ADDICTOLOGY CONCEPT PAPER
DRAFT 2, October 28, 2014
Building Capacity in Addiction Studies:
International Collaboration in Education and Research
INTRODUCTION
In the past 50 years there has been dramatic growth in the addiction studies, both globally and in
specific countries. The emergence of a cadre of career scientists, clinical practitioners and program
administrators devoted to the pursuit of knowledge about dependence-producing psychoactive
substances as well as “behavioral addictions” (e.g., pathological gambling) is a 20thcentury phenomenon
(Babor, 2000), with its numbers expanding dramatically in the 1960’s in High Income Countries in
response to epidemics of substance abuse and endemic use of alcohol.
Addiction studies (variously called addictology, narcology, alcohology, and addiction science) is a
multidisciplinary area of scientific research and clinical practice that is devoted to the understanding,
management and prevention of health and social problems connected with the use of psychoactive
substances and other products. In recent years addiction studies has become the framework
specialized education programs, which depend on a vital interaction between science, clinical practice
and social policy, whether it deals with opiate addiction, nicotine dependence, gambling behavior or
alcoholism. The aim of addiction studies is not to replace other professions but to work with them to
promote integration of research findings, prevention activities and clinical approaches. The ultimate
goal of this new academic area is to advance research-based knowledge, practice, and policies to further
improve prevention and treatment of disorders.
The number of people working in addiction research, treatment, prevention and policy varies from one
country to another. The size of the workforce in a particular country depends on the extent of
addiction-related problems, the delegation of professional responsibilities, and the funding provided by
governments to manage the problems of addiction. It has been estimated that in the research sector
alone there is now a complex network of perhaps 10,000 people worldwide who identify addiction
science as part of their career identity (Babor, 2012). Membership in in the 15 largest professional
societies, which includes both basic and clinical scientists, exceeds 20,000 persons worldwide. The
number of addiction specialists involved in the delivery of treatment and prevention services is much
larger, representing as many as 200,000 professionals in the fields of counselling, addiction psychiatry,
social work, nursing, psychology, sociology, public health and related academic disciplines.
As depicted in Figure 1, the field of addiction studies is embedded in the larger framework of addiction
science, which is characterized by: (1) the emergence of public and private financing mechanisms to
support careers in education, research and clinical services; (2) development of an institutional base
consisting of research centers, specialized clinical facilities, academic departments and related
organizational structures; (3) the growth of professional societies (now numbering more than 30) that
give the field a sense of identity and purpose; and (4) the rapid expansion of scientific communication
outlets and publication opportunities (e.g., more than 90 scholarly journals specialized in addiction) to
facilitate information exchange and dissemination. The final ingredient of the addiction field depicted in
the figure is the emergence of specialized education and training programs. Without career
professionals to populate this infrastructure and develop its products, the addiction field would not
exist. In the following sections of this report, these elements will be discussed in terms of how
specialized education and training programs have begun to operate in the field, and how they might
contribute to addiction studies in the future, particularly in countries that do not yet have sufficient
expertise in managing addiction problems.
Societies
Basic and
Schematic diagram of the current structure of addiction studies
The emergence of Academic Programs in Addiction Studies
Recently, degrees in addiction studies have begun to be offered by institutions of higher
learning around the world. These degree programs are often interdisciplinary, involving training
in genetics, neuroscience, psychology, epidemiology and public health. They are directed at a
variety of individuals interested in improving their clinical skills, research methods and
professional qualifications for positions in research, clinical services, prevention and policy. The
following is a list of some of the programs that have been established.
 A masters-level curriculum (MSc) in “Drug use and Addiction” is taught at John
Morse University in Liverpool, UK, in “Addiction Studies.”
 The Dublin Business School, University of Glasgow, UK, offers MSc. in “Drugs
and Alcohol Studies.”
 A teaching unit on “Drug, Alcohol, Tobacco Use and Public Health” operates at
University of London, UK.
 The European Masters in Drug and Alcohol Studies is a multi-disciplinary
program run jointly by three universities: Universitas Miguel Hernandez de Elche,
Alicante, Spain; Aarhus University, Denmark; and the A Avogtadro University,
Italy.
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The Department of Social Studies, University of Dublin, Trinity College offers a
Master of Science in Drug and Alcohol Policy, and a Diploma in Addiction
Studies.
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The National Addiction Centre at the Institute of Psychiatry, Maudsley Hospital
and King’s College London, offers a MSc in Clinical and Public Health Aspects
of Addiction.
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Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine, University of London,
offers a MSc and a Postgraduate Diploma in Drugs and Alcohol: Policy and
Intervention by distance learning.
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“International Addiction Studies” are run as a joint degree of Kings College,
Virginia Commonwealth University and Adelaide University.
A number of U. S. universities provide an MA in addiction counselling or
addiction studies (for instance, the Hazelton Graduate School in Minnesota, Lewis
and Clark Graduate School of Education and Counselling in Oregon, University
of South Dakota, International University for Graduate Studies in New York,
Boise State University and Governors State University).
Academic Study Programs in Addictology (Addiction Science) were established
at the Department of Addictology, First Faculty of Medicine, Charles University
in Prague in 2005 in the Czech Republic. The program consists of education at the
bachelor and master’s degree levels and, more recently, a doctorate (Ph.D.) degree
The masters degree at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia.
The Alcohol and Other Drugs Program at the University of Auckland, New
Zealand, is designed for post-baccalaureate specialization in addiction science and
is mainly designed for the accreditation of clinical practitioners. It offers a postbac certificate, a post-bac diploma and a full masters degree within the School of
Populations Sciences.
The Center for Addiction Science Specialties, Sahmyook University in Seoul,
South Korea, has established a new “Connective Major” Course to train
Substance Addiction and Behavioral Addiction Prevention specialists. The
program brings together faculty from the departments of Pharmacy, Nursing,
Health Management, Counselling and Physical Therapy.
Programs at the University of Helsinki (gambling research), the University of
Connecticut (alcohol and drug policy research) and other universities have a
strong addiction focus for young scholars at the level of doctoral and postdoctoral training, as well as continuing education.
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In addition to these degree programs, there are many post-baccalaureate programs that provide
training to addiction professionals in public health, social science, and addiction medicine. Even
more numerous are training programs and workshops that provide specialized courses in
continuing education and postdoctoral research.
The contents and operations of these study programs have not been evaluated or even described
systematically. This is surprising given the large numbers of addiction treatment and prevention
personnel in the workforce of many countries. In order to facilitate the exchange of information
about addiction studies, the International Confederation of Addiction Research Associations
(ICARA) commissioned this report as the basis for establishing a consortium of academic
programs that could work together to advance the field.
PURPOSE OF CONSORTIUM
The purpose of the Addiction Studies Consortium (ASC) is to share information among
programs, facilitate collaborative arrangements in research and training, and explore the
opportunities for international exchanges among faculty and students. The consortium will work
to strengthen addiction studies and addiction science as in interdisciplinary field of scholarly
research, evidence-based practice and effective policy. The following core objectives will guide
this project: 1) to actively promote transdisciplinary approaches in the addiction studies field; 2)
to create a university framework for University education in addiction studies at the bachelor,
master and PhD levels; 3) to promote an addiction studies specialization within the existing
professions that participate in addiction care, such as counsellors, psychologists, psychiatrists,
nurses, and social workers; 4) to foster international cooperation in education and research. 5) to
develop reports on key issues such as workforce needs, including nontraditional workforce in
addiction such as recovering persons.
SHARED ACTIVITIES
The activities of the Consortium could include the following:
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Serve as a medium to exchange information in education and research
Promote collaboration in cross-national research and doctoral training through the
development of common research protocols and shared databases
Develop a joint-program for internships and practicum experiences
Facilitate the exchange faculty and research scholars
Conduct joint scientific meetings, international seminars and conferences for the
advancement of education and research
Provide training and mentoring programs and workshops (e.g., research ethics
workshops)
Sponsor special lectures by visiting professors
Develop continuing education programs
Provide opportunities for course work and curricula in addiction studies via distance
learning
Create Summer School opportunities for students at all levels
Promote collaboration in the search for funding support from national governments and
international agencies.
Define core competencies in clinical practice, prevention, research and policy
Explore the need to develop training opportunities in public health aspects of addiction
studies.
Next Steps
The International Confederation of Addiction Research Associations commissioned this concept
paper in the interest of furthering the exchange of information about addiction studies on an
international level. The next logical step would be to conduct an international mapping survey of
addiction studies programs in different countries, and report the results to the ICARA Board and
the international community. Following that, a more detailed plan should be developed to define
an appropriate role for ICARA in the promotion of addiction studies globally. There is a need
for a strategic plan for workforce development to enumerate the current workforce, estimate
training needs, recommend optimal workforce configurations and promote curricula. Funding
opportunities for this initiative should also be explored through such agencies as the World
Health Organization, the European Commission, the US National Institutes of Health (NIDA and
NIAAA) and philanthropic organizations. Finally, there is a need to develop a guidance
document that covers public health and policy needs in addiction studies.
Bibliography
BABOR, T. F. (2012), Addictionology as biography: one hundred ways to have a
successful career in addiction science. Addiction, 107: 464–466
Miovsky, M. et al. (under review) Academic Study Programs in Addictology (Addiction
Science) in the Czech Republic: A Historical Case Study. Nordic Studies on Alcohol and Drugs
Babor, T. F. (1993) Megatrends and dead ends: Alcohol research in global perspective.
Alcohol Health & Research World, 17, 177–86.
Babor, T. F. Past as prologue: the future of addiction studies. Addiction 95(1): 7–10,
2000.
Edwards, G. (ed) Addiction: Evolution of a Specialist Field. Oxford, UK: Blackwell
Publishing, 2002.
Edwards, G. (ed) Addictions: Personal Influences and Scientific Movements. New
Brunswick, New Jersey, USA: Transaction Publishers, 1991.
Edwards, G. E., Babor, T. F. (2008) Addiction societies as valuable assets. Addiction,
103, 9–12.
World Health Organization. Health Professional Education on Psychoactive Substance
Use Issues. Geneva, 1996.
APPENDIX A. Survey of addiction studies programs
Name of program
Location (country, city)
Organizational chart – where is the program located in the parent institution’s organizational structure?
Language(s) used in teaching program
Number of faculty
Number of students
Certifications
Degrees offered: Batchelors, post-bac certificate, post-bac diploma, Masters, PhD.
Main activities: courses, workshops, e-learning,
Main foci (substance): alcohol, drugs, tobacco, gambling, behavioral addictions, addiction general
Main foci (academic):
Main foci (programmatic): prevention, treatment, policy, public health
Program components: courses, workshops, e-learning/on-line, summer school
Accreditation functions: Was the program developed to certify addiction specialists? What role does the
program plan now in professional certifications?
How does the program integrate clinical practice, research, public health, policy?
Does the program collaborate with other Universities?
Does the program compete with other Universities or accreditation agencies?
How are 12-Step programs related to the University program?>
UCHC Program in addiction and public health
Courses in psychiatric epidemiology, publication ethics/research integrity, evidence-based policy
(alcohol/drugs/gambling), mental health/addiction service systems, secondary prevention
Doctoral and masters research projects
Readers
Storrs
KS
Gerhard
Peter
Roman/Michal
Michael in Helsinki
Sungsoo
UCHC participation
There are several reasons why the University of Connecticut should participate in this consortium. First,
the University has numerous faculty with expertise in addiction studies. These faculty have established
research and training programs in the School of Medicine and other parts of the University. These
programs could benefit from other members of the consortium, improve the opportunities for students,
and increase the marketability of our education and training programs.
Second, the University, through its Global Affairs Program/Office, is seeking to expand the global reach
of its education and research programs. The consortium
Third, the University has specialized expertise in public health, which could be used to promote an area
of addiction studies that has been lacking
More specifically, Samhyook University in Korea is looking for international partners who can help them
build a national capability in education and research through consultation, faculty exchanges and
student training opportunities.