Why Do the Elderly Turn to Alcohol and Drugs?
Alcohol and substance use. (2022). U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/stress-coping/alcohol-use.html.
This site maintains up-to-date statistics concerning the prevalence of alcohol and drug use among the elderly that will provide valuable background information about the severity of the problem at present for the proposed study.
Best, D., Beckwith, M., Haslam, C., Alexander Haslam, S., Jetten, J., Mawson, E., & Lubman, D. I. (2016). Overcoming alcohol and other drug addiction as a process of social identity transition: the social identity model of recovery (SIMOR). Addiction Research & Theory, 24(2), 111123.
In response to the growing body of evidence that indicates older people may begin or restart using drugs and/or alcohol in recent years, the authors report that there has been a corresponding interest in applying the recovery model to help the elderly better understand their current life situation and take positive steps to address their substance abuse. Using the metaphorical term, journey, the authors describe the manner in which elderly individuals who are abusing alcohol and/or drugs tend to internalize the stigma that relates to substance abuse in American society to underscore the need for therapeutic interventions that focus on helping these people overcome these stereotypes and begin a personal journey towards recovery. This study will be useful in providing potential solutions to this complex social problem.
Cabin, W. (2020). Painful Places: Medicare Fails Homebound Patients with Substance Abuse Disorders. Journal of Health & Human Services Administration, 43(4), 406419.
Using a critical, systematic review of the literature concerning substance abuse among the elderly in the U.S as well as interviews with 48 home care social workers, the authors conclude that elderly individuals on Medicaid are frequent substance abusers but there remains a dearth of timely and relevant studies to identify opportunities to address this nationwide problem. This lack has further exacerbated the adverse effects of substance-abusing behaviors in the elderly, an outcome that directly affects hospitalization and readmission rates. These findings provide valuable background information for the proposed study.
Chiappini, S., Schifano, F., Martinotti, G., Strasser, J. C., Bonnet, U., & Scherbaum, N. (2021). Opioid painkiller dependence in a sample of elderly medical inpatients. Psychogeriatrics, 21(3), 265271.
Citing the prescription opioid addiction epidemic among the elderly, the authors analyzed the prevalence of this disorder among a population of elderly medical inpatients using a cross-sectional study. The results showed that nearly 11% suffered from a dependence on opioids, and more than half (51.2%) were experiencing the beginnings of opioid dependence. These findings will be used to describe how opioids prescribed for the elderly can lead to addiction and abuse.
Diniz, A., Pillon, S. C., Monteiro, S., Pereira, A., Gonalves, J., & dos Santos, M. A. (2017). Elderly substance abuse: an integrative review. Psicologia: Teoria e...
…elderly people calls for treatment. Ugeskrift for Laeger, 177(18), 837840.The authors note that the adverse effects associated with alcohol use tend to take place at lower levels of use among elderly individuals. In addition, these complications are frequently overlooked or misdiagnosed. These are important issues because the elderly have been shown to respond as effectively to treatment as younger people. The authors provide recommendations that will be used to describe potential interventions in the proposed study.
Wolf, I.-K., Du, Y., & Knopf, H. (2017). Changes in prevalence of psychotropic drug use and alcohol consumption among the elderly in Germany: results of two National Health Interview and Examination Surveys 1997-99 and 2008-11. BMC Psychiatry, 17(1), 90.
The use of psychotropic drugs and alcohol by the elderly has multiple long-term health risks, but this population remains understudied to determine the outcomes with any precision at present. The results of this study showed that long-term changes in cognitive function can be caused by alcohol and drug usage, most especially among older single men with lower levels of education. These results are congruent with the findings of other recent studies and will be used to describe the significance of this public health problem.
Conclusion
The research for the annotated bibliography was consistent in showing that the problem of alcohol and drug use among the elderly remains understudied. The studies to date indicate that what is know for certain is that the…
Drug use is on the rise among teens, and is an epidemic that must be stopped. In order to reduce the number of teenagers in the United States who use drugs, it is important to develop a comprehensive plan of intervention. The intervention must include efforts on the part of teachers, parents, and politicians. One of the most effective ways of changing the minds of teenagers is via the use
Drug addiction is not merely a failure of will or weakness in character, however having this 'brain disease' does not absolve the addict of responsibility for his or her behavior, but it does explain why an addict feels compelled to continue using drugs (Leshner 2001). Environmental cues that surround an individual's initial drug use and development of the addiction, actually become "conditioned" to the drug use and thus are
Drug Use Dealing the Straight Dope: The Physical, Emotional, and Social Effects of Drug Use and Abuse Many different things might come to mind upon hearing the word, "drugs." The harmful effects of drug abuse and the positive benefits of life-saving and quality of life-enhancing drugs might vie for equal attention in one person's brain, while another clearly and instantly calls up memories or associations of one kind or the other more
The web site gives kids a definition of drugs and then goes on to discuss the difference between legal and illegal drugs. Written in a way that children can understand, this web site makes it easy for children to gain a positive attitude toward taking the legal, prescribed drugs that a doctor has given them while still understanding the danger of taking illegal drugs. Because it is geared toward
Drugs should be treated in the same way by the law. The population that uses drugs may be more likely to engage in criminal activity, true, but causation does not imply causality, in other words, drug use may be a common behavior adopted by individuals in crime-ridden areas, which are filled with persons who do not mind violating the law. But the drugs themselves do not increase crime any more
Drug Use Crime has become a very contentious issue of late, due in part to worldwide economic turmoil. Individual are now without employment or a stable source of income. Wages are dropping, deficits are increasing, and individuals are without work. As a result of these disparities, crime rates tend to rise as individuals justify such behavior within themselves. This is particularly true of individuals with recurring credit problems, mortgages due, or
Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.
Get Started Now