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1000
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Abstract/Summary
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Brain-based explanations of addiction have been promoted for several decades. Their utility, however, is controversially discussed in the scientific community. While existing literature documents how stakeholders such as treatment providers, affected persons, and the public view their utility, views of the addiction research community are rarely represented. We aimed to complement existing studies by surveying researchers on their perspectives on the needs of addicted individuals, the utility of neuroscientific research for prevention and treatment, and future research priorities. 1440 international addiction researchers from many disciplines were invited to participate in a LimeSurvey. Their views on the treatment requirements of persons with addictions were assessed with a Likert scale and an open-ended question. The utility of neuroscientific research for prevention and treatment and the desired future priorities in addiction research were surveyed with open-ended questions. Quantitative items were analyzed descriptively. The qualitative content analysis of the free-text contributions followed an iterative inductive approach. Additionally, future research priorities were categorized deductively according to the underlying direction. 190 researchers from 29 countries participated (13.2%). Most considered various treatment and support options helpful and approaches tailored to the needs of individuals to be the most promising. The utility of neuroscientific research was evaluated critically by several, but benefits in terms of pharmacological treatment and the possibility to identify risk groups were acknowledged. Future areas of inquiry for addiction research mentioned were heterogenous and included neuroscientific/genetic/medications development (13%), psychosocial aspects (19%), and integrated bio-psycho-social approaches (45%). A corresponding reconsideration of treatment, support, and research seems warranted.
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