Application of person-centered medicine in addiction

Main Article Content

Ralph Tarter
Levent Kirisci
Ty Ridenour
Debra Bogen

Abstract

This article discusses human individuality within a lifespan developmental perspective.  The practical application of an individual differences framework for diagnosis, prevention and treatment of addiction is described.  A brief overview of the methods conducive to knowledge development within the rubric of person-centered medicine that are available to practitioners working in office and clinic settings concludes the discussion.

Article Details

Section
Fourth Geneva Conference on Person-centered Medicine: Person-centered special developments
Author Biography

Ralph Tarter, Pittsburg University

Ralph Tarter, Ph.D., M.P.A., is a clinical neuropsychologist having special interest in addiction.  His research has focused on etiology and prevention of addictions spanning the use of genetic, neuroscience and behavioral science methodologies.  He currently is Director of the Center for Education and Drug Abuse Research funded by NIH and is Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Psychiatry and Psychology at the University of Pittsburgh.For many years, Dr. Tarter has been researching the etiology of addiction. This project involves tracking 775 families in order to learn about the unique combination of individual and environmental factors that bias the developmental trajectory to addiction.  This line of investigation is presently being extended to designing individualized prevention and treatment strategies that are grounded in an understanding of the causes and impacts of individual differences on development of psychopathology.  As a clinical psychologist, this perspective is occasionally called upon in forensic situations, particularly when a capital offense has been committed by a minor involving at the time of the crime substance use or intoxication.My clinical and research activities related to addiction join biological psychology and health psychology.  I have been very involved in quality of life studies, particularly in relation to liver transplantation.  In addition, I have been involved in research on nutrition and brain-behavior relationships in clinical samples.  Much of my skill has been devoted to health policy issues catalyzed in part by graduate training and Masters degree in policy analysis.I graduated from Concordia University in Montreal, Canada in 1966 when I obtained a B.A. degree.  I received the Masters degree in Clinical Psychology from Dalhousie University in 1968 and a Ph.D. in biological psychology/neuropsychology from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in 1971.  During the course of my career, I have published 280 peer refereed articles, 80 book chapters, co-edited 11 books and 2 special issues of journals.   I currently serve as Associate Editor of one journal and board member of four journals.

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