Many people suffer from drug and alcohol abuse. In fact, it is one of the leading causes of health issues and death. Drug and alcohol abuse can be anything from beer, liquor, opioids, cocaine, etc. Cultural beliefs and biases about drug and alcohol abuse are that those that abuse it can quit any moment without an issue because addiction is a choice. Society thinks that this issue only affects those that live in poverty, a certain race, and those with no educational background. Another common assumption is that those with low income or living in rough neighborhoods are at greater risk for becoming alcohol and drug abusers. While this is not entirely true, there is an understandable basis for these kinds of beliefs. Alcoholism is an often-used coping mechanism for dealing with complex mental and social issues that could be affecting an individual. Frequent economic and social crises attributed to people struggling financially can create a more prevalent reliance on alcohol than others. Such trends wrongfully inform these kinds of stereotypes. In the paper below, factors associated with alcohol abuse and potential triggers for the development of alcoholism will be discussed.
Alcohol Abuse is Universal
Alcoholism is not a discriminatory condition. That means that anyone can fall victim to alcohol abuse regardless of their gender, social status, ethnicity, or age. In one population-based study on alcohol abuse, researchers found that both women and men had participated in alcohol abuse. Furthermore, individuals of various ages – teens, young adults, and older adults – had also participated in alcohol abuse (Barros et al., 2007). The study also found instances of alcohol abuse in all socioeconomic status strata, although those of the lower strata had a higher incidence of abuse than the higher strata (Barros et al., 2007). All of this research demonstrates that alcohol abuse is not confined to a specific age, economic status, or gender.
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A more recent study carried out in 2016 explored age and gender, and ethnicity when it comes to alcohol abuse across several populations (Delker et al., 2016). The study found that alcohol consumption and abuse was widespread among age ranges but most common in young adults. In terms of ethnicity, alcohol consumption was highest among the white subpopulation (Delker et al., 2016). However, alcohol abuse patterns were highest among the Native American subpopulation (Delker et al., 2016). Furthermore, the Native Americans and the African-American populations were most likely to have negative health outcomes as a result of alcohol consumption. Thus, alcohol abuse is not confined by ethnicity either, and it is possible to develop abusive patterns with its consumption regardless of one's origins.
Mental Health as a Factor
Several people who are diagnosed with alcohol abuse – or any other type of substance abuse – are also diagnosed with mental disorders. Several research studies and surveys have found that around half of those experiencing mental illness will also experience substance abuse disorders (NIDA, 2020). This comorbidity is hypothesized to be the result of mental illness and substance abuse having a synergistic effect on one another (NIDA, 2020). For this paper's purposes, it should be pointed out that turning to substance use, such as alcohol use, is a common coping mechanism for individuals suffering from mental health disorders. The resultant dependence that is created has led to alcoholism for several individuals.
Social Inequality as a Factor
Social inequalities majorly impact alcohol abuse, as well. The stereotype that individuals of lower economic status drink more is not true, as it is actually populations of higher earning power individuals that consume more alcohol (Collins, 2016). However, the stereotype has a basis – although lower-income individuals consume less alcohol, people from this population are also more likely to develop alcoholism due to consumption (Collins, 2016). That is associated with the stress derived from situations that individuals of lower socioeconomic status are often exposed to, such as unstable finances, poor housing, poor education, and broken homes. Stress can often create and perpetuate dependence on alcohol (Blaine, 2017).
Effects of Alcohol Abuse
Alcohol abuse affects every aspect of a person's life. That includes a performance at work and school as well as one's social life. Addiction changes one's behavioral patterns and personality. Additionally, being under the influence does the same. It should also be noted that those suffering from severe addiction may resort to crime and antisocial behavior in the effort to obtain alcohol. That can lead to social isolation, or even jail time, which may further exacerbate any existing mental health issues that the individual may be suffering from. In general, alcohol abuse causes not only negative effects on work-life and school life, but it also affects one's social life, quality of life, physical health, and mental health.
Public Health Policy
Several public health policies exist to assist individuals either suffering from alcohol dependency or at risk of developing it. Due to the jurisdiction of state departments of health, these policies and programs vary from state to state and location to location. One of these that responds to current concerns on the high cost of health care is the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act. This act, which was signed into law in 2008, requires insurance providers to offer coverage for substance use disorders and mental health disorders compared to the cost of general medical coverage (SAMHSA, 2020). That prevents health insurance providers from overcharging or charging separately for individuals seeking treatment for alcohol abuse. The law forces provide to make the copays, treatment limitations, and deductibles as affordable as general medical care.
The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) originally only applied to group-based plans. That means that it applied only to group health insurance coverage and group health plans. As a result, individuals seeking their own private health insurance were not protected by the act. However, in 2010 when the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act came into being, the MHPAEA was amended to include individual health insurance coverage.
The enforcement of the MHPAEA is actively monitored both by the U.S. Department of Health and the U.S. Department of Labor. Agencies of the government, such as the Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA), carry out routine annual checks to ensure that the insurance plans that are offered on a group basis by insurance providers to employees of various companies comply with the MHPAEA. That has benefitted several workers who are attempting to cope and recover from alcoholism and other substances. As it occurs on the scope of the entire health insurance provider organization, this audit also covers individual health coverage concerns on the same issue. At random, patients reporting substance abuse or mental health issues are interviewed on their experiences by EBSA. According to US law, the government can ascertain whether individuals suffering from alcohol and other dependencies are being sufficiently provided for.
In conclusion, alcohol abuse is not a condition that is exclusive to specific races, socioeconomic statuses, ages, or genders. It can affect any individual at any time of their life. The factors that affect alcohol abuse, however, can be exacerbated by one’s situation in life. Thus, since stress is a factor that creates and perpetuates alcohol dependency, individuals frequently exposed to stressful stimuli such as those in unstable financial or social situations will develop alcohol abuse more often. Such vulnerable populations need to receive targeted treatment through policies such as the MHPAEA, which mitigates their financial burden.
References
Barros, M. B. D. A., Botega, N. J., Dalgalarrondo, P., Marín-León, L., & Oliveira, H. B. D. (2007). Prevalence of alcohol abuse and associated factors in a population-based study. Revista de Saúde Pública , 41 , 502-509
Blaine, S. K., & Sinha, R. (2017). Alcohol, stress, and glucocorticoids: from risk to dependence and relapse in alcohol use disorders. Neuropharmacology , 122 , 136-147.
Collins, S. E. (2016). Associations between socioeconomic factors and alcohol outcomes. Alcohol Research: Current Reviews , 38 (1), 83.
Delker, E., Brown, Q., & Hasin, D. S. (2016). Alcohol consumption in demographic subpopulations: an epidemiologic overview. Alcohol Research: Current Reviews , 38 (1), 7.
NIDA. 2020, June 25. Introduction. Retrieved from https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/research-reports/common-comorbidities-substance-use-disorders/introduction on 2020, October 13
SAMHSA. (2020). Federal Laws Related to SAMHSA. US Department of Human Health and Services. Retrieved from https://www.samhsa.gov/about-us/who-we-are/laws-regulations
