ADDICTION AND BEHAVIOURAL HEALTH: REVIEW OF PSYCHOLOGICAL MODELS, INTERVENTION MODALITIES, AND EMERGING TRENDS

Abstract

Addiction, both to substances and behaviours, poses serious challenges to individual and public health. Behavioural medicine and health psychology provide evidence-based frameworks to understand, assess, and intervene in addictive behaviours. This chapter reviews key psychological models of addiction (e.g., cognitive-behavioural, motivational, reward-based, dual-process, and schema-based models), prevalence and risk factors for both substance and digital/behavioural addictions, and existing intervention modalities. Meta-analytic evidence supports moderate efficacy for behavioural therapies (e.g., CBT, contingency management), especially when combined with pharmacotherapy for substance use disorders. Emerging challenges include co-occurring mental health disorders, digital addiction among adolescents, persuasive or “dark” design in technology, and integration of e-health/digital interventions. Methodological issues in the field include heterogeneity in diagnostic criteria, measurement tools, follow-up periods, and sample representativeness. The chapter also outlines research gaps and proposes methodologies for future work. Understanding the intersections of behavioural health and addiction is crucial for developing effective prevention, treatment, and policy strategies.