The Target Population
The target population (TP) for the current proposal represents veterans. Such people comprise a community, the participants of which have unique identities due to their military socialization in terms of norms, values, and language (Guerrero et al., 2021). According to the statistics provided by the US Department of Veterans Affairs (2022), there are over 18 million veterans in the nation aged from 20 to over 85 years old. Consequently, the TP is a major group that is distinct from the ordinary public.
The Problem
The identified TP faces a variety of problems, among which addiction presents a considerable threat. Factors that contribute to the TP’s experience of substance abuse include military service-related stress, exposure to trauma, and the need to navigate between martial and civilian life. As a result, veterans have a higher chance of developing an addiction (Guerrero et al., 2021; Pazdera et al., 2021). For example, veterans face 40% greater levels of pain than regular individuals, and such discomfort increases the chances of acquiring substance use disorder (Pazdera et al., 2021).
At the same time, aspects that can help remedy the TP’s issue are associated with such military values as obedience and commitment to comrades. Such elements may suggest that veterans are likely to be diligent in the process of receiving treatment and have a desire to become better for the benefit of those around them (Guerrero et al., 2021). The TP is at a significant risk of addiction but has the potential to be cured.
Best Practices to Address the Problem
It is recommended that people within the TP participate in a treatment group, specifically a cognitive behavioral group (CBG). Having been considered an evidence-based practice for substance abuse disorders, cognitive behavior therapy offers diverse methods, including skills training and positive reinforcements (Magill et al., 2020). Accordingly, involvement in CBG may benefit TP through approaches selected to modify veterans’ conduct. Notably, it is crucial for CBG to generate a sense of positive expectations, which are important within the context of substance abuse theory (Tooley et al., 2023). CBG can provide veterans, who, as noted earlier, are used to cooperating with their peers, with ways to alter the desire to abuse substances.
References
Guerrero, M., Wiedbusch, E. K., Abo, M. G., Nguyen, R. L., Soto‐Nevarez, A., Principato, K., & Jason, L. A. (2021). “It’s like a Brotherhood”: Thematic analysis of veterans’ identity processes in substance abuse recovery homes. Journal of Community Psychology, 49(6), 1531-1553. Web.
Magill, M., Tonigan, J. S., Kiluk, B., Ray, L., Walthers, J., & Carroll, K. (2020). The search for mechanisms of cognitive behavioral therapy for alcohol or other drug use disorders: A systematic review. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 131, 1-10. Web.
Pazdera, M., Lor, K. B., Winstead Jr., O., Hamberger, L. K., Curry, B., Franco, Z., O’Connor, S., Gollin-Graves, M., Hurley, R., Gray, T., & Ahmed, S. M. (2021). Addressing opioid misuse among veterans: A peer-delivered opioid prevention curriculum. International Journal of Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement, 9(1), 1-19. Web.
Tooley, E. M., Fava, J. L., & Borrelli, B. (2023). The relationship antecedents of smoking (RAS) scale: A new scale to assess couple-focused triggers to smoke. Health Behavior Research, 6(2), 1-15. Web.
US Department of Veterans Affairs. (2022). National center for veterans analysis and statistics. Web.
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