HYBRID EVENT: You can participate in person at Boston, Massachusetts, USA or Virtually from your home or work.
7th Edition of Global Conference on
Addiction Medicine, Behavioral Health and Psychiatry
October 19-21, 2026 | Boston, Massachusetts, USA
Social Learning in Addiction Development
Social Learning in Addiction Development
Addiction development is strongly influenced by social learning, where individuals adopt behaviors by observing others, especially in close social circles. Peer pressure, family dynamics, and cultural norms significantly impact the initiation and continuation of substance use. For example, adolescents exposed to drug-using peers are more likely to experiment with substances due to normalization and perceived acceptance. Social learning theory highlights the importance of modeling healthy behaviors and creating environments that discourage substance use. Interventions often focus on family counseling, community education, and promoting positive role models to counteract the adverse effects of social learning.
Committee Members
Nile Stanley
University of North Florida, United States
Ann Marie Leonard Zabel
Curry College, United States
Edie Raether
NeuroShifts and Wings for Wishes Academy, United States GAB 2026 Speakers
Sindu Padmanabhan
Bharathiar University, India
Kayla Albers
Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School, United States
Jorja Jamison
Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School, United States
Andrew Drasen
A Vision of Hope Media, United StatesSubmit your abstract Today
Title : The Storm Within: Neuropsychological Insights into Dysregulation and Substance Use in the Adolescent Brain.
Ann Marie Leonard Zabel, Curry College, United States
Title : Sexualizing anxiety and anxiolytic sex: Misattribution of arousal
Sam Vaknin, CIAPS, Cambridge, United Kingdom
Title : Workplace and occupational mental health: Supporting well-being at work
Sindu Padmanabhan, Bharathiar University, India
Title : Resilience in counseling: Processing grief for the addictions counselor
Kayla Albers, Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School, United States
Title : Resilience in counseling: Processing grief for the addictions counselor
Jorja Jamison, Hazelden Betty Ford Graduate School, United States
Title : Identity restoration as a missing variable in relapse prevention
Andrew Drasen, A Vision of Hope Media, United States