Research Profiles - Addiction and Health: Making the Connection
Addiction can be a divisive issue. Many people see it as a problem best addressed through law enforcement; others see it as a disease to be cured. Caught in the middle of this debate are the people struggling with addiction, their families, and addiction workers. It is time to acknowledge that, however we define addiction, it has indisputable health consequences. Therefore, we must harness health research and the health-care system to help overcome this devastating problem.
There is a growing recognition that drug abuse and mental health issues are often closely connected. People with substance abuse problems may suffer from underlying psychological disorders, such as depression or bipolar disorder. These mental illness issues increase the risk of addiction and, in turn, are exacerbated by drug and alcohol abuse. Dr. Brian Rush's research explores how addiction treatment could be improved by breaking down the barriers between the primary health-care system and addiction treatment centres. You can read about his work in "Untangling the Knot."
The rapidly-expanding fields of genetics and neuroscience, meanwhile, are giving us a more complete picture of why some people are more likely than others to become addicted to alcohol or drugs. New research shows that the complex interaction between environmental stimuli and the genetic code plays an important role in addiction. This new "epigenetic" perspective not only increases our understanding of how addiction works, but also raises the possibility of new, targeted treatments that will battle addiction at the molecular level. "Of Mice and Addiction" outlines Dr. Kathryn Gill's research on the genetics of addiction, and "When Reward Systems Go Wrong" examines Dr. Clay Holroyd's research on reward-seeking behaviour.
When studying drug use and designing programs to help drug abusers, we must take into account the way the people use drugs in the real world. People sometimes abuse more than one substance at a time, increasing their risk of overdose and making their addiction more difficult to treat. The work of researchers like Dr. Sean Barrett, profiled in "1+1=3", will help addiction workers and other health-care professionals address these complex situations.
Through the lens of health research, we can learn more about the causes of addiction, including environmental influences and early life trauma. By applying this knowledge, we can create more effective treatment programs and help limit the negative health effects of drug and alcohol abuse.
Dr. Anthony Phillips
CIHR Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction