NCJ Number
132995
Date Published
1991
Length
363 pages
Annotation
Intended as a reference guide for human services and drug abuse professionals and as a text for undergraduate and graduate courses on drug abuse, this volume examines the nature and effects of alcohol and other drugs, theories and research regarding the causes of drug abuse, drug treatment techniques, and drug abuse patterns among different populations and age groups.
Abstract
The text explains the principles of psychopharmacology, the classification of drugs, trends in drug abuse, and principles of human behavior as they relate to drug use and abuse. Additional chapters focus on the physical and psychological effects of specific drug groups and the biological, psychological, and sociological theories of drug abuse. A discussion of drug abuse treatment explains individual, family, group, self-help, and medical treatment and discusses the assumptions and results of each treatment technique. The final section examines drug abuse problems and treatment issues among different race, age, sexual orientation, socioeconomic, and gender groups and discusses current issues related to treatment, policy, and prevention. Figure, tables, chapter reference lists, and index