Course Description
This aim of this unit is to equip learners with the knowledge and understanding of substance use and non-chemical addiction disorders which are complex conditions that affect the reward, reinforcement, motivation, and memory. They are categorised by impaired control over usage; social impairment, involving disruption to everyday activities. The processes that give rise to addictive behaviour resist a simplistic explanation. Genetic, Biological Social, Psychological and Environmental factors can all contribute to a person’s susceptibility to substance abuse.
Course Objectives
This aim of this unit is to equip learners with the knowledge and understanding of substance use and non-chemical addiction disorders which are complex conditions that affect the reward, reinforcement, motivation, and memory. They are categorised by impaired control over usage; social impairment, involving disruption to everyday activities. The processes that give rise to addictive behaviour resist a simplistic explanation. Genetic, Biological Social, Psychological and Environmental factors can all contribute to a person’s susceptibility to substance abuse.
Key Topics
- LO1: Understand the concept of addiction.
- LO2: Understand the explanations for substance abuse and dependence.
- LO3: Understand the risk factors for addiction.
- LO4: Understand approaches to the treatment of drug dependence.
Course Outline
| Week | Topics |
|---|
| 1 | The concept of addiction: DSM-5, abuse and dependence in ICD-11 |
| 2 | Drug classification (stimulants, depressants, hallucinogens, opiates) and effects |
| 3 | Legal and illegal drugs; changing usage and acceptance over time and between societies |
| 4 | The disease model of alcohol dependence and the brain disease model of addiction: evaluation |
| 5 | Weighing the scientific evidence on the nature of addictive behaviour |
| 6 | Socio-cultural risk factors: family, peers, environment, availability, acculturation and media |
| 7 | Stress, peer influence, age and personality (Griffiths 2013) |
| Midterm | Midterm evaluation |
| 9 | Treatment approaches: detoxification, aversion therapy, contingency management, motivational interviewing, group and family therapy |
| 10 | Therapies for chemical dependence: CBT, relapse prevention, methadone, nicotine replacement, anti-anxiety drugs, brain stimulation |
| 11 | Therapies for non-chemical dependence (e.g. gambling): antidepressants, CBT, relaxation and self-talk |
| 12 | Assessment workshop: drafting against the assessment criteria, one-to-one tutorials, formative feedback on drafts |
| 13 | Supervised completion and submission |
| 14 | Assignment workshop: drafting, feedback and improvement |
| 15 | Review and coursework completion |
| Final | Final assessment and submission |
Learning Outcomes
- LO1 Understand the concept of addiction.
- 1.1 Define addiction.
- 1.2 Evaluate the usefulness of the concept of addiction.
- 1.3 Discuss how drugs are psychoactive substances, and how they may be used therapeutically or for pleasure.
- 1.4 Explain which drugs are legal or illegal.
- 1.5 Describe how drug usage and acceptance changes overtime within the same society and between societies.
- LO2 Understand the explanations for substance abuse and dependence.
- 2.1 Analyse the concept of addiction for being oversimplified and for reflecting the disease model.
- 2.2 Evaluate scientific evidence to substantiate theoretical arguments concerning the nature of human addictive behaviour.
- LO3 Understand the risk factors for addiction.
- 3.1 Explain the risk factors for addiction.
- 3.2 Analyse risk factors affecting vulnerability to addiction.
- LO4 Understand approaches to the treatment of drug dependence.
- 4.1 Describe approaches to the treatment of drug dependence.
- 4.2 Evaluate different psychological and biological therapies used for chemical abuse and dependence.
- 4.3 Evaluate different psychological and biological therapies for non-chemical abuse and dependence.
