Addictions

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Marc Potenza, M.D., Ph.D.

Addictions result in tremendous economic cost to society, totaling hundreds of billions of dollars annually in the United States. The economic costs do not capture fully the societal costs in personal and familial impact.

Historically, addiction research has focused extensively on men. Recent data suggest increasing drug use and engagement in other addictive behaviors in women and the practical value of understanding gender-specific aspects of addiction.

Research in addiction at Women’s Health Research at Yale focuses on clinical and biological differences related to substance and non-substance addictions. We also investigate gender-sensitive and gender-specific factors as they relate to prevention and treatment of these disorders.

Vision

The central mission of the Women and Addictions Core is to gain a better understanding of how addictions impact girls and women, use this knowledge to improve prevention and treatment, and communicate this information through educational outlets.

Core Director

Marc N. Potenza, M.D., Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Child Study; Director, Problem Gambling Clinic, Yale School of Medicine, and Director, Women and Addictive Disorders Core, Women's Health Research at Yale.