73320 - TECNICHE DI INTERVENTO NELLE DIPENDENZE PATOLOGICHE

Learning outcomes

The student, at the end of the course must have a knowledge of the main strategies of intervention in various forms of addiction, particularly psychoactive substances addiction, with a view to promoting health and preventing "consumopatia" today targeted at pre-adolescence and adolescence in the first place, with an attention to the psychoeducational projects for addicted. The course will provide theoretical and practical knowledge based to prevent and intervene in an integrated way in the psychopathology of pathological addictions to achieve professional competence necessary for the treatment of pathological dependencies in psychosocial context.

Course contents

By the end of the course, students will have acquired knowledge of the major theoretical models and intervention strategies for both substance-related and behavioural addictions. The course addresses addictions involving psychoactive substances (including alcohol, heroin, and cocaine) as well as behavioural addictions, such as eating disorders, gambling disorder, and technology-related addictions, within a health promotion and prevention framework aimed at addressing contemporary patterns of excessive and maladaptive consumption across different population groups.

The course is designed to provide students with the fundamental theoretical and practical knowledge required to prevent and address addictive disorders through an integrated biopsychosocial approach. It aims to develop the professional competencies necessary for designing educational, preventive, and rehabilitative interventions in the field of addictive disorders.

Course Contents

• A theoretical introduction to contemporary perspectives on substance use, including the concept of the isomorphism between cocaine and contemporary society as an interpretative framework for understanding addiction.
• Health promotion and primary prevention of addictive disorders, with practical examples of prevention strategies targeting alcohol- and drug-related problems.
• Developmental psychopathology in adolescence, with particular attention to eating disorders, technology-related addictions, and protective factors that promote psychological well-being.
• Treatment and rehabilitation of addictive disorders in adulthood: the main evidence-informed intervention strategies currently available while awaiting more effective treatment solutions, including:
  • treatment of cocaine addiction;
  • therapeutic communities and modified therapeutic communities for specific target populations;
  • helping relationships and motivational interviewing;
  • psychoeducational group interventions in addiction treatment;
  • self-help and mutual-aid groups.

Experiential Learning

A distinctive feature of the 2026–2027 edition of the course will be a full-day experiential workshop, jointly delivered with Professor Laura Palareti, focusing on the development of the transferable competencies required by professionals working in educational and social services.

The workshop will employ analytic psychodrama within a large-group setting, providing students with an opportunity to reflect on professional identity, relational competencies, group processes, and the interpersonal skills essential for effective helping practice.

Readings/Bibliography

Recommended reading:

Psicologia clinica e psicopatologia per l'educazione e la formazione (2009), Pani R., Biolcati R., Sagliaschi S., Il Mulino, Bologna (Cap. 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 9).

Cocaina. Consumo, psicopatologia, trattamento (2009), Rigliano P., Bignamini E., Cortina, Milano (Cap. 1, 4, 6, 9).

Quale omogeneità nei gruppi?. Vasta, F. G., Girelli, R., & Gullo, S. (2013). Quale omogeneità nei gruppi. Alpes, Roma (Cap. 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 12, 16, 20, 22).

Only for students in ERASMUS program.

1. Biolcati, Roberta; Passini, Stefano; Pupi, Virginia, The role of video gaming motives in the relationship between personality risk traits and Internet Gaming Disorder «JOURNAL OF GAMBLING ISSUES», 2021, 46, pp. 221 - 241. https://doi.org/10.4309/jgi.2021.46.12
2. Biolcati, R; Mancini, G; Andrei, F; Trombini, E, Trait emotional intelligence and eating problems in adults: associations with alexithymia and substance use «MEDITERRANEAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY», 2021, 9, pp. 1 - 16
3. Biolcati R.; Mancini G.; Villano P., ‘And yet I’m an adult now’. The influence of parental criticism on women’s body satisfaction/dissatisfaction during emerging adulthood «INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ADOLESCENCE AND YOUTH», 2020, 25, pp. 599 - 608
   https://doi.org/10.1080/02673843.2019.1699433

Suggested references:

Eroina. La malattia degli oppioidi nell’era digitale. Giancane S. (2014). Torino: Gruppo Abele.

Un, due, tre stella! Storie di donne e di ordinaria violenza.
Guarini Antonia, 2016, Poiesis (Alberobello).

Le dipendenze senza droghe. Shopping compulsivo, internet e gioco d'azzardo (2006), Pani R., Biolcati R., Utet, Torino.

Le compulsioni psicopatologiche. Tra controllo degli impulsi e dipendenza (2014), Pani R., Sciuto A., FrancoAngeli, Milano.

Dinamiche e strategie del colloquio clinico (2006), Pani R., Sagliaschi S., Carocci, Roma.

 

Teaching methods

The course will be carried out in an innovative didactic way, in compliance with the objectives and contents reported in the programme. It will start with case studies proposed by the therapeutic communities and services of the Rimini area that work with social distress (pathological addictions in particular), working in group training devices during the lessons. Simulated and project work will be used. Frontal lessons are reduced to a minimum. The study of the texts will be done at home in the logic of the flypped classroom. The theses and the internship will be designed from the beginning to allow a complete and specialized training to work with a given profile of user and / or in a service. Some lessons will be shared with other teachers of the course to work synergistically on specific learning objectives.

For those who choose the course in innovative didactic modality:

- there will be an integration with the teaching of "THEORIES AND METHODS OF DESIGN AND EVALUATION OF EDUCATIONAL PROCESSES" by Prof. Aurora Ricci for the development of a common Project Work to be done in groups that will contribute to the evaluation in the final exam.

-An entire day of experiential group work with the analytical psychodrama technique is planned in integration with the teaching "MODELS AND INTERVENTION TECHNIQUES IN COMMUNITY SERVICES" by Prof. Laura Palareti and PSYCHOLOGICAL PROCESSES OF SOCIAL EXCLUSION AND MEDIATION by Prof. Iana Tzankova to work on transversal skills (self-reflection and the ability to read the roles played by oneself and others in group interactions in a dynamic setting).

Assessment methods

For students who choose the innovative method:

1. Group project work

2. In-process test on the text: Psicologia clinica e psicopatologia per l'educazione e la formazione (2009), Pani R., Biolcati R., Sagliaschi S., Il Mulino, Bologna (Cap. 3, 5, 8, 9).

3. Oral exam on the text: Cocaina. Consumo, psicopatologia, trattamento (2009), Rigliano P., Bignamini E., Cortina, Milano (Cap. 1, 4, 6, 9)

Students are expected to demonstrate:

• a sound knowledge of the required reading materials;
• the appropriate use of specialized disciplinary terminology;
• a critical and in-depth understanding of the psychodynamic aspects of addictive disorders as a key framework for designing effective educational and preventive interventions.

Assessment will also take into account students' ability to integrate theoretical knowledge with professional practice, critically discuss the topics covered during the course, and apply concepts to educational and clinical contexts.

 

For students who do NOT choose the innovative method:

Oral exam with 3 questions on the texts of the bibliography to take the exam.

 

For students in ERASMUS program.

Oral exam with 3 questions, 1 per research paper:

1. Biolcati, Roberta; Passini, Stefano; Pupi, Virginia, The role of video gaming motives in the relationship between personality risk traits and Internet Gaming Disorder «JOURNAL OF GAMBLING ISSUES», 2021, 46, pp. 221 - 241. https://doi.org/10.4309/jgi.2021.46.12
2. Biolcati, R; Mancini, G; Andrei, F; Trombini, E, Trait emotional intelligence and eating problems in adults: associations with alexithymia and substance use «MEDITERRANEAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY», 2021, 9, pp. 1 - 16
3. Biolcati R.; Mancini G.; Villano P., ‘And yet I’m an adult now’. The influence of parental criticism on women’s body satisfaction/dissatisfaction during emerging adulthood «INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ADOLESCENCE AND YOUTH», 2020, 25, pp. 599 - 608
   https://doi.org/10.1080/02673843.2019.1699433

Teaching tools

Teaching is supported by lecture slides and practical learning activities, including group discussions of clinical cases, simulated motivational interviewing sessions, and experiential analytic psychodrama sessions.

To complement the course content on technology-related

For the assessment of learning, the use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) is permitted only for students enrolled in the experimental track involving the group project work.

In this context, students may make limited, transparent, and non-substantive use of generative AI for support activities, such as summarising information or rephrasing text. Any use of AI must be explicitly acknowledged.

The substantive use of generative AI to produce or complete any significant part of the assessed work is not permitted and constitutes a violation of the University's academic integrity policy.

Office hours

See the website of Roberta Biolcati