Example Of Term Paper On Mental Health Issues Among First Nations People

The purpose of this paper is to analyze alcohol abuse and its consequences. The reason why it is affecting the community is because it is a legal drug with dire consequences if abused. It is thus readily available among Canadian population. Alcohol statistics are also not widely publicized which further leads to more of its abuse. There is also not much as relates to policy limiting its abuse.
The greatest personal harm is caused by alcohol. This is why I consider it a community health issue. 10% of disease burden is brought about by alcohol as compared to 2% from illegal substances. These illegal substances may be thought to be more severe than alcohol but they are not as prevalent as alcohol. Alcohol has almost become an accepted societal vice. Only 18% of adults in Ontorio attest to have not used alcohol within a period of one year. Alcohol is also known to cause chronic diseases and is actually the leading threat factor for chronic diseases. Its adverse effects on health can thus not be ignored. Alcohol is known to predispose one to diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, cancers (such as liver, mouth cancers, and breast and lung cancer). In general, over sixty diseases are associated with alcohol abuse. Alcohol causes more harm than one could possibly imagine. An example is injuries that are unintended such as vehicle injuries, machine injuries, and generally accidents. Other injuries are also intentional such as committing suicide or bodily harm such as assault. It is also a major cause of psychological conditions such as depression and anxiety disorder. If taken during pregnancy or child bearing years, alcohol has an effect on the health of a child born and on the mother. The cost of alcohol misuse shows that it is indeed a community health issue. Considering that it has negative health implications, the cost attributed to it is immense. The fact that it is readily available and legal only adds to it being a major health issue. There is also evidence of heavy drinking in Ontorio. Even worse and of concern is that there are reported cases of alcohol consumption among pregnant mothers. This surely is a community health issue. Underage drinking is another indicator that alcohol is truly a health issue. Of the population aged above 12 years in Ontorio, 16% are heavy drinkers. 9% of this is females while 22% are males. It is estimated that alcohol 1.8 million deaths are caused by alcohol and that misuse of alcohol has been on the increase in the recent past.
For the Ontarian population aged 20 years and above, 37% were considered heavy drinkers. Alcohol abuse is attributed to many deaths in Ontorio. 10% is the approximate number of deaths associated with misuse of alcohol. 40% of the accidents are also attributed to alcohol misuse. These statistics are alarming and it seems that alcohol poses a greater health risk in Canada than one may possibly imagine. The mere fact that alcohol is a highly addictive drug only adds to the health problem among the Canadian society. Heavy drinking is also a threat to mental health and if measures are not taken to curb the abuse of alcohol in Canada then the consequences will be dire. This is as relates to both social and economic consequences. Any substance that causes bodily harm and may lead to death is an issue of concern and the fact that alcohol causes many deaths makes it a health and societal issue.
An individual’s lifestyle for instance, is a social determinant of health that may bring about alcohol abuse. The social determinants may also include the social environment where one is brought up in. A child who is predisposed to alcohol at an early age may develop into a drinker at a very early age. Similarly, one’s social status may have an effect on the rate at which a drinker abuses alcohol. Groups too are very vulnerable such as the youths due to peer pressure. Other groups include those in jails, sex workers, bisexuals, and aboriginal people. The kind of friends one interacts with may also influence their decision to take alcohol. Parents thus have a major role in combating alcohol abuse. One’s religious affiliations, level of education and willing ability to take risks may also influence exposure to alcohol. The social well being of an individual may influence their exposure to alcohol abuse. Those with social problems such as depression for instance are more prone to heavy drinking as an escape to reality. An individual’s behavior may also cause alcohol abuse. The social economic levels of an individual may also largely contribute to alcohol abuse. Access to quality health care and the policies in place may also lead to alcohol abuse. This implies that if quality health care is not accessible and the policies are poor then many people may abuse alcohol due to ignorance. The gender factor too is a determinant that cannot be ignored. Males are more susceptible to drug abuse than the females. One’s ability to cope with stressful situations is another major determinant of health that may lead to alcohol and substance abuse. There are people who only drink while under stress. This habit may culminate and develop into addiction. Other people are able to cope with stress without necessarily drinking and therefore end up not abusing alcohol. Working conditions too may make one susceptible to stress and eventually alcohol abuse
The health professionals have had various researches done and recommendations made to curb alcohol abuse. These include; Canadian campus survey, Canadian addiction survey and Ontario Trauma Registry among others. The public health for instance advocates for increased least drinking age, as this will minimize the abuse of alcohol. It has advocated for policies to curb alcohol abuse in campuses. It has also advocated for maximal control so that youths do not get access alcohol. It has also collaborated with institutions to offer guidance and counseling services to already affected people. Little or minimal support however in curbing this menace is given to the public health. Most of the suggestions put forward for policy formulation have not been put in place. There is only so much that the public heath can do, the mantle is now with the policy makers to formulate these policies and ensure that they work. It goes without saying that some voices are heard, others ignored while others are silenced. However, the fact remains that the voices of the public health sector are aired and heard. Whether or not they are ignored or silenced is up to the public to judge. The public too have aired their views on this matter constantly. The church for instance has been in the forefront in the fight against alcohol abuse. The question remains if it all falls on deaf ears. Silence may be golden but there comes a time when silence is betrayal. This implies that whether or not we are ignored or silenced, we in the health profession must constantly fight this vice for the good of our nation. Institutions too such as the campus have also aired their voices but little remains to be done. Talk of the parents, who have lost their children through alcohol abuse, they too have had their voice aired. Those in rehabilitation centers are also constantly speaking about their experiences and struggles while the sick too continue to warn others to avoid the vice. It is upon the public to hear the voice and not ignore or silence them because the consequences are real and dangerous.
It requires a community based approach to curb this menace. However, achieving a cordial relationship among the groups of affected parties is not an easy task altogether. The parties involved include the public health officials, the affected community and the policy formulators or government. Equity has to do with fair treatment of all the parties involved regardless of their differences in age, color, race, sex, or even social class. None of the parties involved can work without the other yet there is a tussle and conflict of interests among the parties involved. While the community is affected by alcohol abuse, the health workers are working to curb and eliminate the menace. While the health workers are working to curb the menace, the Canadian government has legalized the use of alcohol. While the government puts in place legislation to minimize the abuse of alcohol, the public is not happy and at the same time the health professionals feel that the policies in place are not effective. The health sector also feels that the government does not offer them as much help as they would wish. As illustrated above, social justice and equity does not seem to prevail and is not easily achievable in a normal working society. This implies that alcohol abuse will be rampant and the effects dire on the social economic aspect of the nation. The fact that people have different positions in the society is further proof that equity cannot be achieved. Just as trees are never equal in the forest, so are the people in a society. This creates a spirit of competition and rivalry among different people. Higher expectations with low return lead to stress and eventually alcohol abuse. Opportunities in life present differently to different people. There are people who tend to be luckier than others are. A child who is born in a low end family may feel inferior to the one born in a high end family. This indicates a lack of equity in the society. The root causes of these and many other problems must be dealt with if we are to tackle issues on social justice and equity.
The community health nurse has a major role in providing care to people affected by alcohol abuse. This is as relates to alcohol addicts. The community health nurse should work with other professional experts to inform people about the menace so that they may take care of their health based on informed advice. The community nurse should also identify the most vulnerable populations with the aim of assisting them, as prevention is better than cure. The role of enhancing acceptance of alcoholic people and heavy drinkers in the community also lies in the hands of the community health nurse. One should also work hand in hand with the hospital to ensure that care is given to rehabilitated people once they are back home. Follow up on rehabilitated people should also be made to ensure that they do not fall back to their old habits. A community health nurse should also play a linking role between people and services. Innovation in their practice should also be enhanced. Ongoing information should also be given to the public and this role lies in the hands of the community nurse. Availability is also key to respond to emergency and offer answers on questions that the community may have about the menace. All in all, the community health worker has much to do in curbing this problem and should realize that if they neglect these roles, the consequences are dire. The role of addiction counseling for instance lies in their hands and a failure to do so may lead to loss of lives.