Perhaps no other health-related condition has as many far-reaching consequences in human society as does drug abuse. These consequences include a wide range of social, psychological, physical economic and political problems. The media bombards the public with accounts of crimes related to drug use and drug trafficking. Local and national efforts to change the situation often are inadequate and ineffective.
This research has attempted to provide an overview of the complex, multifaceted phenomenon of drug abuse and its manifestation among the adolescents. The focus has been on the psychosocial and family dynamics aspects of drug abuse as well as preventive strategies and nursing interventions.
From the review of various ethological theories, it is clear that there is no one causative factor in the development of the problem. Consequently, there is no one treatment approach to apply to all drug abusers.
Some important points regarding preventive strategies and nursing interventions for adolescent drug abuse are as follows:
1. Prevention and intervention should be tailored to the specific needs of the individual because not all addicts are the same.
2. Prevention and intervention should stress the importance of family interaction and attempt to engage important social network members in the process.
3. Treatment is not recovery but rather part of the recovery process and experience. As such, prevention and intervention programs must address the after-care needs of the client to maintain the gains made in treatment.
4. A comprehensive prevention and intervention approach will recognize the multifaceted nature of dependence and addiction and attempt to address these multiple influences within the course of the treatment and after discharge.
Researcher discussed the way how community health nurses can assist individuals, families, and groups experiencing drug abuse problems. First they can provide an accurate assessment, which includes a family history and specific questions about personal drug use.
Denial of drug abuse or dependence may range from completely blocked awareness of the entire problem to partial disavowal of the detrimental effects of the drug abuse. The community health nurse may also include the social network to get the person into treatment. The trust that develops in a caring nursing relationship can support disclosure of drug abuse problems and decrease denial in the adolescent client or family members.
Mutual help groups are associations that are voluntarily formed, are not professionally dominated, and operate through face-to-face supportive interaction focusing on a mutual goal. There are many mutual help groups, and they are usually organized by recovering substance abusers or those recovering from compulsive behavior patterns. The early AA members of U.S.A developed 12 steps to guide the recovery process. The process can be applied into Korean adolescent drug abuse situation.
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