National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) is based in Bethesda, MD. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) established this human service organization to deal with substance abuse and prevention programs in the US (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2015). The organization has funded studies to better understand the nature of substance abuse and its impact on the brain and body and possible treatments.
The sociodemographic and biopsychological characteristics in the region demonstrate that the intersection of socio-demographic factors results in a distinctive social personality that causes stress and underscores the need to identify evidence of significant mediating pathways (Brooks et al., 2018). Among those above the poverty line in Bethesda, African-American men (AA) were less likely to report abuse than their white counterparts, possibly because of a lack of skills and emotional or adaptive resources (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2021). The senior population in Bethesda experiences more adverse and more distressing lives than their junior counterparts from substance abuse, which also causes pain associated with socio-demographic factors and health-related issues (Brooks et al., 2018). Hence, the main social issue in the region is autonomously associated with violence associated with substance abuse.
NIAAA’s objective in preventing and treating substance abuse in Bethesda involves mitigating the harm associated with mental health issues caused by substance abuse and addiction disorders in the region. To achieve this goal, the human service organization addresses the residents on behavioral health and wellness, prevention efforts at personal levels, and the path to recovery (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2021).
I already knew that Bethesda is one region with common reports on violence and other adverse effects associated with substance abuse and the sociodemographic characteristics noted in this study confirms these cases. Surprisingly, I noted that social concerns caused by substance abuse affects both Blacks and their white counterparts in the region. It is even more surprising to identify that the latter experience more adverse effects than the former. Hence, the causative factors based on racial backgrounds should be prioritized when addressing the issue.
References
Brooks, J. M., Umucu, E., Huck, G. E., Fortuna, K., Sánchez, J., Chiu, C., & Bartels, S. J. (2018). Sociodemographic characteristics, health conditions, and functional impairment among older adults with serious mental illness reporting moderate-to-severe pain. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Journal, 41(3), 224-233. Web.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2021). Data. Web.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administrations. (2015). Data and statistics. Web.