Culturally Based Substance Abuse Treatment for American Indians/Alaska Natives and Latinos

• NCJ Number: 228618
• Journal: Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse Volume: 8 Issue: 3 Dated: July-September 2009 Pages: 207-222
• Author(s): Scott C. Carvajal; Robert S. Young
• Date Published: September 2009
• Length: 16 pages
• Grant Number(s): 60MD000155-03; U26IHS3000007
• Sponsoring Agency: National Ctr on Minority Health and Health Disparities; National Institute of General Medical Sciences
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Issue Overview
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: For the first article, see NCJ-228619.

Annotation

This introductory paper for a series of articles that were presentations at a conference on "Culturally Based Substance Abuse Treatment for American Indians/Alaska Natives and Latinos" outlines conference objectives and summarizes the themes of the eight articles.

Abstract

The first two articles address the epidemiology of substance use among American Indians/Alaska Natives as well as among Latinos. A comprehensive perspective of the problem is presented, based on available evidence. One article examines why American Indians/Alaska Natives have the highest mortality rates from alcohol abuse of any population group, even though data indicate that drinking rates are highest among Whites compared to all other population groups. The second article presents an overview of disparities and trends in substance abuse in U.S. Latino adults, using various general population studies. The third and fourth articles analyze the importance of using cultural orientations in treatment and prevention programs for American Indians/Alaska Natives. One of the articles examines cultural practices and spiritual development for women in a Native American alcohol and drug treatment program. The authors discuss a research project that aims to develop an instrument that can assess whether American Indian/Alaska Native female clients would benefit from participating in traditional spiritual practices as part of their treatment program. The fourth article describes a tribal community-university partnership designed to reduce substance abuse and promote good health in a reservation tribal community. The fifth and sixth articles discuss the importance of taking a culturally appropriate approach in providing substance-abuse treatment for Latinos. This is followed by an article that addresses whether historical trauma is a factor in the mental health of some Mexican-Americans who may seek treatment for substance abuse. The concluding article presents a comprehensive review of the aforementioned issues when providing treatment to minority female clients in recovery from substance abuse. 44 references