• Ryan E Lawrence, Kenneth A Rasinski, John D Yoon, and Farr A Curlin.
• Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA. rlawrence@uchicago.edu
• Am J Addict. 2013 May 1; 22 (3): 255-60.

Background And ObjectivesSociety debates whether addiction is a disease, a response to psychological woundedness, or moral failing.MethodWe surveyed a national sample of 1427 US primary care physicians (PCPs) and 487 psychiatrists, asking "In your judgment, to what extent is alcoholism/drug addiction each of the following? A) a disease B) a response to psychological woundedness C) a result of moral failings."ResultsThe response rate was 63% for PCPs and 64% for psychiatrists. More psychiatrists than PCPs consider addiction a disease (64% versus 56%). Some PCPs (31%) and psychiatrists (27%) attribute addiction to psychological woundedness. More psychiatrists than PCPs said addiction is "not at all" due to moral failings (55% versus 39%).Conclusions And Scientific SignificanceThe disease model for addiction is prominent among physicians, but exists alongside beliefs that addiction is a response to psychological woundedness, or a result of moral failings.Copyright © American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry.

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