The Role of Racial Disparities (Current Status of the Problem)
The substance abuse trend shows a significant increase in substance abuse among older black Americans since 2016 in almost all drug categories. This data poses a serious concern about the impact of rehabilitation programs to reduce substance abuse in black Americans. Suntai et al. (2020) mention that when compared to Whites, older black Americans are 37% less likely to complete substance abuse treatment programs.
Suntai et al. (2020) mention that racial injustice and socioeconomic disparities account for the differences observed between Black Americans compared to whites. For instance, even though the rate of substance abuse is considerably higher among older Black Americans than whites, research shows that areas with higher percentages of rural, Black, and underinsured individuals were less likely to have outpatient treatment facilities that accept Medicaid (Suntai et al., 2020). Other socioeconomic factors like unemployment, homelessness, and not having a health insurance cover also play a vital role in the lower rate of substance abuse treatment completion in Black Americans. These statistics show the alienation of minorities likely to be the biggest beneficiaries of Medicaid services.
Substance abuse among older adults is related to a higher prevalence of developing substance abuse-related complications. However, the criteria for the screening for substance use disorders are primarily based on the younger population despite the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) asserting that the impact of drugs varies with age (Grooms & Ortega, 2019). Furthermore, compared to whites and Hispanics, black Americans are less likely to receive sufficient screening for substance abuse disorders because they are more likely to be screened by less experienced or less qualified professionals. At the same time, blacks are less likely to be admitted into substance abuse treatment programs and are more likely to be prematurely discharged from the same program (Grooms & Ortega, 2019). This data clearly shows that racial disparities play a crucial role in substance abuse figures among older black Americans.
Furthermore, available rehabilitation approaches may not fit the needs of the Black American communities. Kaliszewski (2020) mentions Black Americans show a strong attachment to religion, and thus religion or spirituality-based rehabilitation programs are likely to be very effective in the population. Spirituality-based programs have been offered to be more effective in abstinence from substance abuse usage. For instance, Grim and Grim (2019) show that experiencing spiritual awakening was associated with 82% total abstinence from drug abuse instead of 55% among those without spiritual awakening within a year of discharge from treatment programs. Rehabilitation efforts may thus have worked better in the Black American community if they were tailor-made to meet the community’s needs.
Given the information above write a paragraph for each, on the following subheadings:
1) Substance use
2) Spirituality
3) Structural oppression
