How Historical, Ecological, Sociological, and Economic Factors Impact Alcohol Abuse

The American Community
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The American Community
Client Characteristics and Condition
In social work, one encounters diverse clients with varying conditions from complex factors. About three months ago, Gabrielle (a pseudonym), aged 46 years, presented to a Chester County Hospital disoriented and expressing thoughts of despair. A thorough health assessment at the facility revealed that she has been struggling with alcoholism for the last five years. Although Gabrielle reported having some significant interest in overcoming her condition, she notes that she finds herself immersed in the behavior every other day. She can take any liquor as long as it is available. The client worries about the inability to resist alcohol and has lost all self-control. A physical exam illustrates that her unhealthy practice has significantly impacted her health because she had pale skin and looked visibly undernourished. Her hands were also shaky while holding a pen or cup of water, demonstrating the severe impact of alcoholism. Since her diagnosis, Gabrielle has been on a treatment program incorporating motivational enhancement therapy and weekly schedules for her alcoholic anonymous (AA) meetings. The approach also included Naltrexone to assist her in resisting the heavy drinking urge (Ray et al. (2018). She has made commendable improvements since she is currently progressing without needing pharmacological assistance. In this context, this case study will explore the ecological, historical, economic, and sociological factors affecting Gabrielle’s alcoholism problem and how these components impacted her treatment and aftercare, including that of her family. It will also investigate the interrelationship between the agency and the community space, development, and other community institutions.
Description of the Condition
Alcohol abuse is a persistent social problem in the United States. According to Glass et al. (2017), statistics rank alcoholism among the nation’s third primary causes of preventable death. The researchers indicate that ethnic minorities, especially women, emerge as the most vulnerable individuals to this problem. Glass et al. (2017) further state that this population suffers significantly more psychiatric comorbidity than their male counterparts. Various health determinants explain the complexity of alcoholism among racial minority women such as Gabrielle. For instance, trends indicate that poverty is a leading health determinant that disproportionately affects African Americans compared to other populations. Researchers consider this lack of resources and finances to meet diverse basic needs a stressor that increases the probability of a person engaging in harmful behaviors, including drinking, as a coping mechanism. Numerous studies have investigated the relationship between heavy alcohol intake and poverty. Their results reveal a close correlation, which illustrates one of the primary reasons explaining Gabrielle’s adoption of alcohol as a form of coping with her inadequate financial status. Gabrielle et al. (2017) also indicate that neighborhood disadvantage also increases the likelihood of African Americans engaging in alcohol abuse. Thus, this problem requires a thorough assessment and appropriate intervention with consideration of patient-specific factors.
Impact on Condition, Treatment, and Aftercare for Consumer and Family
Ecological Factors
Ecological or environmental factors significantly influence a person developing alcoholism. Glass et al. (2017) underscore the concept of neighborhood disadvantage for African Americans, increasing their vulnerability to alcohol abuse. As an African American woman facing financial challenges, Gabrielle succumbs to the desire to find an avenue for addressing her life stresses. The increased concentration of alcoholic selling points in her locality makes it easier for her to access alcoholic drinks at a lower price. The social view that drinking is customary in her community worsens the situation because she finds minimal discouragement from engaging in the practice (Glass et al., 2017). Klein (2016) reveals that the more supportive the environmental factors towards a disruptive behavior, the more an individual becomes addicted. In this context, Gabrielle’s confession that she had lost self-control and could not resist abusing alcohol relates to the technological factors in her locality.
These factors also significantly influence the treatment available for a patient and aftercare for them and their affected families. For instance, Glass et al. (2017) reveal that understanding the ecological dynamics influencing a client’s drinking behavior is fundamental in designing treatment procedures. For example, Gabrielle’s assessment shows that exposure to an enabling environment increases her likelihood of abusing alcohol. Considering these aspects, a social worker would integrate approaches that reduce the influence of enabling factors, as demonstrated by the recommendation of AA therapies. The motivational enhancement therapy also seeks to capacity build and empower her to find alternative but healthy tactics for dealing with her pressing issues instead of reverting to alcohol abuse. According to Klein (2016), such an aspect incorporates associating with individuals offering practical support, including family members, to overcome her condition. These persons may comprise ex-addicts who have successfully transitioned from unhealthy practices to alcohol-free lives.
Historical Factors
Trends indicate that African American women have an established history of engaging in alcohol intake from an early age. Klein (2016) reports that approximately two-thirds (66.5%) of this population start this practice within their eighteenth birthday. The researcher adds that abusing alcohol is commonplace within African American communities, with 46.3% of the consumers qualifying as binge users. Moreover, statistics indicate that despite the relatively minor population of African Americans nationally, up to 7.7% of their adults satisfy the alcohol dependence diagnostic metrics (Kl...