Assessment targets

At the end of the chapter, you should ask yourself the following questions:

  • Can I explain the diagnostic criteria for substance use disorders?
  • Could I explain why any account of substance use disorder has to strike a delicate balance between ‘choice’ and a loss of control/compulsion?
  • Can I critically evaluate the importance of brain adaptations and cognitive processes in substance use disorders?
  • Can I explain why some people are at greater risk of developing substance use disorders than others?
  • Do I understand how substance use disorders are treated, and can I relate these treatments back to their theoretical models?