Competencies of a Graduate of the Bachelor's Study Programme in Addictology: Content Analysis of the Syllabi in the 2018/2019 Academic Year

Abstract

Background: Addictology is a transdisciplinary field dealing with the treatment andprevention of addictions. As yet the field does not have a document describing the competencies of graduates of its dedicated academic programme which would clearly define their professional boundaries and interface with other related disciplines.

Aims: The primary aim is to specify and better define the competencies of the graduates of bachelor’s programmes in addictology on the basis of learning outcomes. Another goal is to improve the formulation of learning outcomes for the individual courses constituting the bachelor’s degree curriculum.

Methods: The research sample comprises the accreditation files for the bachelor’s degree programme in addictology valid from 2011 to 2019 and information about the courses recorded in the Charles University Study Information System, which were subjected to content analysis, and the Q-RAM project methodology was used to reformulate the learning outcomes (knowledge, skills, and competencies). These were subsequently generalised and formulated into competencies.

Results: A list of learning outcomes of the field of addictology was created. The proposed competencies contain nine categories: understanding the phenomenon of addiction and substance use, an interdisciplinary approach, the application of a bio-psycho-sociospiritual model, methods of working with the client, the system of services, research and development, organisational management, drug policy, and ethics. The list reflects the generic profile of the graduate and their expertise, ranging from clinical skills through prevention, harm reduction, recovery, and overlaps with other specialisations, which goes beyond the standard requirements in foreign competence models.

Conclusion: The resulting outputs should be critically analysed and considered as a living document to strengthen the identity of the field and compare it with the requirements of practice.

Key words: addiction studies – competencies – knowledge and skills – learning outcomes – addictologist

Grant affiliation: The preparation of this paper was supported by the Institutional Plan (IP) of the Ministry of Education, Youth, and Sports 2019-2020 No. 236078-5, and an institutional grant, No. PROGRES – Q06/LF1, provided by Charles University.

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