title: Khantzian's 'self-medication hypothesis' of drug addiction and films by Martin Scorsese.
abstract: The portrayal of self-medication and drug use was studied in three films by Martin Scorsese: Raging Bull (1980), Goodfellas (1990) and The Departed (2006). Self-medication using nicotine in Raging Bull, cocaine in Goodfellas and sedatives in The Departed, exhibit mixed portrayals of the self-medication hypothesis. The temporal aspects of the hypothesis and credibility of character psychopathology show variation between the films. Across all films, the selection of particular drugs of choice for certain symptom clusters is consonant with that detailed in the self-medication hypothesis put forward by Khantzian.
authors.affiliation: King's College London School of Medicine, London, UK. haran.sivapalan@kcl.ac.uk
authors.forename: Haran
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sivapalan
mesh_terms: D003042:Cocaine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D018765:Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D006801:Humans; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D009040:Motion Pictures / Q000266:history; D009538:Nicotine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects; D012651:Self Medication / Q000523:psychology*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology*
chemical_list: D018765:Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors; D006993:Hypnotics and Sedatives; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists; D009538:Nicotine; D003042:Cocaine