Psychodynamic Factors and Drug Addiction: Some Theoretical and Research Perspectives

Abstract

The two major theoretical approaches to nonmedical drug use have been identified as the disturbed personality and sociocultural views. The present paper provides a review of psychodynamic contributions to the disturbed personality perspective. Following a brief discussion of earlier psychoanalytic views of substance use and its determinants, attention is devoted to contemporary psychodynamic formulations. It is noted that despite increasing interest shown by psychoanalytic writers to the importance of sociocultural factors, the psychodynamic emphasis continues to be placed on the role of psychopathology, i.e., disturbed personality. One possible direction that further research might take involves an attempt to provide an integrative framework for reconciling these conflicting theoretical approaches. A model which meets many of the criteria for an integrated approach has already been formulated by Dembo and Shern (1982).