Stress and Addiction
Biological and Psychological Mechanisms

Stress is one of the most commonly reported precipitants of drug use and is considered the number one cause of relapse to drug abuse. For the past several decades, there have been a number of significant advances in research focusing on the neurobiological and psychosocial aspects of stress and addiction; along with this growth came the recognition of the importance of understanding the interaction of biological and psychosocial factors that influence risk for initiation and maintenance of addictive behaviors. Recent research has started to specifically focus on understanding the nature of how stress contributes to addiction - this research has influenced the way we think about addiction and its etiological factors and has produced exciting possibilities for developing effective intervention strategies; to date there has been no available book to integrate this literature. This highly focused work integrates and consolidates available knowledge to provide a resource for researchers and practitioners and for trainees in multiple fields. Stress and Addiction will help neuroscientists, social scientists, and mental health providers in addressing the role of stress in addictive behaviors; the volume is also useful as a reference book for those conducting research in this field.

Foreword by George F. Koob

Section I. Neurobiology of Stress and Addiction.
Biological Bases of the Stress Response.
The Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis and Addiction.
Dopaminergic Reward Pathways and Effects of Stress.
Endogenous Opiates, Addiction, and the Stress Response.
Early Life Stress and Vulnerability to Addiction.
Genetics, Stress and the Risk for Addiction .
Neurobiology of Stress and Risk for Relapse.

Section II. Psychosocial Processes Related to Stress and Addiction.
Negative Affect and Addiction.
Stress and Impulsive Behaviors.
Psychosocial Determinants of the Stress Response.
Individual Differences in Response to Stress and Risk for Addiction.
Addiction and Stress in Adolescents.

Section III. Clinical Implications: Assessment and Intervention.
The Assessment of Stress in Research and Clinical Settings.
Assessment of Addictions in Clinical and Research Settings.
Stress, Anxiety and Addiction: Intervention Strategies.
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Substance Use Disorders.
Novel Pharmacologic treatment of Stress and Addiction: The Role of CRF and Glucocorticoid Antagonists.
Future directions of research on stress and addictive behaviors.

Clinicians and researchers in neuroscience, neurobiology, neurology, psychology, and medicine.

Professor of Behavioral Medicine and holder of the Max & Mary La Due Pickworth Chair at the University of Minnesota Medical School, Dr. al’Absi is the founding director of the Duluth Medical Research Institute. He is also the Course Director of Behavioral Medicine at the Medical School, has a joint appointment as a Professor and a graduate faculty at the Departments of Physiology & Pharmacology, Neuroscience, Family Medicine, and the Integrated Biological Sciences Program. Professor al’Absi directs a research program focusing on the neurobiology of stress.