The Iranian National Center for Addiction Studies (INCAS) is considered the main body of research on addiction in Iran and is affiliated with the Tehran University of Medical Sciences. This center has been endorsed by two authorities: The National Drug Control Headquarters in 2001 and the National Council for the Development of Medical Science Universities in 2003.
In the last decade, the centers main visions have been:
- Decreasing the burden of addiction in the country through production and dissemination of the required knowledge
- Providing crucial contribution to the global science production in the field of addiction
The center comprises four departments: clinical sciences, epidemiology and public health, basic sciences, and neurocognitive sciences. Moreover, the center has been designated as a WHO Collaborating Center in the field of mental health and addiction and a Regional Knowledge Hub on harm reduction. The center benefits from an outpatient drug treatment clinic and four fully-equipped neurocognitive, genetics, toxicology, and behavioral (animal study) laboratories.
Regarding research activities, the center has had over 800 indexed publications, of which 53% of papers have been cited 10 times. The center's H-index (according to Scopus) is 56.
The main areas of research are:
- Epidemiological studies focused on addiction
- Clinical trials and development of clinical guidelines
- Symptomatology and diagnostic categorization of substance use disorders
- Evaluation of programs and evidence-based planning
- Cognitive rehabilitation for people using drugs
- Scientometric studies and systematic reviews
- Genetic studies related to addiction
- Animal behavior, electrophysiology and neurochemistry studies to better understand addiction mechanisms and the effects of drugs on the brain
- Sexual risk behaviors and substance use disorders
- Gender studies related to addiction
Some of the interventions designed and developed by the center, which form the majority of the nation's drug treatment service, include:
- Development of opioid substitution programs with methadone, buprenorphine and tincture of opium
- Development of non-pharmacological interventions for addiction, especially in the treatment of stimulant dependence
- Early detection of at-risk populations and brief interventions in primary health care system
- Sexual Health Service delivery system management
- Prevention programs for high school students
In addition, faculty members of INCAS have had action in major international advisory boards:
- The WHO task force for revision of the diagnostic system of psychiatric disorders, the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11)
- The strategic council of the United Nations Office for people who inject drugs
- The advisory committee for alcohol policy making in WHO
- Expert panel for drug dependence in WHO
The center is a "Regional Knowledge Hub" on harm reduction recognized by WHO and has held dozens of workshops for professionals and authorities from the region.
Regarding national training of professionals, the centers' fundamental mission has been the development of training packages and courses for different target groups. INCAS's main training programs consist of:
- Development of Addiction Studies PhD course in collaboration with the School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (5 courses)
- Development of Addiction MPH courses (8 courses)
- Two-month addiction rotation for psychiatry residents from different universities in Iran
- Conducting a two-week training program on "agonist maintenance treatment for opiate dependence" for general practitioners
- A large number of target-specific training programs for different disciplines and professionals
The INCAS clinic has had more than 1500 registered cases and continues to provide pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions for opioid, stimulants, and alcohol dependence. In addition to that, the clinic has played a crucial role in clinical research activities. It has provided practical training to more than 1400 physicians and counselors.