Presentation 10 mins

Essay 2250 words

The module will offer candidates an opportunity to gain a thorough grounding in the key concepts and theories used to understand alcohol and substance misuse. This grounding will provide a foundation to the subsequent modules that focus on responses to alcohol and substance misuse; supporting the development of knowledge of past, present and potential future theoretical frameworks used to underpin policy and practice. The module will address how professional understanding of addiction theory has developed within the context of wider societal determinants such as substance misuse patterns and values, morals and attitudes towards alcohol and substance misuse. Finally modern perspectives of addiction theory will be explored. These will have a foundation in the bio-psychosocial model and draw strongly upon cognitive psychological models that have recently been presented to explain addictive behaviours and support the delivery of successful harm reduction, treatment and recovery interventions.

Introduction to the module and assessment
Defining drugs and drug use and misuse
Drug use and misuse through history
Drugs and their effects.
Categorising drugs, e.g. stimulants / depressants / hallucinogen
Group work presentations of a drug from each category
Opportunity to get grounding in the ways that drugs work
Patterns of use and misuse
Understanding dependency 
Reasons why people use and misuse
Responding to drug use and misuse – historical over view of drug and alcohol treatment
Bio-psychosocial model
Cognitive behaviour approaches
Motivation, choice and health related behaviours
Current perspectives on addiction
Using and assessing information sources in the addiction field
Reliability and validity of alcohol and substance misuse use related information and literature 
Discussion around assignment choice
Reflection on the module

Concepts and Models of Addiction - 4513ARCAS

Concepts and Models of Addiction

Detail how addiction theory has developed within the context of wider societal determinants and how these have impacted upon treatment, recovery and methods of prevention.

Demonstrate and detail the effects of substances and examine the differences between psychological and physical addiction.

Identify and explain key concepts and specific terminology commonly used in alcohol and substance addiction theory.

Discuss the key factors that affect the course of person’s drug dependency using the bio-psychosocial model.