Concept of psychosocial vulnerability in the field of health and addictions

Abstract

The concept of vulnerability has been approached from diverse disciplines, by adjunsting its content and development differentially to each one to cover their respective objectives. Nevertheless the primary vulnerability pattern remains supported in the principle of threat. From the context of health and addictions is of paramount importance to develop the construct of vulnerability to cope with its impact on health problems and behaviors of both chemical and non chemical consumption. Theoretically a set of variables take part in the construction of the psychosocial vulnerability: risk, coping, resilency, stress, bond and emotional intelligence, which modulate their configuration and make the vulnerability a risk factor or a protection factor depending on how act those variables in the final stage. From this development we can work in the construction of measurement instruments to quantify objectively the amount of psychosocial vulnerability among people in order to be capable of creating preventive programs. The conceptual approach of psychosocial vulnerability can be a useful tool against disease processes and substance consumption, as well as prevention of others non chemical addictions.