From the President of the Research Society on Alcoholism In recent years, increasingly convincing evidence in support of a biobehavioral conceptual model of the etiology of alcoholism has emerged. In this model, the disorder is perceived as arising from the interaction of geneticlbiological vulnerability and psychosocial risk. Drinking, or alcohol-seeking, is a metric trait. Alcoholism, which is a state of abnormally intense alcohol-seeking be havior that, over time, leads to the alcohol dependence syndrome, lies at the extreme, high end of this quantitative measure. Metric traits are influenced by multiple genes; the extent of genetic loading of biological risk for alcoholism would be different in different individuals. Added to this kind of variability is the wide range of options for exposure to the psychosocial risk factors of heavy drinking provided by modern society. Further, environmental prov ocation also changes when life events change. It is not surprising, therefore, from the combination of the kinds of genetic and environmental variability described above that there is a wide array of patterns of expression of the disorder alcoholism, referred to by some as "alcoholisms. " In the search for understanding of underlying mechanisms and rational bases for potential therapy, it is important to focus our attention on the final common pathway of this disorder, alcohol-seeking behavior. This series, ever since its beginning in 1983, has been sensitive to the complexities of the interaction between biological and psychosocial risk factors in alcoholism.
Recent Developments in Alcoholism
Volume 18: Research on Alcoholics Anonymous and Spirituality in Addiction Recovery
Edited by Marc Galanter, NYU School of Medicine, and Lee Kaskutas, UC Berkely School of Public Health
It was once taken for granted that peer-assisted groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous had no "real" value in recovery from addiction. More recently, evidence-based medicine is recognizing a spiritual component in healing especially when it comes to addiction. The newest edition of Recent Developments in Alcoholism reflects this change by focusing on the 12-step model of recovery as well as mindfulness meditation and other spiritually oriented activity. More than thirty contributors bring together historical background, research findings, and clinical wisdom to analyze the compatibility of professional treatment and nonprofessional support, day-to-day concepts of relapse prevention, the value of community building in recovery, and much more.
Among the topics covered:
- How and why 12-step groups work.
- The impact of the spiritual on mainstream treatment.
- The impact of AA on other nonprofessional recovery programs.
- AA outcomes for special populations.
- Facilitating involvement in 12-step programs.
- Methods for measuring religiousness and spirituality in alcohol research.
Whether one is referring clients to 12-step programs or seeking to better understand the process, this is a unique resource for clinicians and social workers. Developmental psychologists, too, will find Volume 18 Research on Alcoholics Anonymous and Spirituality in Addiction Recovery a worthy successor to the series.
