Population Being Addressed
The population that is being assessed in this project is the teenage population residing in Stafford, Virginia, and being affected by substance abuse. The specific definition of the population includes people between the ages of ten and nineteen, individuals experiencing a period of transition between childhood and adulthood characterized by significant growth and development (UNICEF, 2023). The public health issue of alcohol and drug use across the country affects all age groups and is highly concerning when teens, adolescents, and young adults are involved.
Teenagers, similarly to adults, can engage in substance abuse of a wide range of illegal drugs, prescription medication, marijuana, alcohol, and other drugs (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, n.d.). The risks of people engaging in substance use in their teenage years to develop a substance abuse disorder in the future. The environment in which the adolescent population lives and learns will shape their experiences with drugs, which is why communities, including their social services or the general quality of life, play a significant role in either facilitating or preventing teenage substance abuse.
There are several reasons why teenagers may engage in illicit drug use, with the first and one of the most significant risk factors being peer pressure. The majority of teens who have used illegal drugs reported being given the substance by a peer (Er et al., 2019). Another reason why the target population may engage in substance use is self-medication or escape from mental health problems. Additionally, it is necessary to consider experimentation and the desire to feel grown up as potential contributors to substance abuse among the population.
Racial Makeup of the Population
The race of the population in question is diverse, as teenagers of any race or ethnicity can engage in substance abuse. Drawing from the racial demographics data available for the Richmond, VA community, 67.7% of the population is White, 21.9% is Black or African American, 16.3% is Hispanic or Latino, and 4.2% is Asian (United States Census Bureau, 2020). However, it is important to consider race-related data on illicit drug abuse among adolescents. As reported by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA, 2022), Multiracial adolescent individuals were more likely to engage in illicit drug use, followed by Black or African American, White, and Latino populations.
As to substance use disorder, Alaska Natives (27.6%) or Multiracial adolescents (25.9%) were the most likely to develop severe conditions than Black (17.2%), White (17.0%) or Hispanic or Latino (15.7% counterparts) (SAMHSA, 2022). However, it is crucial to note that the rates of substance use and its transformation into use disorders are still high among diverse racial groups. According to the findings of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA, 2022), substance abuse is especially harmful to the developing adolescent brain and body because it continues developing until a person reaches their early- to mid-twenties.
Geographical Boundaries of the Population
The geographical boundaries affecting the community are confined to the Stafford Country, Virginia. The population of the country is 154,204, while the majority of residents own their homes (Niche, 2022). It is located in the Commonwealth of Virginia and is a suburb outside Washington D.C., around forty miles from the south of the US capital. It is among the fastest-growing countries in the whole country. Situated across the Rappahannock River from the City of Fredericksburg, the county is a part of the Washington-Arlington-Alexandria Metropolitan Statistical Area. Stafford County is considered one of the best places to live in Virginia due to the high quality of housing, the availability of jobs and public schools, and accommodations for families (Niche, 2022). Moreover, the community has good ratings for diversity, which is a beneficial characteristic.
County Characteristics
Stafford County Public Schools serve the majority of adolescent learners across the community. The high schools include Brooke Point High School, Colonial Forge High School, Mountain View High School, North Stafford High School, and Stafford Senior High School. Some of the private schools include the Fredericksburg Academy, Fredericksburg Christian School, Grace Preparatory School, and others. Finally, universities available in the county include Strayer University, University of Mary Washington, and Germanna Community College.
General Characteristics
The general characteristics of the group go beyond the age of the individuals who are the focus of the problem. In both males and females, teenage years are associated with rapid developmental growth and biological changes, cognitive development, consciousness of their appearance, sexual attraction, and other changes. Teenagers who use illicit substances are likely to find themselves in environments that are conducive to the consumption of drugs. Experimentation with drugs plays a significant role in their drug use. Because their brain is still developing, there are higher levels of curiosity and the desire to experience things that their peers have experienced. It should be mentioned that most adults with addiction initially experimented with illicit drug use before they turned twenty-one.
The group of teenagers engaging in drug use is not limited to specific socioeconomic characteristics, as teenagers from any family background can engage in illicit drug use. Moreover, in the report by the Law Office of Dennis R. Vetrano, Jr. (2020), it was mentioned that wealthier kids are more susceptible to drug abuse, even though it is typical to assume that alcohol and drug abuse is more widespread among poorer and uneducated individuals. Due to these findings, it is essential not to limit considerations of alleviating the burden of substance abuse among teenagers to a low-income group due to the risks of misrepresentation.
Education Levels, Birth/Death Rates, Age of Death, Insured/Uninsured
The life expectancy of the population of Stafford, VA, is 80.1, which is higher than the national median of 77.5 years (U.S. News, 2023). The mortality rate for all causes is 678.6 per 100,000 population for females and 828.5 per 100,000 population among males (U.S. News, 2023). There is only 7.1% of the population with no health insurance, in contrast to the national median of 11% (U.S. News, 2023). The national smoking rate is 13.4%, while the national median is 20.0%, which points to the higher level of adherence to healthy behaviors of the population.
As to mental health indicators, there are 12.2% of adults with mental distress in contrast to the national average of 15.8%, while there are 15.5% of Medicare beneficiaries with depression, while the countrywide median is 18.0% (U.S. News, 2023). It must be noted that Stafford County does not record birth, death, marriage, and divorce records, and obtaining this information is only possible through a direct request to the Virginia Department of Health, Office of Vital Records, which requires a fee (Stafford County Virginia, 2023).
When it comes to education levels of the population residing in Stafford, VA, 93.2% of people are high school graduates or higher, with the information applicable to persons aged twenty-five and older (United States Census Bureau, 2021). For the same age group, 42.3% of citizens have a Bachelor’s degree or higher (United States Census Bureau, 2021). Therefore, the environment and educational opportunities in the county are conducive to the population’s educational attainment.
Urban/Rural Characteristics
Geographically, the population resides in the suburban community of Stafford, which is characterized as the home to many commuters of Washington, D.C., as well as those traveling for work to Richmond, VA. Stafford used to be a rural community prior to the construction of Interstate 95 at the end of the 1960s (Stafford County Government, 2019). However, since that time, a population boom has occurred in the country, which led to the development of additional infrastructure conducive to increased life quality of citizens. The suburban characteristics of Stafford are also illustrated through the economic indicators, including the 2.6% unemployment rate while 78% of the workforce commutes out (Stafford County Government, 2019).
In addition, 51% of at-place workers in Stafford have a two-year degree or higher (Stafford County Government, 2019). The major employers in the community that offer opportunities for career development include Geico, with more than four thousand employees; the Department of Defense, with more than two thousand employees; and the Federal Bureau of Investigations, with more than a five hundred employees (Stafford County Government, 2019). These statistics show that once young people graduate college in their communities, they have the potential to be employed by governmental agencies or other large organizations.
The Purpose of the Community Assessment
Community assessments are implemented to identify the influence of demographic, social, and environmental characteristics and changes on the negative tendencies of young people to engage in substance use. By collecting and analyzing data pertinent to the target population, it will become possible to identify the trends that impact the behavior and outcomes of the chosen population. Specifically, it is important to explore community systems, relevant actors and structures, and existing support systems that shape the environment in which the target population resides.
In addition, the assessment aims to evaluate the extent of community knowledge, perceptions, and behaviors regarding teenage use of addictive substances and the services available for addressing the factor. The community assessment aims to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the existing community engagement strategies as well as opportunities and threats for future collaboration to address the public health issue. Finally, the expected outcome of the assessment is to develop an action plan and a strategy of comprehensive community engagement to improve access and uptake of programs that address teenage substance use.
It is a priority for public health workers to ensure that the available services within communities reach the populations in question to facilitate treatment, prevention, and recovery efforts. Through the integration of evidence-based practices (EBP), policies, and programs, it will become possible for communities to reduce the impact of negative circumstances that contribute to teenagers’ substance use. Nevertheless, it is essential to note that the implementation and maintenance of EBP programs are challenging for smaller communities that need more resources, which is why only a limited number of communities have succeeded (SAMHSA, 2022). Even when there are resources to facilitate the programs’ implementation, not all populations receive their benefits equally due to the adverse impact of health disparities.
Collection of Information for the Community Assessment
The information collected for the purposes of the community assessment will be collected from windshield surveys and informant interviews. The purpose of the survey is to ask the community what they see and experience on a regular basis, with the results of the survey guiding future action. A survey will have a pre-set list of questions to be answered by the population in order to identify the pressing needs that must be addressed. Based on the answers given by the target group, it will be possible to develop a toolkit for teenage substance abuse. Considering the fact that substance abuse among young people is an issue, it is necessary to connect the survey with the framework of the Drug Abuse Screen Test (DAST or DAST-10), which contains ten ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions about how much and how often a person takes drugs.
In addition, besides learning how often and how much teenagers take drugs, the reasons behind their behaviors must be discovered. Specifically, surveys will include questions regarding why the responders have taken or are taking drugs. Finally, it is crucial to mention that all of the surveys will be anonymous to preserve the identity of the responders and prevent them from being judged. Informant interviews will include a more in-depth look into teenage substance abuse and will entail open-ended questions to allow for a more comprehensive analysis. The interviewees will be selected through convenience snowball sampling because longer interviews require more time and dedication to implement.
Results Description
The results of the windshield surveys suggest that teenage drug abuse within the community occurs as a result of peer pressure, interest to experiment, and mental health issues. It was found that the responders used substances one to three times a week. Spending time with friends who also abused drugs was a prerequisite to using substances among the target group. However, teenagers who use illicit drugs to handle their mental health issues use drugs independently and are not pressured by others to take them. Feelings of loneliness and isolation were noted as common factors for teenagers to use drugs in order to escape reality and feel detached from their problems. Among all windshield surveys, no severe dependence on drugs was identified; however, this finding does not indicate that no issues will occur in the future.
The findings of the informant interviews suggest that the issue of teenage drug abuse in the community is not well-known, which means that not much attention is given to its resolution. Teenagers who engage in drug use in the community tend to have resources to purchase from unknown sources, which suggests that the pool of drug users is diverse in terms of economic factors. Mental health was cited as a significant contributing factor to teenagers engaging in illicit drug abuse, pointing to the importance of developing a toolkit to alleviate the burden of the most pressing risk factors affecting the target population. The toolkit should involve relevant community resources available in the Stafford community in order to mobilize the entire community to address substance abuse among the teenage population.
References
Er, V., Campbell, R., Hickman, M., Bonell, C., Moore, L., & White, J. (2019). The relative importance of perceived substance misuse use by different peers on smoking, alcohol and illicit drug use in adolescence. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 204. Web.
Law Office of Dennis R. Vetrano, Jr. (2020). Rich kids and drugs: what the wealthy need to know. Web.
Niche. (2022). Stafford County. Web.
SAMHSA. (2021). Highlights by race/ethnicity for the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Web.
SAMHSA. (2022). Rise in prescription drug misuse and abuse impacting teens. Web.
Stafford County Government. (2019). 2019 county profile. Web.
Stafford County Virginia. (2019). Vital records. Web.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (n.d.). Drug and alcohol use. Web.
U.S. News. (2023). Stafford County, VA. Web.
UNICEF. (2023). Adolescents. Web.
United States Census Bureau. (2021). QuickFacts Stafford County, Virginia. Web.