HISTORICAL, ETHICAL, NEUROBIOLOGICAL, AND PSYCHOSOCIAL ASPECTS OF ATTITUDES TOWARD ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE: EVOLUTION OF APPROACHES AND CURRENT CHALLENGES
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32782/2709-9261-2026-1-17-17Keywords:
alcohol dependence, role of the police, historical aspect of alcoholism, neurobiology of addiction, psychosocial theories of addiction, ethics of attitude, stigmatizationAbstract
The article provides a comprehensive interdisciplinary analysis of the historical, ethical, and psychosocial aspects of attitudes toward alcohol dependence as a socially significant biopsychosocial phenomenon. It traces the evolution of approaches–from the religious and moral interpretation of drunkenness as a “sin” and personal flaw to the modern neurobiological concept of addiction as a chronic brain disorder formed under the influence of genetic, psychological, and sociocultural factors. Particular attention is paid to the specifics of the historical development of alcoholism in Ukraine: from traditional rituals and community control to imperial tax policy, the Soviet “vodka economy,” and contemporary challenges associated with socio-economic instability and the traumatic experience of war. The psychosocial mechanisms of addiction formation are revealed through the prism of social learning theory, stress coping models, attachment theory, and the concept of social integration. At the neurobiological level, the role of the dopamine system, neuroplastic changes, and the formation of a “new homeostasis” that supports pathological reinforcement and causes relapses is described. The influence of stigmatization and self-stigmatization on reducing motivation for treatment is outlined, and the importance of using non-stigmatizing language in scientific, medical, and law enforcement discourses is emphasized. The role of the police as an institutional entity for prevention and early intervention, capable of combining law enforcement functions with referring individuals to treatment and social support, is analyzed separately. The need for a balance between punitive measures and therapeutic approaches is justified. A conclusion is made about the expediency of a humanistic, scientifically based model of assistance aimed at destigmatization and social integration of persons with alcohol dependence.
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