AJOB Neuroscience

Paradigms of Addiction and Evidence for Addiction Medication

In this commentary and drawing on our own empirical work assessing addiction counselors’ understandings of alcohol addiction, we briefly explore two questions at the heart of debates over addiction medication. First, what evidence supports pharmacological interventions for addiction? Second, and more interestingly, how do different disease paradigms—such as the “brain disease” model discussed in the target article or a “moral model” of addiction that forces persons to take responsibility for their dependence—influence patients’ and mental health professionals’ perceptions of this evidence?