SUBSTANCE ABUSE, DISABILITY, AND ETHNICITY

This research describes a relationship between substance abuse, psychological disability, and ethnicity. The abused substance in this relationship is alcohol, while the psychological disability is adolescent disruptive behavior, and the relevant ethnic group is Native American.

The three variables in this relationship are tied together through the fetal alcohol syndrome. The description of the relationship will show that (1) the frequency of alcohol consumption is disproportionately high among Native American women (Burd, 1994, pp. 688-693), (2) the adverse effects of fetal alcohol syndrome do not end in infancy, but persist into adolescence (Smitherman, 1994, pp. 121-126), (3) a major effect of fetal alcohol syndrome in adolescents is disruptive behavior disability (Griffin, 1994, pp. 20-27) as defined by DSM-IV (American Psychiatric Association, 1994, pp. 78-94), (4) adolescent disruptive behavior disability is especially prevalent among adolescents in adoptive families (Lahti, 1993, pp. 67-74), and that Native American children tend to be placed in adoptive homes at a greater frequency than non Native American children (James & James, 1992, p. 24).

In contemporary American society, the "use of certain substances to modify mood or behavior under certain circumstances is generally regarded as normal and appropriate. Such use includes recreational drinking of alcohol, in which a majority of

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diagnosis for the stress experienced by the great majority of adolescents in the United States. Acute stress disorder, however, is an accurate diagnosis for the stress experienced by many adolescents and younger children in adoptive family situations who have experienced the sudden loss of a parent or parents. Generalized anxiety disorder characterizes the stress experienced by most adolescents in the United States. The "essential feature of Generalized Anxiety Disorder is excessive anxiety and worry (apprehensive expectation) occurring more days than not for a period of at least 6 months, about a number of events or activities" (American Psychiatric Association, p. 432). Such individuals find it difficult to control the worry, which is accompanied "by at least three additional symptoms from a list that includes restlessness, being easily fatigued, difficulty concentrating, irritability, muscle tension, and disturbed sleep" (American Psychiatric Association, p. 433). Children and adolescents experiencing stress also may be diagnosed with Adjustment Disorder, the "essential feature of which is the development of clinically significant emotional or behavioral symptoms in response to an identifiable psychosocial stressor or st
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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1626
Approximate Pages = 7 (250 words per page)

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