Substance Abuse: Nature or Nurture?

Beginning of article

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Illicit psychoactive substance use, abuse, and dependence are major public health problems. Several genetic risk factors contribute to dependence on both lawfully prescribed medications and illicit psychoactive substances. However, the interrelationship of these risk factors is unclear. Understanding the differences in risk is essential to aiding clinicians and researchers in developing effective approaches to prevention and treatment of these disorders.

Kenneth S. Kendler, M.D., Director of the Psychiatric Genetics Research Program at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical School in Richmond, and his team of researchers sought to clarify the …