s
Comments/notes
Title / Substance Misuse: Interpretations and Interventions
Code / SSM58
Level / 7
Credit Rating / 20
Prerequisites / Undergraduate degree in Social Science or equivalent
Type of Module / Extensive
Aims /
  • To enable students to develop a critical awareness of the key theoretical and political debates from the field of substance misuse.
  • To support students in application of this knowledge to inform practice in the field of substance misuse.
  • Critical evaluation of theory and practice from the field of substance misuse.

Learning Outcomes/objectives / On successful completion of the module, students will be able to demonstrate:
  1. critical awareness of key theoretical and political debates which currently inform policy and practice in the substance misuse field.
  2. their ability to critically evaluate substance misuse research data and its application to practice interventions.
  3. an awareness of, and an ability to synthesise, service user and practitioner voices from the substance misuse field, and their application to practice.

Content
(for contact time and non-contact time) / Each session in the module will cover a range of theories of substance misuse and the interventions that arise from these theories.
Theories covered will include (amongst others):
  • Criminalisation or Public Health?
  • Treatment and Harm Minimisation approaches
  • Criminal Justice Approaches
  • Researching Drug Use in Society
  • Biobehavioural processes & pharmacological practice responses
  • Intrapsychic accounts

Teaching and Learning Strategies / A variety of teaching modes will be employed but the emphasis will be on interactive lectures and detailed group work using case study material to illustrate the central module themes. There will be input from staff within the School but there will also be a contribution from managers/ professionals and representatives of user/service user/community groups who will facilitate some of the sessions.
The module will be taught extensively over Semester 2:
Lectures and seminars, discussion and debate.
25 hours lecture/seminar contact time.
(10 x 2.5 hours)
175 hours personal study time.
The personal study time should be divided between:
directed and independent reading.
preparation for seminars.
essay writing.
Learning Support /

Reading List.

Baldock, J. et al. (2003) Social Policy. Oxford: OxfordUniversity Press
Bean, P. (2004) Drugs and Crime 2nd Ed. Willan Publishing
Beck, Aaron T. (1993) Cognitive Therapy of Substance Abuse. London; New York: Guilford Press.
Bennett, T and Holloway, K. (2005) Understanding drugs, alcohol and crime. Open University Press
Bochel, H. et al (2004) Social Policy: Issues and Developments. London: Pearson
Booth Davies, J. (1992) The Myth of Addition. Hove: Routledge
Bullock, H. Mountford, J. & Stanley, R. (2001) Better Policy Making.London CMPS
http:
Campbell, N. D. (2000)Using Women: Gender, drug policy and social issues.New York: Routledge
DepartmentofHealth (1999). Drug Misuse and Dependence: Guidelines on Clinical Management. Department of Health.

Friedman, D. (1999) False Messengers: How Addictive Drugs Change The Brain.Amsterdam: Harwood Academic Press.
Ghodse, Hamid. (2002) Drugs and Addictive Behaviour: A Guide to Treatment (3rd Ed.). CambridgeUniversity Press.
Hill, M. (1997) The Policy Process in The ModernState. London: Prentice Hall.
Hough, M. (1996) Drugs Misuse and the Criminal Justice System: A Review of the Literature. Drugs Prevention Initiative: Home Office
Julien, R. M. (2001) A Primer of Drug Action: a concise non technical guide… (9th Edition) New York: Worth Publishing. Suggest reading Chapter 1.
Miller, R. W. & Rollnick, S. (1991). Motivational Interviewing: Preparing People to Change Addictive Behaviour. New York; Guilford Press.
NationalTreatmentAgencyforSubstanceMisuse (2002). Models of care for substance misuse treatment: Promoting quality, efficiency and effectiveness in drug misuse treatment services. National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse.

Orford, J. (2002) Excessive Appetites: A Psychological View of Addictions. (2nd Ed.) Chichester; John Wiley & Sons.
Pates, R., McBride., Arnold, K. (2005) Injecting Illicit Drugs. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.
Peterson, T. & McBride, eds. 2002 Working with Substance Misusers: A guide to theory and practice. London: Routledge Chapters 11, 12, 15.
Shavelson, L. (2001) Hooked: Five addicts challenge our misguided drug rehab system. New York: The new Press. Falmer Library.

Simpson, M., Shildrick, T and MacDonald, R. (2007) Drugs in Britiain: Supply, consumption and control. Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillian

South, N (ed) (1999) Drugs: Cultures, Controls and Everyday Life. Sage Pubs.

Strang, J & M. Gossop. (2005) Heroin Addiction and The British System. Vol. 1. London: Routledge

Strang, J & M. Gossop. (2005) Heroin Addiction and the British System. Vol. 2.London: Routledge
UKADCU. 1998. Tackling drugs to build a better Britain: the
government's 10-year strategy for tackling drug misuse. London: (United
Kingdom Anti-Drugs Co-ordinating Unit) The Stationary Office.

Ward, J.; Mattick, R. P.; Hall, W. (Eds.) (1992) Key Issues in Methadone Maintenance Treatment.University of New South Wales. Suggest reading Section 2, Chapters 5-7.

WorldHealthOrganisation. 2004. Neuroscience of psychoactive
substance use and dependence. Geneva: WHO.

Journals.

Addiction
Addiction Biology
Addictive Behaviors.
Alcohol.
Drug and Alcohol Dependence.
Drug and Alcohol Findings
Drugs: education, prevention and policy.
European Journal of Pharmacology.
International Journal of Drug Policy.
Journal of Abnormal Psychology.
Journal of Substance Abuse.
Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment.
Pharmacology Biochemistry and Behavior.
Psychology of Addictive Behaviors.
Trends in Pharmacological Sciences.
Websites:
Alcohol Concern
Department of Health
Drugscope
Drugtext
European Monitoring Centre for
drugs and drug Addiction.
Home Office Drug Prevention
International Harm Reduction
Association
National Treatment Agency
U.S. Policy
World Health Organization
Assessment Task /
  • Deliver presentation (30 minutes) on a session topic; to be chosen in agreement with the module tutor. (Formative Assessment)(LO1 & LO2)
  • Essay of 4000 words (+10%) consistent with the module’s learning outcomes; Title to be agreed with module tutor. (100%) (LO1 & LO2 & LO3)

Assessment Criteria /
  1. Identify a key, contemporarydebate within the substance theory and/or practice.
  2. Demonstrate a critical awareness of the key theoretical and political voices which currently inform policy and practice within the chosen debate.
  3. Critically evaluate the methodological commitments underpinning research data which is utilised within the debate; paying special attention to the implications that this has on both policy and practice.
  4. Synthesise research and theory to provide a coherent argument for future practice and/or research and/or policy developments within your chosen area of debate.

Brief Description of module content and/or aims for publicity / Multiple theories exist which seek to explain the phenomenon of addiction, indeed the concept of addiction itself is greatly contested. The language and terminology associated with addiction is problematic and reflects multiple, competing, interpretations and value positions. Current national (and global) governmental interpretation of addiction sees the use of certain, controlled, substances as a potential threat to both health and social cohesion; within these narratives addiction to controlled substances is conceived as ‘substance misuse’ and policies of prohibition and control have been established. Such policies, although varying in form between nation states, have arguably created significant health and social problems.
This module will interrogate competing interpretations of addiction. However as a general focus the module will seek to critically engage with addiction as it is conceived within ‘substance misuse’ discourses.
This module will enable students to develop the means to critically engage with current substance misuse policy and practice.
This module will critically engage with contemporary empirical debates necessary for postgraduate study of the multidisciplinary field of substance misuse. Students will be supported to develop knowledge and understanding of key interpretations of drug and alcohol usage and the subsequent intervention responses that such behaviour receives.
Area examination board to which the module relates / SASS Postgraduate Area Examination Board
Semester offered / 2
Timetable slot(s)
Site where offered / Falmer
Date of first approval / September 2007
Date of last revision / October 2008
Date of approval of this version / November 2009
Version number / 2
Replacement for previous module / N/A
Field for which module is acceptable and status in course
School Home / SASS
External examiner / Maggie Sumner

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