What is attitudes and norms to drinking alcohol?
An individuals attitude towards drinking alcohol can be influenced by associating with groups of peers who drank alcohol
What is individuals perception?
The individual may overestimate how much their peers drink and therefore drink to keep up with them
