Introduction
Substance abuse has become one of the significant social problems, becoming more and more severe. It is a widely spread issue that has immediate and long-term consequences on an individual level and on a family and community scale. Substance abuse can be generalized as the overuse of alcohol, illegal drugs, and prescription kind. In this super-diverse population, it can film in many forms and affect people of various ages and backgrounds. The imbalance of the given amount of substance use disorders brings to a general conclusion the importance of a comprehensive approach to prevention, intervention, and treatment on the one hand. This article will study the intricacies of alcohol, drug, and substance abuse, including its different historical perspectives and impact on vulnerable populations. It will also explain how professional psychologists and social workers work in this part of the clinical domain. The paper attempts to do so by integrating the knowledge obtained from previous studies. The need for coming up with comprehensive approaches to slowing down the effect of substance abuse on society will be highlighted, and the ethical issues that arise from it will be discussed.
Social Issues Overview
Substance abuse, defined simply as the misuse of alcohol, illicit drugs, and prescription medication, is a complicated problem with short-term and long-term societal impacts. The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) reported that in 2021, up to 20.3 million Americans who were 12 and above had a substance usage disorder. This equated to a staggering twenty million people in the country who were struggling to deal with drugs and substance abuse (2021). This considerable data highlights the serious sentiment of the situation among the general public health departments. Substance abuse can be traced back to ancient times, with the evidence of alcohol consumption and drug usage in early societies. However, the modern kind of substance abuse, which has been traced back to the 19th and 20th centuries, features the arrival of pharmaceutical companies and the growing accessibility of psychoactive substances. In the twenty-first century, there came severe drug pandemics like the opioid crisis and crack cocaine epidemic that targeted the scenes of social failure.
Substance abuse is not a recent phenomenon but a dynamic one that has adapted to new circumstances and societal attitudes, work opportunities, as well as the emergence of technology. The expansion of the online drug trade, as well as the legalization of cannabis in some regions, have caused immense problems in the global fight against substance abuse. The detailed photos or stories present an essential point – the unjustified damage of drugs and alcohol on people’s lives. Dying from overdose and hearsay stories of premature death due to substance use, substance misuse-related accidents, and consequences of substance abuse, such as broken relationships, were the reasons for this. Aside from that, the resultant societal costs of substance abuse are immense, covering health bills, criminal justice expenses, and economic downturns.
Connection to Social Work/Mental Health Ethics
Social work and mental health are some of the areas where ethical principles are the basis of practice and decision-making. Our pillars include the principles of social justice, which are centered around equal opportunities and resources for people, beneficence, aiming to improve the lives of our clients and autonomy, giving people the freedom to influence their fate. Abusing substances raises ethical questions for social workers and other mental health professionals. Deciding on confidentiality, consent, and paternalism is hard. For instance, simultaneously preserving the confidentiality of the clients and safeguarding their security can necessitate coordination within various professions and with other relevant agencies.
Furthermore, struggling to find the balance between individual clients’ autonomy and imposing intervention in cases when substance abuse imposes an immediate risk for self and others will be an additional challenge. Additionally, it is essential to treat substance abuse as a social justice topic because such groups generally have limitations in access to treatment and support facilities. Social workers and mental health professionals must argue for procedures and measures that identify and deal with the socio-economic factors related to substance abuse, including poverty, trauma, and discrimination, besides fighting systemic discrimination that connects and amplifies substance abuse gaps.
Impact on Vulnerable Populations
The most vulnerable groups in society carry the heaviest burden of the negative consequences of substance abuse as their social, economic, and psychological conditions get worse rapidly. Adolescents stand out among these groups as the most vulnerable because they are in early developmental stages and more easily susceptible to peer influence (Nath et al., 2022). The CDC highlighted that substance use among teens can result in slowed down brain development, low academic performance, and elevated risk of addiction in the future through their research (CDC, 2021). In addition to the problem, teenagers from low-income neighborhoods or disenfranchised communities find extra obstacles to getting the treatment and help they need, thereby creating a vicious circle of substance abuse and poverty.
People experiencing homelessness are also vulnerable to substance abuse due to the rise of such hazards. Homeless people often turn to drugs or alcohol as an outlet for trauma, mental illness, and everyday stresses of their life lived on the street. Substance abuse additionally worsens the susceptibility of these individuals, resulting in a higher incidence of assault, victimization, and untreated medical conditions.
Researchers have found that homeless with drug use problems have a higher incidence of chronic health issues, for instance, HIV/AIDS and hepatitis (Fine et al., 2022). Indeed, people who have co-occurring mental health disorders are likewise susceptible to the harmful effects of substance use. Substance abuse may intensify the symptoms of mental illness, resulting in more hospitalizations, more cases of non-adherence to medication, and a decrease in the patient’s overall quality of life (Pasha et al., 2020). On the one hand, unmanaged mental health conditions can be the reason for self-medicating with drugs or alcohol, leading to a cycling pattern of addiction and psychiatric disorders. Real-life cases, such as the worsening substance abuse issue in marginalized communities during the COVID-19 pandemic, help explain severe consequences affecting vulnerable segments of the population. Tackling the effects of substance abuse on such communities requires integrated approaches that target not only the social determinants of health but also support culturally sensitive care and emphasize harm reduction strategies.
Role of Social Work/Mental Health Profession in Addressing the Problem
Social workers and mental health professionals are indeed crucial actors in the treatment of substance abuse, and they bring their services into play through active support, interventions, and programs to help individuals, families, and families affected by the issue. They help patients implement a comprehensive approach by considering the biological, psychological, social, and ecological variables to which substance abuse may have been caused. In addition to other skills, social workers develop assessment and diagnosis skills to check the causes of substance abuse and to identify underlying issues that may be contributing to substance abuse, such as trauma, poverty, or lack of access to resources. Along with clients’ considerations, they co-develop personalized treatment plans that simultaneously deal with the critical root causes to foster resilience and recovery (Volkow, 2020). The role of mental health professionals, who include counselors, therapists, and psychiatrists, becomes conspicuous when they employ evidence-based therapy interventions such as cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, and medication-assisted treatment to combat substance abuse disorders. They have one-on-one and group sessions where patients learn to deal with the issues they face, regulate their emotions, and work at mending the relationships. in addition, social workers, mental health specialists, and other professionals advocate for improved policies and programs and for the community to end stigma and treatment and offer community support services. Through the advocacy role, their prime objective lies in the creation of a more caring and understanding society for individuals who suffer from substance abuse disorders.
Conclusion
In conclusion, substance use is today one of the most widespread problems that affects not only individuals but also their families and communities. In this paper, I have discussed the influence of substance abuse, talking about its historical basis, impacts on underrepresented groups, and the approaches of mental health and social work professionals. Professionals in such fields as social work and counseling take the ethical principles of social justice and beneficence as their main drivers in mitigating the damages of substance use while encouraging the recovery and empowerment of individuals. Although ethical issues remain, they thus require constant discussions, advocacies, and technological advancement to provide prevention, interventions, and treatment services to all without discrimination. In the future, collaborative efforts hold the key to tackling the underlying causes of substance abuse and, accordingly, building a supportive environment for those who are abused.
References
Fine, D. R., Dickins, K. A., Adams, L. D., De Las Nueces, D., Weinstock, K., Wright, J., … & Baggett, T. P. (2022). Drug overdose mortality among people experiencing homelessness, 2003 to 2018. JAMA Network Open, 5(1), e2142676-e2142676. https://doi.org/10.1001%2Fjamanetworkopen.2021.42676
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021). Substance Use and Adverse Health Outcomes Among Adolescents. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/adhd/features/substance-use-adolescents.html
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Nath, A., Choudhari, S. G., Dakhode, S. U., Rannaware, A., Gaidhane, A. M., Dakhode, S., & Gaidhane, A. (2022). Substance abuse amongst adolescents: an issue of public health significance. Cureus, 14(11). https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.31193
National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2021). Substance Use and SUDs in Adolescents. Retrieved from https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/principles-adolescent-substance-use-disorder-treatment-research-based-guide/introduction/substance-use-suds-in-adolescents
Pasha, A. K., Chowdhury, A., Sadiq, S., Fairbanks, J., & Sinha, S. (2020). Substance use disorders: diagnosis and management for hospitalists. Journal of Community Hospital Internal Medicine Perspectives, 10(2), 117–126. https://doi.org/10.1080%2F20009666.2020.1742495
Volkow, N. D. (2020). Personalizing the treatment of substance use disorders. American Journal of Psychiatry, 177(2), 113-116. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2019.19121284
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