Neuroscientific models of addiction have progressed from simple dopamine-based explanations to more complex frameworks involving multiple brain circuits and systems. Recent evidence shows that addiction alters large-scale brain networks and that social, psychological, and developmental factors play a more central role than previously recognized. New treatments, such as psychedelic-assisted therapies, highlight the need for changes across biological, cognitive, and emotional levels. The authors argue that viewing addiction as a multilevel, interactive biopsychosocial process better accounts for differences in how addiction develops and resolves, and can guide more precise and effective interventions.
Among a national sample of US adults, lifetime psychedelic use is associated with lower severity of opioid use disorder, but this relationship depends on broader substance-use patterns and mental health. The protective association appears specific to certain substance-use profiles and is mediated by mental health status. The findings suggest that psychedelic use alone does not uniformly reduce opioid use disorder severity; rather, the context of other substance use and psychological well-being shapes the association.