Brain disease or biopsychosocial model in addiction?Remembering the Vietnam Veteran Study

  1. Elisardo Becoña 1
  1. 1 Universidade de Santiago de Compostela
    info

    Universidade de Santiago de Compostela

    Santiago de Compostela, España

    ROR https://ror.org/030eybx10

Revista:
Psicothema

ISSN: 0214-9915

Ano de publicación: 2018

Volume: 30

Número: 3

Páxinas: 270-275

Tipo: Artigo

Outras publicacións en: Psicothema

Resumo

Background: In recent years, we have repeatedly been told that addictions are a brain disease, leaving aside their classic biopsychosocial explanation. Objective: To describe both models and discusses the weakness and reductionism of the brain disease model following the consumption of heroin by North American soldiers in the Vietnam war in the 1970s. Method: A literature review of the Vietnam Veteran Study in relation to drug consumption. Results: The soldiers greatly increased their consumption of heroin in Vietnam, but almost all of them ceased using it upon returning home. The analysis of the environmental factors related to this self-healing is a critique of the brain disease model of addictions because it cannot explain this or other studies. Conclusion: The biopsychosocial model is still the best model to guide the fi eld of addiction due to its utility, coherence, and effi cacy in treatment.

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