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Cultural Issues in Substance Abuse Treatment

NCJ Number
195798
Date Published
2001
Length
63 pages
Annotation
This document examines the roles that race, ethnicity, language, and other sociocultural factors play in the delivery of substance abuse treatment.
Abstract
It is important to help providers of health services, primary care givers, medical, and other allied health students in the substance abuse treatment area to understand the cultural, social, political, and economic forces affecting substance abuse among Hispanic Americans, African Americans, Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders, and American Indians/Alaska Natives. These four racial and ethnic groups make up about a quarter of the total population in the United States and constitute the fastest growing segments of the population. These four groups are reviewed by population composition and sociodemographic profile; substance abuse and epidemiological data; health and social consequences of substance abuse; and culture, help-seeking behavior, and access to care issues. Culturally competent care must be provided with an understanding of and respect for the patients’ cultural values and beliefs. Substantial differences in patterns of substance abuse exist among ethnic groups. Racial and ethnic populations face a number of problems that may impede their access to treatment services, such as low income, no health insurance, limited physical access to services, literacy level, and language differences. Health and illness beliefs and attitudes may act as obstacles keeping racial and ethnic populations from seeking treatment for a substance abuse problem. Racism on an institutional or individual level can be a barrier to treatment effectiveness. A community in social and economic distress may resent and mistrust treatment providers who are “outsiders.” Persons with gay, lesbian, or bisexual orientations constitute a special population within racial/ethnic groupings. Rural populations, such as migrant farmworkers, are plagued by a lack of readily accessible health and human services. Substance abuse-related morbidity and mortality problems are more serious among racial/ethnic minority populations. Family structure and cultural healing and spiritual beliefs should play prominent roles in the development of effective cultural competent substance abuse treatment services. References