Substance Use Disorders and Addictive Behaviours

The impact of our research

More than 5% of Australians have an addiction or substance use problem, making it one of the most common mental health disorders in the country.

Addictive behaviours often lead to problems with health, relationships, and work. Despite this, it’s not straightforward to reduce or stop addictive behaviours, even if they have negative consequences.

Our QIMR Berghofer researchers are working on multiple projects to better understand substance use disorders and addictive behaviours.

Our researchers are analysing DNA to identify the genetic risk of becoming addicted to a substance or behaviour. This includes addiction to alcohol, drugs, gambling, and gaming.

We’re investigating the link between genes and the environment, and how this impacts whether an individual develops an addiction.

We’ve shown how reducing alcohol intake could prevent 30,000 cases of cancer over 25 years.

About substance use disorders and addictive behaviours

What are substance use disorders and addictive behaviours?

Substance use disorder (SUD) is the persistent use of drugs, including alcohol, even when it causes substantial harm and negative consequences. SUDs are characterised by multiple mental, emotional, physical, and behavioural problems, including:

chronic guilt
being unable to reduce or stop consuming the substance(s), despite repeated attempts
driving while intoxicated
experiencing physical and physiological withdrawal symptoms.

Gambling disorder (GD) is a behavioural addiction in which persistent and recurrent gambling leads to significant impairment and distress. Individuals with lifetime experience of GD experience similar problems to those with a substance use disorder, including:

a preoccupation with gambling
unsuccessful attempts to control or stop gambling
gambling with increasing amounts of money
‘chasing’ losses
losing a relationship, job, or educational opportunity

Other addictive behaviours include Gaming disorder (GD) or internet gaming disorder (IGD), where individuals persistently and repeatedly play video games either online or offline.

What causes substance use disorders and addictive behaviours?

There’s a strong genetic component with SUDs and addictive behaviours. A series of twin and adoption studies have confirmed that genetics are a substantial risk factor.

What are the symptoms of substance use disorders and addictive behaviours?

SUDs develop when someone is using drugs or alcohol in large quantities for a prolonged period, leading to personal or social problems.

The following signs can indicate that substance use is becoming a problem:

losing control over alcohol or drug use – for instance, if you’re unable to stop or reduce your intake despite repeated attempts
harm from substance use. This could include injuries, medical problems, damaged relationships, or problems at work.

Substance use disorders and addictive behaviours in Australia

SUDs are one of the most common mental health disorders in Australia. In the past 12 months, one in 20 Australians aged 16–85 years (or 5.1%) had a substance use disorder, with 2.9% of the population impacted by Alcohol Use Disorder.

These disorders are accompanied by a range of psychosocial and medical dysfunctions and substantially increased mortality.

How are substance use disorders and addictive behaviours treated?

Treatments for substance abuse range from counselling through to hospital treatment. The best treatment depends on which substance is involved, and the level of dependency experienced.

Facts about substance use disorders and addictive behaviours

1 in 20

Australians has an addiction or substance use problem

Smoking

is the main cause of preventable death in Australia

~1 in 4

Australians drinks alcohol at risky levels

Our substance use disorders and addictive behaviours research

Cognitive Fitness

Led by Professor Murat Yucel, this lab uses cognitive neuroscience to create digital tools that measure, monitor and help optimise brain health.

“When ‘everything we do, matters’, eating, exercise, and other lifestyle choices are all important. We are working to understand habit formation and leverage technology to improve outcomes for those who seek help.”

Professor Murat Yücel

Genetic Epidemiology

Led by Professor Nick Martin, this lab seeks to identify the specific genes involved in complex disease causes. Over recent years. the team has focused on using genome wide association studies (GWAS) to locate genes influencing complex traits including anxiety, alcoholism, and dizygotic twinning.

“By analysing the DNA from saliva samples, we can pinpoint specific genes associated with eating disorders. Comparing these saliva samples to samples collected for other disorders helps us to understand the common conditions co-occurring with eating disorders, including obsessive compulsive disorder, depression, anxiety, substance abuse disorders and personality disorders.”

Professor Nick Martin

Psychiatric Genetics

Professor Sarah Medland

Translational Neurogenomics

Genetic and environmental factors influence consumption and the risk of dependence on substances, such as alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis. The Translational Neurogenomics lab identifies genes and biological pathways that are associated with substance use.

“In 2013, I founded the International Cannabis Consortium in collaboration with international colleagues. Many years later, our studies include hundred thousands of participants across the globe and we have identified dozens of genes that are linked to cannabis use. In our future work, we will identify medications that target cannabis risk genes and that are potentially effective for the treatment of Cannabis Use Disorder.”