Addiction Medicine: Closing the Gap between Science and Practice

Appendix E

Survey of New York State Addiction Treatment Staff

Responses from 141 survey participants. The number corresponding to each response option represents
the percent, among those responding to the question, that provided the particular response.

I. ATTITUDES TOWARD ADDICTION

1. For each of the following health conditions please indicate whether you think...

 It cannot be treated at all; once a person has it, he or she always will suffer from it and its

symptoms;

 It can be managed so that the symptoms are kept in check even though the individual

continues to have the underlying problem; or

 It can be treated successfully so that the individual no longer suffers from the problem.

Cannot be

treated at all

Can be

managed

Can be treated
successfully
Depression 0.0 60.7 39.3
Addiction to alcohol 0.0 55.4 44.6
Diabetes 0.0 84.9 15.1
Asthma 0.0 84.2 15.8
Addiction to drugs other than nicotine or alcohol 0.0 57.6 42.4
Heart disease 2.2 75.5 22.3
Addiction to nicotine 0.7 40.6 58.7

2. Which of the following do you think are the main factors involved in developing...
   (i) Addiction to tobacco? (Please select a maximum of two primary factors)
   (ii) Addiction to alcohol? (Please select a maximum of two primary factors)
   (iii) Addiction to prescription/illegal drugs? (Please select a maximum of two primary factors)

Addiction to

tobacco

Addiction

to alcohol

Addiction to
prescription
illegal/drugs
A physical health problem 36.2 40.4 45.4
A mental health problem 19.1 46.8 45.4
A genetic problem 18.4 64.5 38.3
A behavioral problem 47.5 50.4 48.9
A moral problem 10.6 30.5 24.1
A spiritual problem 12.1 41.8 32.6
A reliance on the substance as an emotional crutch 53.9 81.6 66.7
A problem of willpower or self control 29.8 26.2 19.1