Developmental Aspects of Psychology and Addiction

This course provides students with a basic level of understanding of the etiology of addiction and clinical implications derived from the application of psychology to chemically dependent behavior. To understand its complicated nature as a disease, the course focuses on current genetic and environmental research in the development of substance use disorders. Specific topics to be covered include the biological, developmental, psychological, environmental and social factors that lead to vulnerability to addictions; symptoms of addictive disorders; and prevalence across the life span among target populations, including adolescents, seniors, families and those with trauma exposure. We also examine various treatment approaches from a developmental perspective, including translational approaches to treatment that bridge biology and behavior.