PERSPECTIVES IN PSYCHOLOGY : SUBSTANCE USE Prepared by the Australian Psychological Society ’ s Working Group on Substance Use

The use of psychoactive substances, in the form of alcohol and other drugs (AOD), is a common human behaviour. The vast majority of adults include some form of substance use in their lifestyle. There is, however, tremendous variation in the amount and type of substances that different individuals and groups consume at different times. Harmful substance use can have a major negative impact on the wellbeing of individuals, families and communities, and is a growing concern in Australia and internationally. There is considerable controversy regarding appropriate responses to harmful substance use at all levels: individual, family, community, national and international. As a profession and science, psychology has much to offer in terms of theory, research and practice in the AOD field. Psychological training provides many skills that provide valuable contributions to the AOD field in terms of prevention and treatment interventions, education, research and policy, and psychologists need to be encouraged to apply their knowledge in this area. Despite the obvious biological action of psychoactive substances, current evidence indicates that standard behavioural principles and processes still apply to AOD problems. Substance use occurs within a social, cultural and psychological context, and harmful substance use frequently occurs within a broader cluster of psychological problems. The interventions most strongly supported by outcome research recognise this complexity and are fundamentally psycho-social in nature; research further suggests that even where pharmacological interventions are recommended, such as the use of substitution therapies, the efficacy of these interventions is enhanced by the use of concurrent psycho-social interventions. Many psychologists practice and research directly in the AOD field, while for others, substance use issues are highly relevant to their practice or research. In the APS (2002) discussion paper, Psychology and Substance Use: Potential Contributions and Professional Training Needs, all psychologists were recommended to have adequate knowledge and skills in this area, because of the widespread, normative nature of substance use, its substantial impact on human behaviour and wellbeing, and its prevalence in clinical settings. This paper aims to briefly outline current knowledge regarding substance use from a psychological perspective. It is hoped that this will highlight the contributions of psychology to the AOD field, and encourage further application of psychological science in research, practice and comment in the field of AOD issues. Please note that the AOD field is extremely dynamic in terms of research activity and the development of prevention and treatment programs and practice. This …

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