The Social Problem/Issue
In the society, there are many health issues affecting the teenagers aged 11-17 years. These teenagers are a vulnerable population in the community as they are affected by any problem that arises as they are considered minors and cannot make self-decisions without question. Therefore, these children require guidance and support in navigating through these social problems as they are also being shown how to handle these problems when they arise again. In this essay, the social problems to be addressed include mental health challenges and substance use among children who are aged 11 to 17 years old. There are many mental health issues and of concern is depression. Also, substance abuse has been rampant and also causes depression, and in turn through depression then these children are likely to involve themselves in drug use. Therefore, as I worked with children in group homes, I identified that there is a social challenge of depression and substance abuse. For instance, the depression among many children I served in the society were not clinically diagnosed with depression but exhibited all symptoms and signs of depression. Therefore, the discussion in this paper will shed light on this societal problem and also provide various social policies and programs developed to handle these social challenges.
Society’s view of mental health issues and substance abuse has been controversial since the past. Society views these social problems as different constructs and hence ends up dealing with each solely and perceiving them differently which affects how the victims of substance abuse and mental health seek health assistance. For instance, Muncan et al. (2020) study indicated that society has a negative perception and attitude towards individuals who are engaged in drug use. Also, as children engage in drug use, there is a negative perception that leads to more use of the drugs in response to the stigma and sometimes suicide. In addition, mental health issues and loneliness lead to substance use. The study focused on the COVID-19 period which found that mental health issues such as stress, depression, and others were related to loneliness and that led to the engagement of drugs among individuals. Therefore, as society views substance use and mental health issues as independent constructs affecting teenagers, they are dependent on each other, especially during their management and treatment.
According to a report by the National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report 2022, it was noted that mental health issues among children aged 3-7 years were the leading cause of death and disability. Also, it was added that there was an increase in the number of children aged 0-17 years admitted to the emergency department with the principal diagnosis of mental health-related issues by 25% from 2016 to 2019. Also, as depression is associated with increased suicidal ideations as a core significant diagnostic feature, there were increased death rates for youth aged 12-17 years from 3.7 per 100,000 population to 6.3 per 100,000 population from 2008 to 2020. Therefore, these significant data accrued to a mental health issue affecting society and requiring to be addressed. In addition according to the National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics (NCDAS) (2024), there were around 62% of teenagers in 12th grade had abused alcohol. The NCDAS (2024) also indicated that there is increased behavioral change among teenagers which has a characteristic destructive behavior that has been associated with drug abuse. The reason for tackling two social health problems is that they coexist as one problem as handling one also leads to tackling the other and therefore, as Nasirzadeh et al. (2013) highlighted, there have been associated suicide cases that are recorded after drug abuse. Kuo et al. (2010), also identified that drug abuse and mental health issues are related, and especially depression which leads to suicide is closely related to drug abuse. Therefore, tackling these social health issues is paramount among children aged 11-17 years.
The Policy
In the addressing of mental health issues related to drug use among juveniles, there are many policies formulated to ensure that teenagers aged 11-17 years are aided in their course to ensure that they do not engage in drug abuse, especially after facing other challenges which are lead to mental health issues. Therefore, one outstanding policy is the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016. This act according to Congress Research Service (2016), the act was enacted and filed in the House on July 6, 2016. The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) of 2016 was designated to handle issues related to adult addiction and treatment, there is also addressing of adolescents and youths who are part of the people addressed to benefit from the enforcement of this act. The historical context of this act is dated to begin in 1990 when there was an opioid epidemic due to over-prescription of the pain medication. These drugs were known to aid in pain management and as being effective in addressing moderate and severe pain, there was flooding of the market by the pharmaceutical companies and this was associated with increased opioid addiction cases. It became a public health concern when in early 2010 records indicated increased deaths due to opioid overdoses. Therefore, in addressing the issue of opioid addiction and overdose, legislation passed and enacted the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016 in July 2016.
For instance, the first title of the CARA of 2016, provides information and various sections dealing with the prevention and education of individuals with drug use issues. In dealing with juveniles and other adults, there is a need to address the prescription of pain medication. In pain management, there is the prescription of opioids which causes dependence hence developing opioid/substance use disorder from the continued or long-term use of the opioids. Therefore, in addressing this issue, juveniles can gain knowledge through education and preventive strategies aided by federal, state, and local agencies. Section 104 of the CARA of 2016, there are highlights juveniles as it provides provisions for the prescription of opioids for youth after a sports injury. Therefore, in prescription of the opioids, there is special consideration for the youths aged 11-17 years who are involved in sports and there should be the determination of whether the youth have the background information concerning opioid use and their addiction. Also, there should be consideration of their caregivers and parents in the prescription (Congress Research Service, 2016). Therefore, in all other sections of the CARA of 2016, adolescents and youth are considered a special population and addressed for every section.
The Population and Programs
The comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act was developed to enhance proper opioid use addiction and recovery from treatment of addiction or overdose. The population served by this act includes all the people ranging from infants to adults. For instance, according to Congress Research Service (2016), title five of CARA of 2016 highlights the treatment services for women and their families. The sections focus on children, pregnant women, and also the infants who are affected by substances especially opioids prescribed during pregnancy. For instance, section 503 indicates that the safe care plans for infants born by mothers who were engaged in substance abuse. Infants who may have symptoms associated with substance abuse, fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, or withdrawal symptoms are treated with the provisions provided under this act. Therefore, adolescents and children aged 11-17 years are also eligible and served under this policy. According to Ames (2020), the CARA of 2016 was essential in ensuring that despite the mother’s lifestyle during the prenatal period and their exposure to various substances that affected the fetus, the newborns were taken care of under this act. Therefore, in dealing with children aged 11-17 years, it is essential to assess the effects of substance abuse and if they are related to their prenatal period for proper management and treatment. For an individual to qualify for inclusion in the policy, they must be dealing with substance abuse issues specifically related to opioids. Therefore, relating to various programs or initiatives, the eligibility varies.
One of the successful programs developed under the CARA of 2016 is the expanded medication-assisted treatment (MAT). According to Watson et al. (2020), the MAT idea was introduced to ensure that it focused on opioid treatment by using medication, counseling, and other behavioral treatments. For instance, once substance abuse was related to various mental health issues, counseling, and other behavioral therapies were found to be effective for other effects related to substance abuse in society.
In practice
Social workers play a crucial role in ensuring the effectiveness of medication-assisted treatment. According to Spivey II (2021), social workers have a role to play in ensuring change relating to social problems of substance use, especially opioid addiction and overdoses which lead to death. Therefore various roles that social workers play in ensuring the effectiveness of MAT include assistance in assessment and screening, and counselling and support. Therefore, as social workers work in the treatment of individuals and teenagers with substance use disorders and addiction, they usually are involved in assessing the client’s needs and their willingness for treatment and management. Also, during the assessment and screening, the social workers ensure that they prepare the individuals for the MAT programs and ensure they are registered and enrolled in the most effective treatment processes according to their needs. In counseling, the MAT treatment process involves counseling and behavioral therapies, and therefore, specialized social workers aid in the counseling process of the individuals. Another role is that as substance abuse is a social problem that requires change, the social workers ensure that they advocate for funding and support of these individuals in their MAT programs.
The CARA of 2016 has ensured that it works by its provisions in ensuring that all its goals are achieved. For instance, I agree that the policy works in practice as intended. This is because, in the various provisions listed in the sections, there are grants offered by the federal government through the Department of human health services to ensure that the goals are attained. Through collaboration According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) (2022), there are various Notice of Funding Opportunities offered every year to ensure that individuals registered under the CARA can benefit in their treatment and recovery programs. Also, through various grants and the social workers and other professionals’ collaboration, the CARA of 2016 can achieve its goals every fiscal year despite the challenges and constraints faced such as financial constraints.
Social Change
Social justice should be promoted by all policies. Therefore, the CARA of 2016 implementation has ensured social justice by equitable resource allocation and regarding the marginalized societies in their plan for healthcare treatment and management of opioid addictions. In the provision of resources for these individuals, social justice is ensured by allocating resources fairly without consideration of an individual’s race, ethnicity, color, occupation, income, or other disparities. Nissen (2006) highlighted that social justice in the juvenile substance abuse system is supported by ensuring public funds are allocated equitably and that the enrolment and registration to various programs are done with honesty and transparency. Ensuring social justice, there are various critics associated with it as in some instances, the resources may be limited hence failing to reach various individuals in marginalized communities leads to criticism. Also, there are various opportunities for improvement in the policy including the resource allocation criteria which should ensure that the allocation of resources, programs, and funds for adolescents and youths is done to those with the greatest need. This can be done by ensuring a thorough assessment of client needs and the different disparities in their access to treatment and recovery support. On the other hand, another opportunity is addressing the causes of addiction through preventive and educational strategies that will aid in reducing the burden of treatment and recovery and also improve the health of adolescents and youth.
The process involved in improving the policy starts by identifying the need for change. First, identify the need in the policy and also healthcare needs. Also, ensure that the process is a collaborative process between the policymakers, community members and agencies, and healthcare providers. With collaboration inform of the need for improvement and using the available resources foster a collaborative change that improves the health and justice of adolescents and youth with addiction in their treatment and recovery.
References
Ames, R. (2020). A Mother’s Touch: The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act and its Impact on Prenatally Substance-Exposed Newborns and their Families as Observed by Family Service Workers.
Congress Research Service (2016). S.524 – Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016. https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/524
Kuo, C. J., Tsai, S. Y., Liao, Y. T., Conwell, Y., Lin, S. K., Chang, C. L., … & Chen, W. J. (2010). Risk and protective factors for suicide among patients with methamphetamine dependence: a nested case-control study. The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry, 71(4), 18459.
Muncan, B., Walters, S. M., Ezell, J., & Ompad, D. C. (2020). “They look at us like junkies”: influences of drug use stigma on the healthcare engagement of people who inject drugs in New York City. Harm Reduction Journal, 17, 1-9.
Nasirzadeh, M., Eslami, A. A., Sharifirad, G., & Hasanzadeh, A. (2013). The mental health and substance abuse among youths aged 18 to 29: A comparative study. Journal of Education and Health Promotion, 2.
Nissen, L. B. (2006). Effective adolescent substance abuse treatment in juvenile justice settings: Practice and policy recommendations. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 23, 298-315.
Spivey II, W. T. (2021). Social Workers’ Attitudes Toward Medication-assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder (Doctoral dissertation, Walden University).
The National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics (NCDAS) (2024). Drug Use Among Youth: Facts & Statistics. https://drugabusestatistics.org/teen-drug-use/#:~:text
The National Healthcare Quality and Disparities Report (2022). CHILD AND ADOLESCENT MENTAL HEALTH. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK587174/
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) (2022). Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act: Building Communities of Recovery. https://www.samhsa.gov/grants/grant-announcements/ti-17-015
Watson, D. P., Andraka-Christou, B., Clarke, T., & Wiegandt, J. (2020). Introduction to the special issue on innovative interventions and approaches to expand medication-assisted treatment: seizing research opportunities made available by the opioid STR program. Journal of substance abuse treatment, 108, 1-3.
write