Addiction disorders/research

Head: Prof. Dr. med. Oliver Pogarell

Addiction disorders are of great health economic and socio-medical relevance worldwide. In Germany these disorders account for about one third of psychiatric inpatient admissions and are one of the most common diagnoses for which male inpatients receive treatment. High comorbidity with other mental and physical disorders contributes to the burden on patients. The risk of addiction is about three times higher in patients with mental illnesses, and the risk of developing other mental illnesses – mainly affective and anxiety disorders, developmental disorders, psychotic disorders, pain and insomnia – is one- to seven-times higher in patients with an addiction disorder.

The causes of addiction disorders are multifactorial, and the treatment approaches diverse. However, in Europe approx. 90% of people with addiction disorders receive no treatment or inadequate treatment. This is due to a large extent to the still considerable social stigmatisation of these disorders. Furthermore, there is a great need for research to improve our understanding of the associated neurobiological, psychosocial and sociological factors and thus to help explain the disease and to develop new, optimal treatments.

Our research on addiction aims to study the basis and mechanisms of addiction disorders on various levels so that in the long term we can improve treatment options, reduce the prevalence of addiction disorders through prevention, minimise stigmatisation and make ‘addiction’ a subject of today’s scientific discourse. Research approaches include neurophysiological imaging, genetic, epidemiological and psychotherapeutic studies.