Curriculum for Addiction Professionals > Competency 4: Prevention > 5. Addiction Disorders in Women
Competency 4: Prevention
Addiction Disorders in Women
Identifying addiction disorders in women of childbearing age and with risk factors
for FASD is an important part of FASD prevention.
Prevention Approaches
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has developed
a
Strategic Prevention Framework focused on shaping healthy environments,
supportive communities, and neighborhoods, which are connected to families and friends
and then to substance abuse prevention and crime-free programs. Within
this broader context, communities can support many FASD prevention efforts. The
Institute
of Medicine (IOM)2 has
developed a three-pronged approach to prevention:
- Universal prevention. Promotes the health and
well-being of all individuals in society or a particular community.
Universal prevention targets the general public or an entire population group. Examples are public service
announcements and informational brochures.
- Selective prevention. Targets individuals or a
population group at higher risk of developing a particular condition. An example
would be screening women of childbearing age for alcohol problems.
- Indicated prevention. Targets high-risk individuals
who have detectable signs or symptoms of a condition or biologic markers indicating
predisposition to the condition. An example would be substance abuse treatment for mothers
of children with an FASD.2