Addiction

and Public Health

About 10% of American adults report having experienced a substance use disorder. Yet, only one-quarter have received any form of treatment,1 and the availability of treatment may be even more compromised in under-resourced settings. 

 

The US Surgeon General’s Report, Facing Addiction in America, calls for better-integrating2 substance misuse and substance use disorder treatment into mainstream practice and for correspondingly increased training for physicians and all other members of the healthcare team, including undergraduates, graduates, postgraduates, and professionals.3 The Report urges nonprofit organizations and others to mobilize a robust public health response to substance use disorders, including integration of education related to substance misuse and substance abuse disorders into all health workers’ practices.4 It also encourages public health models for addressing addiction and its causes while indicating an increased need for healthcare providers to understand the basics of public health.5 Finally, the Report calls for foci on evidence-based addiction treatment and on preventing substance misuse and substance use disorders.6

In response, the Addiction Training for Health Professionals (ATHP) leveraged other programs at the Frank Foundation to develop and test a number of projects to bolster addiction and public health education for physicians and their teams.

  1. ATHP co-sponsored the development of public health courses that are now available globally and for free.
  2. ATHP provides these courses as a path to specialization in addiction medicine. The public health courses form the didactic portion of the Preventive Medicine Residency, removing cost barriers for preventive medicine programs to offer these courses so that residents may pursue board certification and then acquire eligibility for sub-specialization in addiction medicine.
  3. ATHP co-developed a Public Health Concentration in Substance Use and Mental Health.
  4. ATHP co-sponsors a very low-cost public health program with enrollees from 50 countries that offers the Substance Use and Mental Health Concentration Courses for free.

 

ATHP works with institutional partners to develop new public health programs that emphasize substance use disorders. Four new MPH programs have been developed with institutional partners. These include the University of the Incarnate Word School of Medicine, Texas; Foundation for Professional Development School of Public Health, South Africa; New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, New York; and the Baptist Institute of Health Sciences, Cameroon. A large portion of the students enrolled in these programs are physicians – medical students, residents, or practicing physicians.

References

 

  1. 10 percent of US adults have drug use disorder at some point in their lives. (2015) US Department of Health and Human Services. 10 percent of US adults have drug use disorder at some point in their lives | National Institutes of Health (NIH).
  2. Facts and Recommendations for Health Professionals and Health Care Systems. (n.d.) Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Link Here 
  3. Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs and Health. (2016) US Department of Health and Human Services. Link Here
  4. Vision for the Future: A Public Health Approach. (2016) US Department of Health and Human Services. Link Here
  5. A Public Health Model for Addressing Substance Misuse and Related Consequences. (2016) US Department of Health and Human Services. Link Here
  6. Vision for the Future: A Public Health Approach. (2016).

Addiction Concentration

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Public Health U

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Public Health Courses

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Public health must focus on the

treatment and prevention of SUDs

“As a Neurologist and an Assistant Lecturer at the University of Boya, I became interested in the Master’s in Public Health program as a way of exploring interventions for the increased incidence of substance use and mental problems in my country. My region is undergoing a socio-political crisis, which has contributed to conflict and displacement, and I hope through this program I can develop ways to address these issues locally.”
Nkouonlack Cyrille, MD
Nkouonlack Cyrille, MDMPH Concentration Participant
“I am a clinician working in a tertiary institution in Nigeria. In my country, we have been observing an alarming increase in the number of substance abuse cases among university students. My motivation to find preventative approaches, treatments and interventions has led me to focus my research in the area of substance abuse. I was inspired to take on this program before pursuing a PhD.,and I am particularly interested in the public health perspective, prevention and substance use and abuse management.”
Ndianabasi Ekong Ekong, MD
Ndianabasi Ekong Ekong, MDMPH Concentration Participant
“I engage with individuals and families that are dealing with social issues including substance abuse. I must say that in Nigeria, substance abuse is a growing challenge among young professionals and university undergraduates. The government is not prepared to cope with this problem and there is a need to develop public health strategies. I was motivated to start this program in an effort to find ways to address the issue of substance abuse with compassion and sensitivity to the underlying psychological and social issues. It is my hope that our country embarks on a sensitization campaign at the national level so that we can educate the public about the dangers of substance addiction.”
Ikhidero Aigboje MB;BS
Ikhidero Aigboje MB;BSMPH Concentration Participant
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