The best training in Drug Dependency Prevention

The field of addictions It is one of the most fascinating and complex of Psychology and Health Sciences. The prevalence of addiction disorders is very high, especially at a time when the consumption of addictive substances begins at an earlier age.

However, the psychological and social interventions necessary to combat the problem of addiction cannot focus solely on treating addicted people. One of the crucial factors to take into account is prevention: the set of investigations, plans and strategies aimed at preventing dependency from reaching a critical point of development.

In this article we will see How can you choose the best drug prevention training?, taking into account several criteria that inform us about the quality of these courses, masters and postgraduate specialization.

• Related article: "15 consequences of drug use (in your mind and in your body)"

How to train in Drug Dependency Prevention: quality criteria

When choosing training programs, it is important to look at whether the master's degrees, courses and postgraduate courses have the following characteristics.

1. They treat the main forms of addiction

Unless the learning program focuses on a very specific type of addiction, these courses should give a global vision of at least the main forms of addiction, and not just some relatively rare ones. In this way, students will gain versatility in the world of work.

2. They are based on scientifically validated knowledge

It is clear that the knowledge obtained through science is never definitive or impossible to determine. question, but that does not mean that they have the same value as those achieved through another procedure any.

Especially in such a delicate area and associated with the health professions sector, it is essential that both the paradigm from which it is based and the contents taught have scientific solidity and are updated in line with the latest published research. Approaches that talk about addictions based on totally abstract concepts and without operational definition, or that are based on outdated models associated with mysticism, must be discarded.

3. They offer a personalized service

Much of the learning potential that a training program offers us comes not from the information that is transmitted to us in a more or less unidirectional way, but the possibility of interacting with people with real knowledge in the matter and willing to solve our specific doubts.

For this reason, personalized tutorials are essential. Thanks to these counseling sessions, we "soak up" knowledge in a more spontaneous and dynamic way, although studying alone is also essential.

4. They offer theoretical and practical knowledge

In the case of postgraduate and master's degrees, it is important to have the possibility of doing internships related to what has been studied. In this way, students will internalize the knowledge transmitted through the double track of theory and practice, two facets that are interrelated and co-dependent on each other. Knowing the theory is of little use if it does not translate into behavior patterns that lead us to action regardless of whether our field is clinical, psychosocial or educational.

5. They report on all levels of addiction

Addictions have different levels of complexity, ranging from the micro to the neuropsychology of reward circuit to the macro of relational and social aspects of behaviors addictive. In order to fully understand how the prevention of these alterations can be approached, it is necessary to have a global vision of all this problem, and the courses, masters and postgraduates must cover those levels of complexity.

• You may be interested in: "Addictions without substances: compulsive behaviors without control"

Conclusion: an interesting area of ​​expertise

The existence of addictions is a challenge that as a society we are obliged to face, and this requires well-trained professionals. For this reason, the specialization in prevention It is one of the main centers of professionalization, and it seems that it will continue to be so in the long term due to the extension of the problem of drugs and addictive behaviors.