Dispelling the Myths About Addiction Strategies to Increase Understanding and Strengthen Research (1997) / Chapter Skim
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4 Psychosocial Factors and Prevention
4 Psychosocial Factors and Prevention
Pages 55-72
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From page 55... ...
This chapter presents a brief overview of key issues in research relevant to the psychosocial and behavioral underpinnings of addiction before presenting examples of the variety of prevention strategies currently used to reduce the prevalence of drug abuse and addiction. Psychosocial factors include personality and presence of psychiatric disorder, as well as family, peer, and other environmental factors that either increase the risk of an individual developing an addictive disorder (risk factors)
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From page 56... ...
. Several studies indicate that children who are less conventional, more tolerant of deviant behavior, less religious, less oriented toward hard work, more rebellious, with lower expectations of academic achievement, and fewer negative beliefs about the harmfulness of drinking and more positive views of the social benefits of drinking are more likely to abuse alcohol as they become older.
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From page 57... ...
Warning Labels on Alcoholic Beverages Warning labels on alcoholic beverages, which were required in 1988 by Public Law 100-690, state, "According to the Surgeon General, women should not drink alcoholic beverages during pregnancy because of the risk of birth defects" and "Consumption of alcoholic beverages impairs your ability to drive a car or operate machinery and may cause health problems." A study of approximately 3,500 pregnant women showed that, after the warning label was introduced, pregnant women who drank very little decreased their alcohol consumption by an average of one ounce of beer per week, whereas pregnant women who drank the equivalent of more than one mixed
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From page 58... ...
An IOM panel on fetal alcohol syndrome found that there are little data on the effectiveness of universal prevention efforts such as warning labels. The panel recommended, however, that these efforts should be continued to raise awareness of the dangers of alcohol, particularly fetal alcohol syndrome and alcohol-related birth defects and neurological defects (IOM, 1996b)
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From page 59... ...
A study of 166 televised sports events indicates that the TV audience is exposed to tobacco advertising through stadium signs and brief verbal or visual product sponsorships (Madden and Grube, 19944. There is increasing concern that advertisements and promotional activities are aimed at encouraging children to smoke, and there is research evidence to support that perception.
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From page 60... ...
Recent analyses of prime-time television programs found that two-thirds of the programs made references to alcohol and half portrayed consumption of alcohol, averaging more than eight drinking acts per hour (Wallach et al., 1990~. In that study, alcohol was consumed by affluent professionals and portrayed in a positive way; alcohol problems were clearly depicted in only 10 percent of the episodes.
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From page 61... ...
For example, the consumption of alcoholic beverages is reduced when prices are increased (IOM, 1989~. This is especially likely for youth (one study found that a 10-cent increase in the price of beer resulted in a 15 percent decrease in the numbers of youths who drink 3 to 5 beers each day, while a 30-cent increase in the price of distilled spirits resulted in a 27 percent decline in the numbers of youths who were heavy drinkers of liquor [Grossman et al., 19873~.
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From page 62... ...
The newly completed FDA regulations will, among other measures, ban cigarette vending machines and self-service displays except in nightclubs and other facilities that are totally inaccessible to persons under 18. Such a ban has been characterized as a law enforcement approach to reduce access to tobacco by children and youth and studies suggest that a law enforcement approach by itself may not be effective (DiFranza et al., 1996; Feighery et al., 19914.
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From page 63... ...
The Role of Primary Care Physicians Primary care physicians represent another set of actors in the strategy for nearly universal prevention efforts. It is known that brief interventions by physicians can be quite effective in stimulating people to quit smoking or reduce their alcohol consumption (Ockene et al., 1991, 1994; Bien et al., 1993; Kahan et al., 1995; Fiore et al., 1990; Sachs, 1990~.
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From page 64... ...
Tobler later re-analyzed the data, eliminating the weakest programs, and found that neither knowledge-only, self-esteem-only, nor knowledge plus self-esteem programs prevented drug use, whereas peer programs still were most effective and programs outside the school were moderately effective. Upon closer examination, Tobler concluded that the use of mental health professionals or counselors accounted for the peer programs' effectiveness.
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From page 65... ...
Results indicated that the law was unevenly enforced, but that nighttime single-vehicle fatal car crashes declined more for 18- and 19-year-olds in Massachusetts than they did in New York (Waller, 1995~. Other studies in different states clearly indicated that raising the legal drinking age decreased teenage drinking and driving and involvement in
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From page 66... ...
CONCLUSION Some of the key research challenges to be addressed in the area of psychosocial factors of addiction and prevention are listed in Table 4.1. Although we are now aware of many environmental risk factors for the development of drug abuse and addiction, a greater understanding of the relative strength of specific risk factors and what factors may protect individuals from addiction, is needed (Appendix H)
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From page 67... ...
Investigation of strategies to identify at-risk youth and involve them in effec tive prevention programs . Development of effective prevention strategies for pregnant women who may drink alcohol or abuse drugs .
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From page 68... ...
1991. Predicting attempts and sustained cessation of smoking after the introduction of workplace smoking bans.
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From page 69... ...
1983. Impact of legislation raising the legal drinking age in Massachusetts from 18 to 20.
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1986. Meta-analysis of 143 adolescent drug prevention programs: Quantitative outcome results of program participants compared to a control or comparison group.
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1995. Commentary: Legislation raising the legal drinking age in Massachusetts.
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