Sunday, April 7, 2013

Chapter 10 Article Summary


Latino/a Culture and Substance Abuse

This article provides descriptions of the relevant research that is related to Latino/a use and abuse of alcohol and other substances. Discussions of treatment interventions, prevention, clinical implications and directions for future research are included.

What We Know         
It is unclear how Latino/Hispanic substance abuse compares to that of other cultures, but several findings indicate that Hispanics have the highest rate of substance abuse in the United States. This rate of abuse is thought to be increasing, especially among Hispanic adolescent populations. An interesting finding indicates that U.S. - born Hispanics report higher rates of experimental drug use, abuse and dependence that immigrants do. It was also found that Hispanics born in the United States were likely to have more behavioral disorders, mental illness concerns and problems with gambling than Latino/Hispanic immigrants. This suggests that there is something unhealthy about acculturation into the US culture. However, it is unclear what the causal factor is: is substance use caused by the stress that accompanies acculturation, or is substance use a product of Hispanic acceptance of US norms?

Another concern is that substance abuse begins early, with the highest prevalence rates among young adults between the ages of 18 and 25. Alcohol, inhalants and marijuana were the most abused substances in the Latino adolescent population. Lifetime alcohol use rates have been shown to decrease among ethnic groups, but this trend is not apparent in the Latino population. Intervention must begin early and should focus on the cluster of problems that comes with substance abuse, including risky behavior, delinquency and academic failure.

Guidelines for Intervention and Treatment
All helping professionals are encouraged to explore their attitudes and beliefs about culture and ethnicity. As humans, we are shaped by our cultural beliefs, and some of these can detrimentally influence our perceptions and interactions with individuals who are ethnically and racially different from ourselves. Every professional must assess their possible biases and consider culturally appropriate responses to their clients. They are encouraged to recognize the importance of multicultural sensitivity and how a history of oppression and diversity may affect potential ethnically diverse clients.

Clinical Implications
There is a need to increase the amount of ethnic minority helping professionals to meet the needs of the substantial amounts of ethnic minorities suffering from substance abuse and addiction. If this is not possible, White helping professionals must enhance their ability to provide competent services to ethnic minorities with a focus on cultural beliefs and values. One suggestion is to focus on a certain ethnicity and see what type of treatment is best for them. For the Latino population, it has been found that brief strategic family therapy is helpful in treating drug abuse. This therapy draws on the cultural importance of the family structure. Also, strategies for intervention have been developed to engage the therapist in the family structure by joining the family and supporting them. Helping practitioners must be able to advocate for their clients and give them the skills, knowledge and attitudes to help them cope with stress and difficulties.  

Research Recommendations
Genetic research is needed to help understand racial differences and biological factors related to drug abuse and addiction. There are genetic differences in how alcohol is metabolized by the body. Also, Hispanic men have a different biological response to alcohol and Hispanic men in the US have nearly twice the mortality rate for alcohol-related cirrhosis of the liver. Additional research must be completed to examine racial differences with regard to medication. Supplementary recommendations focus on promotion of research organizations at minority-serving institutions.

No comments:

Post a Comment