Area 3: Determinants of addiction

Led by Petra Meier (University of Sheffield), Anne Lingford-Hughes (Imperial College London) and Gerhard Bühringer (IFT Institut für Therapieforschung / Technische Universitaet Dresden). 

The determinants of addiction, which in our context were mental disorders and other problems related to the use of psychotropic substances and gambling, are neither clear nor well-understood. For example, why do some people naturally abstain from substance use and gambling altogether; what allows some to engage in such behaviours without developing problems; and, why do others experience very serious difficulties?A better understanding of relevant risk and protective factors is vital for to improve prevention and treatment of such disorders.

The lack of interdisciplinary collaboration has meant that the evidence on how genetic, neurobiological, psychological and macro-level psycho-social and environmental influences interact and altogether contribute to such problems has been slow to emerge.For a better understanding of the critical processes involved, we separated three stages of problem development into distinct work packages:

  • WP7 - Determinants of the transition from no or low risk use to risky substance use and gambling. Led by Petra Meier.
  • WP8 - Determinants of the transition from risky to harmful substance use and gambling. Led by Gerhard Buehringer.
  • WP9 - Determinants of the transition from harmful to low risk substance use and gambling. Led by Anne Lingford-Hughes and David Nutt (Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine).

For these three main transition stages, the WPs aim to develop agreed definitions for substance use and gambling, and to obtain estimates for the transition probabilities.

The findings from Area 3 will contribute to understanding those trajectories, providing integrated, interactive maps that can be navigated to show the strengths of the determinants and interactions, and reframing our understanding of addictions.

Area 3 Deliverables

The six reports presented below are the work of a team of experts representing 12 disciplines across the natural, behavioural and social sciences. The three transition stages (to risky, to harmful and to low-risk/remission) in the development of harmful substance use and gambling were examined sequentially; thus, the development and presentation of the work can be seen to have evolved over the duration of the project as our cultural, linguistic and interdisciplinary understanding developed.

Deliverable 7.1: Determinants of risky substance use and risky gambling: an interdisciplinary review

Deliverable 7.2 Determinants of risky substance use/gambling: model and transition probabilities

Deliverable 8.1: Determinants of harmful substance use and harmful gambling: an interdisciplinary review

Deliverable 8.2 Determinants of harmful substance use/gambling: model and transition probabilities

Deliverable 9.1 Determinants of a reduction in or cessation of harmful substance use and gambling Review

Deliverable 9.2 Model report and transition probabilities on reduction or cessation

Area 3 Publications and related documents

Based on the research for work packages 7-9, the following monograph was published in February 2016 by Oxford University Press detailing the theoretical concept of our work and core results in 2015:

What determines harm from addictive substances and behaviours?

As the scientific knowledge in our field develops rapidly, this publication contains updated information and analyses in comparison to the previous deliverable reports.

 

Download description pdf

 

Area 3 internal documents (for logged-in users only)