The Impact of Childhood Interventions on Subsequent Drug Abuse

Table of Contents

Introduction1

Research Hypothesis1

Methodology3

Conclusion4

References5

The Impact of Childhood Interventions on Subsequent Drug Abuse

Introduction

Research Hypothesis

“A Childhood intervention for mental disorders increases the chances of substance abuse later on in life, as compared to children with no such interventions”.

Conceptual Hypothesis

“Interventions for childhood mental disorders have an impact on subsequent substance abuse”.

Childhood interventions include the support system for children suffering with disabilities in development. These interventions include a wide range of services. From family training, nutrition services to medical and nursing services. These medical services help diagnose the problems that are causing a delay or disability in the child. Nursing services include the administering of medications prescribed by physician. The drugs are prescribed with a hope that it will solve the problem and will help the child in catching up with his/her peers. This, however, is not the case in every situation. Drugs in early ages might be administered properly but, subsequent intake of such drugs without reason might be a resultant of those initial intakes (habit).

Part C, of Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act (IDEA) in US, mandates a comprehensive state wide system to cater the needs of those children who are having disorders or delayed development (Saunders & Edward, 1995).

This essay presents an article “Summaries of research on mental health services for children and adolescents and their families” (Kendall, & Kessler, 2002). This article was primarily written for discussion on the implications, policies and recommendations regarding subsequent substance abuse in such cases

The article discusses the impact of interventions in childhood, and subsequent substance abuse. This article is itself a consequent of four articles in this regard. These include the article on using the substance by adolescents, their dependency on it and comorbidity. Second relates to the risks associated with substance use. Third talks about, substance use in cases of internalizing disorders. Fourth one discusses the use of substance in treating externalizing disorders.

The author builds case by initially referring to the point that, longitudinal researches point out the relation between childhood mental disorders and their subsequent disorder of substance abuse exists. They even claim that collected survey data concludes that about 60% of adult substance abuse relates to their childhood mental disorders (Kendall, & Kessler, 2002).

Authors continue to build their case, and say that childhood mental disorder interventions are predictive of later problems in life more than other types of interventions. These problems include ...