SOCIAL SCIENCE OF RISK FACTORS FOR ADDICTION AND PROTECTIVE FACTORS FOR PREVENTION
The social science around risk and, conversely, protective factors for drug and alcohol addiction is documented in current prevention programs, which strive to shift the balance of factors so that protective factors outweigh risk factors.
These risk and protective factors assess individuals’ predisposition to drug and alcohol use and addiction. However, they are not deterministic of whether someone will become addicted – while some individuals have a higher possibility of developing the chronic brain disease of addiction, all have the potential to live a good life, addiction-free. The key is developing the internal and external capabilities to effectively manage these risk and protective factors.
The addiction prevention capability set locates the neurobiological correlates of each social science factor as the basis for external capabilities – for example, the reward pathway for adherence to prosocial norms is the same one activated by drugs and alcohol. Accordingly, this neural ability forms the basis for external capability 11, positive and robust social norms, to harnesses our reward pathways for health and flourishing.
