TY - JOUR
T1 - Physicians’ and Attorneys’ Beliefs and Attitudes Related to the Brain Disease Model of Addiction
AU - Avery, Joseph J.
AU - Avery, Jonathan D.
AU - Mouallem, Joseph
AU - Demner, Adam R.
AU - Cooper, Joel
N1 - Funding Information:
This research was partially supported by grants to the first author from the Horowitz Foundation for Social Policy. The first author also was supported by the Department of Defense (DoD) through the National Defense Science & Engineering Graduate Fellowship (NDSEG) Program. Our data do not foreclose the possibility that it is because our participants had worse attitudes that they rejected the brain disease model of addiction; in other words, it could be the case that the participants who held worse attitudes self-justified those attitudes by concluding that addiction is a matter of willpower or moral fiber.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry
PY - 2020/7/1
Y1 - 2020/7/1
N2 - Background and Objectives: Addiction is increasingly considered a chronic, relapsing brain disease; however, many scholars still disagree with the brain disease model of addiction. We set out to provide evidence of attorneys’ and physicians’ beliefs regarding the model. First, we asked the following question: do attorneys and physicians affirm the full brain disease model, or its modified form, or do they believe that addiction is driven by deficits in self-control or moral weakness? Second, we evaluated the extent to which such beliefs correspond to attitudes toward individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs). Methods: A questionnaire was sent to resident physicians (N = 301) and criminal defense attorneys (N = 483) practicing in the United States. It was comprised of (i) an attitudes measure, (ii) a measure regarding conceptions of addiction, and (iii) demographic questions. Results: Attorneys were more likely to believe that individuals with SUDs had “practically no choice” about whether to seek and use, whereas physicians were more likely to believe that such individuals had “genuine choice.” For both groups of participants, the rejection of the full brain disease model of addiction was associated with more negative attitudes toward individuals with SUDs. Conclusion and Scientific Significance: These results represent an important advance, as past research has neglected attorneys’ attitudes and is inconclusive regarding the manner in which beliefs about the brain disease model of addiction are related to attitudes toward individuals with SUDs. Educating practitioners regarding this relationship would raise awareness regarding when and to what extent stigma is likely to be present, which may in turn provide a foundation from which to address stigma. (Am J Addict 2020;00:00–00).
AB - Background and Objectives: Addiction is increasingly considered a chronic, relapsing brain disease; however, many scholars still disagree with the brain disease model of addiction. We set out to provide evidence of attorneys’ and physicians’ beliefs regarding the model. First, we asked the following question: do attorneys and physicians affirm the full brain disease model, or its modified form, or do they believe that addiction is driven by deficits in self-control or moral weakness? Second, we evaluated the extent to which such beliefs correspond to attitudes toward individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs). Methods: A questionnaire was sent to resident physicians (N = 301) and criminal defense attorneys (N = 483) practicing in the United States. It was comprised of (i) an attitudes measure, (ii) a measure regarding conceptions of addiction, and (iii) demographic questions. Results: Attorneys were more likely to believe that individuals with SUDs had “practically no choice” about whether to seek and use, whereas physicians were more likely to believe that such individuals had “genuine choice.” For both groups of participants, the rejection of the full brain disease model of addiction was associated with more negative attitudes toward individuals with SUDs. Conclusion and Scientific Significance: These results represent an important advance, as past research has neglected attorneys’ attitudes and is inconclusive regarding the manner in which beliefs about the brain disease model of addiction are related to attitudes toward individuals with SUDs. Educating practitioners regarding this relationship would raise awareness regarding when and to what extent stigma is likely to be present, which may in turn provide a foundation from which to address stigma. (Am J Addict 2020;00:00–00).
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U2 - 10.1111/ajad.13023
DO - 10.1111/ajad.13023
M3 - Article
C2 - 32187771
AN - SCOPUS:85081748914
SN - 1055-0496
VL - 29
SP - 305
EP - 312
JO - American Journal on Addictions
JF - American Journal on Addictions
IS - 4
ER -