Prof. Dominik Mischkowski, UIUC, will lecture on "The Social Pharmacology of Painkillers: Applying the Biopsychosocial Model to Acetaminophen".
Abstract: The Biopsychosocial Model has provided an effective framework for understanding the psychosocial underpinnings of physical pain. However, the model has not been applied to pharmacological pain relief. In contrast, the field of Social Pharmacology, i.e., the study of how psychosocial processes influence the effects of pharmacological agents and vice versa, has a rich history of testing causal hypotheses on the role of psychosocial factors in the effects of pharmacological agents, including painkillers. In this talk, I showcase a research program based on the popular painkiller acetaminophen to provide initial support for three social pharmacological hypotheses: First, acetaminophen can have unforeseen social side‐effects (the social effects hypothesis). Second, acetaminophen can have interactions with psychosocial factors (the psychosocial moderation hypothesis). Finally, social processes can mediate the psychological effects of acetaminophen (the social mediation hypothesis). These findings underscore the need for understanding effects of drugs, including the painkiller acetaminophen, within the psychosocial context in which these effects occur.