Epidemiology, Assessment, And Treatment Of Addiction - Research Paper Example

Epidemiology, Assessment, And Treatment Of Addiction Describes the selection of a relevant population & disease of interest. (Teens and drug abuse). The relevant population will be the teenagers, they are in a stage in life where they are trying to explore there surroundings in a more practical manner. The teenagers then engage in activities that makes them vulnerable to various any health effects. The first one will be liver and lung infections, this result from taking alcohol and smoking by the teenagers (Sloboda, 2005). The teenagers usually consume alcohol or some may be by will or peer pressure .this makes the youth affected and die at early age. The other disease of interest is the HIV/AIDS infections which result to social behaviors by teenagers. The consumption and taking of drugs leads the youth to some behaviors for instance sex. Due to either lack of knowledge or ignorance they engage in unprotected sex. This makes the youth more prompt to the disease in question. They result to alcohol due to peer pressure or due to stress from the environment (Essau, 2002). Define and describe epidemiology. Epidemiology is study of distribution events that are health related, they include the disease conditions, the cause, pattern and its effect on a given human population. It involves the collection and analysis which result to informed decision about a disease among the target population. Epidemiology usually involve a given a sample of population to determine a certain cause of disease and its effect this may be a random sample or be selected according to a certain formula. The method used in the study should be accurate, not bias in that though a sample should represent the entire population (Lowinson, 2005). Uses of Steps and methods in epidemiology. Epidemiology involves steps before the final action is taken. They include first surveillance which is this includes detecting threats which may be result to outbreaks. It includes also finding how to intervene to so as to prevent the outbreak. This involves monitoring the trends of the target population for the signs and symptoms; lastly it involves finding a way forward. Surveillance is either passive or active surveillance. The passive receive information related top the surveillance while the active are those on ground and collects all the required data (Friis, 2010). There are a various sources of surveillance data. First achieves for instance in the case of a mysterious disease recurring then mortality data will be used this may include medical examination and death register. This ensures the study of past history about the disease in relation with the present occurrences. The other source of information is special survey this includes existing data from related cases and studied by different specialist thus making a harmonized report (Tsuang, Tohen, & Jones, 2011). The last means of collecting surveillance report include special survey which includes researching from scratch and developing own registers and determining the target population. The second stage is descriptive which involves data collected to be compared to number of related cases this help understand and describe the occurrence. The process occurs when one identifies cases. This includes measures of occurrence the time the event is occurring and the place where it occurs and the party involved (Emmelkamp & Vedel, 2012). The third stage involve the analytical part, this involves critical thinking of the information collected and changing it into information that can be understood by the expert. This will involve compiling of the information gathered and using specific set standard to come out with a single conclusion. After analyzing measures are then taken this is this including those to counter risks and time taken to ensure the necessary steps are followed. The last step is the action to be taken after the collection of data and the description .this actions act as the final action. This may be clinical or behavioral, for the case of drugs a suggestion on how behavioral change will be the solution (Tsuang, Tohen, & Jones, 2011). Also for the case diseased the clinical solution may be proposed in that vaccination or total treatment to cure the disease. This will done o the whole population for the case of vaccination while treatment for the affected population. Describes the Epidemiological triangle. (Identify your points) The epidemiological triangle usually involves the host, agent and the environment it show their interdependency. This also includes the time taken for the three to interact. The agent is the cause of the disease or health effects. It includes the bacteria and parasites that result to the disease. From the case of drug related illnesses it can be smoke or alcohol also chemical effects. The agent usually leads to illnesses. For our case it will be the HIV virus (Essau, 2008). The other component is the host in our case the host is the human body which carries the disease. The human body is the host since it accommodates the disease. The body determines the magnitude of the disease; human body may offer resistance to the disease due to immunization or genetic composition (Essau, 2008). Can offer no resistance and make the disease take its full effect this may be as a result of other factors including the body low immunity. The other component in the Epidemiological triangle is the environment, this are surroundings that aid in the spread of the disease. Our case the environment is the teenagers themselves due to peer pressure they result in the act of sexual intercourse hence spreading the virus (Liddle/Rowe, 2012). The last factor involves time, the time taken for the virus to get transmitted from one teenager to the other. Depending on the CD4 cells one will be weaken by the virus in different period. This also depends on the ones take of his or her ARV drugs. The earlier one begins the better since he or she will be prolonging the effect of the disease (Friis, 2010). Explains the type of epidemiology used (descriptive or analytical). There are two types of epidemiology, this is descriptive and analytical. Descriptive epidemiology involves the collection of data. It mainly answers the why question. The source of information is about the affected host in our case the human it collects data from the host. It also collects data in respect to time and the place where the disease has affected. This occurs either when the effect has taken place hence trucking back on the source of the disease or a sample of affected individual is selected and data retrieved from them (Lowinson, 2005). Analytical epidemiology answers the question of how. It determines the root cause of the problem .the data is collected over given period of time and methods relayed on how to deal with a certain disease. The methods involved are first retrospective method where a section of affected group is compared to another group which is free from infection. This enables them to determine the factor that lead to the disease. The other method is the cohort method, this compares individuals that have came into contact with the agent causing the disease and those who haven’t had contact with the agent (Friis, 2010). Here risk is calculated to determine the spread of the disease. Analytical epidemiology involves controlled experiment and data collected is numerically analyzed to determine the effect on the solution to the problem caused by a disease. In analyzing characteristics such as age, gender, marital status blood type and race is used. In our case the analysis while be emphasized on the youth. Explains how population characteristics influence vulnerability Population characteristic influences vulnerability, first will be age, the teens are likely to engage in alcohol and drug abuse. This in tern leads to lung cancer and liver infections due to consumption of alcohol. They also affect the state of mind of an individual. The adult population is lee vulnerable since they are old enough to make an informed decision. The other population characteristic is the marital status; the married population is less likely toe contact sex related illnesses. The single population is likely to contact sex related illness due heavy involvement in lots of entertaining activities which result to drug abuse that ;leads to sex hence the probability of contacting viral diseases becomes high. The other factor is gender in that males are vulnerable to drug abuse than females. Men do engage in groups where they drink together and smoke. Unlike females most of them meet for tea. The male are then exposed to the risk of alcohol related illnesses. The male teenagers party a lot as compared the female counterparts thus they are exposed more (Lowinson, 2005). Explains how cultural considerations may impact health status. Culture also may affect the health status. Some cultures may find it a taboo to speak to their children about the sex. This contributes to their children engaging in the acts without knowledge thus aiding the spread of the disease. Some culture also doesn’t recognize the essence of medication and use of protection thus intern contributing to the spread of disease. The other factor is the cultural environment in that one is born to a surrounding where alcohol is consumed by every one hence they engage in it at a tender age. The result leads to addition which intern leads to sequence of occurrence that result to the chain of infections (Sloboda, 2005). Teenagers who are raised upright manner will avoid behaviors that result to the infections of HIV/AIDS as a result of alcohol. The society should be educated and forget the past practices to pave way and give dialog a chance. Explains ethical & legal considerations & how to overcome potential biases It’s unethical for unmarried teenagers to engage in sexual activities this intern helps in the abstinence factor which is a preventive measure against HIV/AIDS. The law also prohibit under age youths from taking alcohol thus may act as a measure to cope with the menace. Ethics guides once principles and brings forward what is right and what is not right. The law also tries to do the same. The law will help in ensuring no giddy traders sell alcohol to under ages. The law is clear on what drugs to be sold and which ones are prohibited. Both the law and ethics should be aware that the problem lies with all sectors of the law. Causes of the disease should be seen from all angles, the chain of transmission should be clear. The disease relates from alcohol to the infection amongst the youth. The sector involved should determine the main cause rather than concentrating on the prevention (Tsuang, Tohen, & Jones, 2011). Describes the relationship of the disease to the various levels of prevention The disease has various ways of prevention, this include first is abstaining. The youth are highly recommended to abstain from first alcohol this is an indirect consequence of the spread of HIV/AIDS. Also the youth are advised to abstain from sex, those who are unable to abstain to sue protection when caring out their sexual activities. The prevention can be undertaken by individuals themselves or by public sensitization. The youths can be educated on the effects and dangers of the disease and how to avoid it and how to avoid peer pressure amongst them. Methods of prevention are upon the teenagers themselves (Sloboda, 2005). References Emmelkamp, P & Vedel, E. (2012). Evidence-Based Treatments for Alcohol and Drug Abuse: A Practitioner's Guide to Theory, Methods, and Practice. Chicago: Routledge. Essau, C. (2008). Adolescent Addiction: Epidemiology, Assessment, and Treatment. New York: Academic Press. Essau, C. (2002). Substance abuse and dependence in adolescence: epidemiology, risk factors and treatment. New York: Psychology Press. Friis, R. (2010). Epidemiology 101. Chicago: Jones & Bartlett Learning. Liddle/Rowe. (2012). Adolescent Substance Abuse. Chicago: Cambridge University Press. Lowinson, J. (2005). Substance abuse: a comprehensive textbook. New York: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Sloboda, Z. (2005). Epidemiology of drug abuse. Chicago: Springer. Tsuang, M., Tohen, M & Jones, P. (2011). Textbook of Psychiatric Epidemiology. Chicago: John Wiley & Sons. Read More