Scope and Format

The development and compilation of this series has been a truly collaborative effort. Nine internationally recognized addiction experts have served on the editorial board for this project. The board is composed of Peter Miller, PhD, Medical University of South Carolina; Mary Larimer, PhD, University of Washington; Kyle Kampman, MD, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine; David Kavanagh, PhD, Queensland University of Technology; Samuel Ball, PhD., Yale University School of Medicine; Phillipe DeWitte, MD, Université Catholique de Louvain (Belgium); Marsha Bates, PhD, Rutgers University; Nancy Petry, PhD, University of Connecticut Health Center; and Arthur Blume, PhD, Washington State University. The board members were chosen to provide a wide range of interdisciplinary expertise.

The board members were responsible for selecting and inviting authors for chapters in their specialty areas and to provide editorial guidance. Chapters are authored by reputable, well-recognized authorities in the addictions field. Authors were selected for their expertise and experience, with particular emphasis placed on selecting an international group with diverse philosophies and research backgrounds.

Each chapter is approximately 6500 words in length. Chapters consist of approximately 10 printed pages each, ranging from 5 to 15 pages depending on the topic. Many chapters include tables and figures to better illustrate data. Authors were asked to summarize current knowledge in their areas without providing references within the text. Thus, the work reads like an encyclopedia, providing the reader with an overview of the state-of-the-art rather than an in-depth research report. A further reading and web site list are provided at the end of each chapter for those who require research references and more detailed information. In addition, an outline, glossary, list of keywords, and list of cross-references are provided for each chapter.

The hope is that this compendium will provide a universal platform for a more science-based approach to the study, prevention and treatment of addictions. The ultimate goal is to improve the lives of addicted individuals and their families throughout the world through a more comprehensive and detailed understanding of the addictive process.

Volume 3: Interventions for Addictions

This third volume, Intervention for Addictions, provides chapters on psychosocial treatments, pharmacological treatments, provision of health care to addicted individuals, prevention, and public policy issues. Basically, this volume contains the practical application of the information in Volumes 1 and 2.

Historically, because of the lack of scientific studies at the time, treatment of addiction was based almost exclusively on personal familiarity (especially by counselors who were recovering addicts) and clinical experience. While this was standard care at the time such intuitive treatment has become increasingly unacceptable. The current emphasis on cost-effectiveness and accountability has led to a shift toward science-based treatments, i.e. treatments for which there is significant research evidence of effectiveness. Chapters in this volume describe each of these treatments, together with details of their use and evidence of their efficacy.

Chapters focus on both psychosocial treatments as well as pharmacological ones. Psychosocial chapters cover a wide range of treatment methods, ranging from traditional ones such as self-help/12-step programs to newer, innovative treatments such as contingency management. Chapters include a variety of treatments from simple, time-efficient ones such as brief feedback (used primarily with nondependent heavy drinkers or binge drinkers) to more involved treatments including cognitive behavior therapy and multidimensional family therapy. The list of chapters on psychosocial treatments is extensive and includes not only widely used methods but also such specialized treatments as internet-based therapies, faith-based methods, criminal justice interventions, and mindfulness treatments. More challenging treatments such as those involving addicted individuals with psychiatric comorbidities are also included.

More recently, pharmacological treatments have been combined with psychosocial methods in an attempt to improve therapeutic efficacy. The explosion of neurobiological research on addictions (as provided in Volume 2) has led to the development and evaluation of new compounds that have shown great promise with some substances of abuse. For example, naltrexone, acamprosate, and topiramate have been used successfully to decrease cravings and relapse in individuals with alcohol dependence. Nicotine replacement preparations as well as sustained-release bupropion and varenicline are available for the treatment of tobacco use and, more recently, buprenorphine has dramatically improved the treatment of opiate abuse. Chapters on pharmacotherapies for each of the major substances of abuse as well as for behavioral addictions are included in this volume.

Another important issue that is addressed in this volume is the time gap between the development of both psychosocial and pharmacological treatments and their use in everyday practice by clinicians. Many are examining the barriers to practical implementation and, based on this information, are developing strategies to overcome them.

In addition to science-based treatments and their routine use in clinical practice, public policy and prevention are also important issues. Countries throughout the world, often with the help of the World Health Organization (WHO), are trying to prevent or slow the progress of addictions by focusing on legislative action, price controls, and limitations on advertising. In Europe, ALICE RAP, Addictions and Lifestyles in Contemporary Europe – Reframing Addictions Project, is an innovative and dynamic transdisciplinary European Union project that aims to help policy makers rethink and reshape current and future approaches to the human and economic...