Abstract
This banded dissertation is a culmination of three individual products that explored the role of biopsychosocial factors on addictive disorders among students in health in human sciences disciplines. This dissertation further explores the need for integration of addictive disorder education into the curricula of health and human sciences disciplines as a way to improve care for individuals with addictive disorders, decrease stigma associated with addiction by addressing implicit and explicit bias, and ultimately arm future healthcare providers with the knowledge and skill to support these individuals. Product one is a conceptual paper which explores the connection between biopsychosocial factors, addictive behaviors, stigma, and beliefs about individuals with addictive disorders. Product two reports the findings of a quantitative pilot study that assessed student beliefs toward addictive disorders. In this study, participants completed a pretest (n=92), an educational seminar on addiction, and a posttest (n=86). Findings showed that statistical significance was not present in the analysis of the three subscales and that the hypothesis was not met; however, all subscales showed improvement in the expected direction at posttest. Product three is a summary of an e-poster presentation that was part of the Council on Social Work Educations 66th Annual Program Meeting, which is a national, peer reviewed conference. The e-poster was titled Decreasing Stigma by Addressing Student Beliefs Toward Addictive Disorders.