Dingel Molly J, Ostergren Jenny, Heaney Kathleen, Koenig Barbara A, McCormick Jennifer
University of Minnesota Rochester, 300 University Square, 111 South Broadway, Rochester, Minnesota, 55904, USA,
University of Michigan School of Public Health, 1415 Washington Heights, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA,
Biosocieties. 2017 Dec;12(4):568-587. doi: 10.1057/s41292-017-0045-4. Epub 2017 Jul 11.
The gene has infiltrated the way citizens perceive themselves and their health. However, there is scant research that explores the ways genetic conceptions infiltrate individuals' understanding of their own health as it relates to a behavioral trait, like addiction. Do people seeking treatment for addiction ground their self-perception in biology in a way that shapes their experiences? We interviewed 63 participants in addiction treatment programs, asking how they make meaning of a genetic understanding of addiction in the context of their recovery, and in dealing with the stigma of addiction. About two-thirds of people in our sample did not find a genetic conception of addiction personally useful to them in treatment, instead believing that the cause was irrelevant to their daily struggle to remain abstinent. One-third of respondents believed that an individualized confirmation of a genetic predisposition to addiction would facilitate their dealing with feelings of shame and accept treatment. The vast majority of our sample believed that a genetic understanding of addiction would reduce the stigma associated with addiction, which demonstrates the perceived power of genetic explanations in U.S. society. Our results indicate that respondents (unevenly) ground their self-perception of themselves as an addicted individual in biology.
该基因已经渗透到公民看待自身及其健康的方式中。然而，很少有研究探讨基因观念是如何渗透到个体对自身健康的理解中的，尤其是当这种理解与一种行为特征（如成瘾）相关时。寻求成瘾治疗的人是否会以一种塑造其经历的方式将自我认知建立在生物学基础上呢？我们采访了63名参加成瘾治疗项目的参与者，询问他们在康复过程中以及应对成瘾污名化的背景下，如何理解成瘾的基因层面。在我们的样本中，约三分之二的人认为成瘾的基因观念在治疗中对他们个人并无用处，相反，他们认为成瘾原因与他们日常保持戒除的努力无关。三分之一的受访者认为，对成瘾遗传易感性的个体化确认将有助于他们应对羞耻感并接受治疗。我们样本中的绝大多数人认为，对成瘾的基因理解会减少与成瘾相关的污名，这表明了基因解释在美国社会中所具有的影响力。我们的结果表明，受访者（不均衡地）将自己作为成瘾个体的自我认知建立在了生物学基础上。
