Monitor on Psychology - January 2012 - (Page 41)

MESSAGE FOR CAPITOL HILL: Science can solve social problems Attendees at APA’s Science Leadership Conference advocated for substance abuse research and protecting the peer-review process. B Y S AD IE F. D IN G FELDER AND LEA WI NERMAN ubstance use costs the United States $600 billion each year in health care, lost productivity, and involvement with the criminal justice system, according to the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors. It also causes massive human suffering — through car accidents, violent crimes linked to drugs, health problems and other ills. Psychologists have, over the years, developed some effective interventions to reduce the toll of substance abuse. But improving those interventions, testing them and putting them into large-scale practice requires money from federal agencies, such as the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Veterans Affairs. As Congress is responsible for funding the federal research agencies, participants at the 2011 Science Leadership Conference, Oct. 22–24 in Washington, D.C., crafted messages to share with their own congressional delegations about why continued federal investment in psychological research is helping address many of the societal problems associated with substance abuse. “Support for research on substance abuse is vital because J a n u a ry 2 0 1 2 • M o n i t o r o n p s y c h o l o g y S the costs in human suffering and in financial outlays are too high to do anything else,” said Temple University psychology professor Nora Newcombe, PhD, chair of APA’s Board of Scientific Affairs. But substance abuse research funding is in peril due to shrinking federal budgets. To emphasize the importance of such research to federal policymakers, APA’s Science Directorate convened almost 100 top scientists and students in Washington, D.C., to advocate for psychological science on Capitol Hill and attend two days of policy briefings by substance abuse researchers and policymakers. All told, the scientists conducted 150 meetings with members of Congress and their staff. Their message was twofold: substance-abuse research is critical to the nation’s well-being and Congress should not get involved in weighing the merits of specific studies. “Peer review — not political review — is the gold standard for choosing the very best science to support with taxpayer money,” said Steven J. Breckler, PhD, APA’s executive director for science. 41

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Monitor on Psychology - January 2012

Monitor on Psychology - January 2012
Letters
President’s Column
Contents
Contents
From the CEO
Apa’s Statement on the Dsm-5 Development Process
Girl Scouts Badge Promotes Positive Psychology
Early Investments Pay Off for Poor Children, Study Finds
Apa Meets With Chinese Psychological Society to Further Interaction and Exchange
Unique Opportunity for Psychologists to Travel to Cuba
In Brief
Government Relations Update
On Your Behalf
Psychology’s Growing Library of Podcasts
Standing Up for Psychology
Judicial Notebook
Random Sample
Time Capsule
Questionnaire
Science Watch
Beyond Psychotherapy
Perspective on Practice
Yes, Recovery Is Possible
Inequity to Equity
Making E-Learning Work
New Standards for High School Psychology
A Trailblazer Moves On
Psychologist Profile
Plan Now for Psychology’s Regional Meetings
New Journal Editors
Apa News
Division Spotlight
American Psychological Foundation
Personalities

Monitor on Psychology - January 2012