A “Drug Abuse” Theoretical Integration: A Transdisciplinary Speculation

Abstract

This article attempts to integrate previous articles in this issue into an integrative statement that addresses the concept of drug abuse and drug abuse prevention from a transdisciplinary perspective. It is argued that there are two types of drug misusers. There are drug experimenters who make mistakes and drug misusers who utilize drugs as a means to counteract a baseline state of “dis-balance.” Prevention must address remediation of this dis-balance for the latter type of drug misuser.

• “Dis-balance”
• Drug abuse
• Prevention
• Transdisciplinarity
• Drug experimenters
• Drug misusers

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Steve Sussman

Steve Sussman, Ph.D., FAAHB, is a Professor of Preventive Medicine and Psychology at the University of Southern California. He uses empirical program development methods in tobacco and drug abuse prevention and cessation research, and has 200 publications. His projects include TNT, TND, and EX, considered model programs at numerous agencies. He received his doctorate in Social-Clinical Psychology from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1984. He is a member of the editorial board of Substance Use and Misuse.

Jennifer B. Unger

Jennifer B. Unger, Ph.D. is Assistant Professor of Preventive Medicine at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine. Her research interests include the psychosocial and sociocultural risk and protective factors for adolescent substance use and other health-related behaviors. She received her doctorate in Health Behavior Research from the University of Southern California in 1996.