Conduct Disorder and Its Effects on African American Youths - Assignment Example

Conduct Disorder and its effects on African American youths Conduct Disorder and its effects on African American youthsWriter Research Academia APA format Abstract Conduct disorder among African American males is a persistent problem for long not ready to relent. These male youths are infected with mental illness and therefore commit many unlawful acts that put them to be treated like criminals and culprits. In addition to physical, mental and emotional issues typically experienced during adolescence, adolescent African-American males are confronted with unique social and environmental stressors. They frequently cope with racism and its associated stressors, including family stressors, educational stressors, and urban stressors. The basic reason for the problem to persist is the stereotyped viewing of the problem and stereotyped treatment. Racism and negligence on the basis of color and skin are the basic reasons for the conduct disorder. Until the society adopts a new orientation about the basic problem and undertake modern therapy to invite all African Americans males in the mainstream, give respectful understanding and let them feel self esteemed the problem can't be solved for good. Conduct Disorder and it's affect on African American Males Introduction Over the last ten years, young Africans American males have been over represented in virtually every negative social conditions of American society. These include incarceration, crime victimization, poverty and unemployment. Currently, nearly one of three or 32.2 percent of African Americans numbering 8, 17400 are under criminal justice supervision such as incarceration, probation, and parole. They have the strongest likelihood of being victims of perpetrator of murder, robbery and aggravated assault. (IvoryAchebeToldson, Esoteric group therapy: Counseling African American adolescent males with conduct disorder remarks in the journal of African American studies) This is a dismal picture of African Americans adults in USA. Approximately five percent of all children in the United States, ages 4-17, suffer from conduct disorder, which involves chronic, serious anti-social behavior problems. Likely symptoms that are found in such boys are frequent and persistent lying, physical cruelty, sexual activity fire-setting, vandalism forcible or stealing that begins much earlier than normal juvenile delinquency and is much more severe. African American males between 15 years to nineteen years die from homicides, which is as high as 46 times compared to the white counterparts. During 1980-1995 the rate of suicide among this age group had increased from 5.6 to 13.8 per hundred thousand of population. This is reverse trend compared to the earlier trend when European American youths had more suicide rates than the African American. "These figures should not be surprising since adolescent African-American males in contemporary American society face major challenges to their psychological development and well-being. In addition to dealing with the physical, mental and emotional issues typically experienced during adolescence, adolescent African-American males are confronted with unique social and environmental stressors. They must frequently cope with racism and its associated stressors, including family stressors, educational stressors, and urban stressors," said Dr. Xanthos. Conduct disorder is a psychiatric diagnosis defined as "a repetitive and persistent pattern of behavior in which the basic rights of others and major age-appropriate societal norms or rules are violated," Rolf Loeber, Ph.D., of the University of Pittsburgh, and colleagues investigated the relationship between Conduct disorder (CD) in young men and carrying a concealed gun with him. He showed how gun carrying is associated with crime in adulthood. He asserts that using weapons is also a symptom of CD, but he is not certain about how many boys with CD illegally carry concealed guns before the age of 18 and to what extent their gun carrying is associated with violence or crime. Black male groups coming from low income groups and status or belonging to single household have been identified as risk factors for childhood maladjustment. In a research study it has been found that male children of black American groups with low income families have been vulnerable to teacher ratings in schools of conduct disorder. Males from lower income homes were less likely than other children to receive teacher ratings that indicated competence across domains. Researchers acknowledge a relationship between race and healthcare disparities. This review of literature examines race and ethnicity, individual and institutional racism, as well as negative stereotypes in the healthcare system as possible explanations for disparities. The study conducted on conduct disorder and alcohol gives surprising fact. About 23% of adolescents in the African American community were found Children of Alcohol (COAs) compared to 17% only in White counterparts. COAs were found to be at a greater chance of engaging in activities on five of the 13,: stealing without conformation, forgery, breaking into property running away from home, lying, deliberately setting fire etc. (Rodney Elain; Mupier. Robert) Smoking by mothers at the time of birth results in child inheriting conduct disorder. This is found in a research with evidence of boys having 4.4 times more symptom whose mothers had smoked 10 cigarettes per day or more than those whose mother smoked fewer. . "Our study indicates that regardless of other risk factors, smoking during pregnancy can have serious behavioral outcomes for children," said Lauren Washrag, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Chicago Medical Center and lead author of the study. Maternal smoking may be marker for some yet unknown risk factor associated with conduct disorder such as socioeconomic status, maternal age at birth of the child, parental psychopathology, and ineffective discipline in the family. ('Parental Smoking Linked to Conduct Disorder in Boys) Achievements by Africans Americans have been falling and rated as fourth grade in the field of education. Only 42.8 percentages of them graduated from high school in 2001 compared to 70.8 percentages by the students of white community. The basic reason is stress in family, educational institutions, urban stress and environmental stress they have to face and live in. Racism is a big menace for the African American youths. They are subject to ill treatment on this plank that reduces the socioeconomic status of the section affecting their mental health. They are denied desirable resources. They don't find the right peers to look for showing the right direction. They face the stress from the white males and communities in the neighborhood they are exposed to. They also face stress from their own people who live in violence pro environment. When African American youths who suffer from the depression caused by the adverse and stressful environment visit clinics for treatment they are treated in stereotyped way without considering the basic facts of depression. The result is the problem persists encompassing others. African-American youths often express suicidal feelings through somatic complaints and not sadness or depression because of the social and cultural reasons. Eliminating racial disparities in healthcare need to be eliminated It will require the efforts of policymakers, educators, physicians and other medical personnel who will all need to make a conscious attempt to discuss the impact of racism on health. There is need to address racial discrimination in policing. In the lawsuit, filed in 2004, charged discriminatory treatment and improper searches by the police "The American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey announced that the Township of Manalapan has paid $275,000 to settle a discrimination lawsuit the organization filed on behalf of three African American teenagers who said that officers searched them without justification and berated them while their three white friends were told to go home." This type of racial discrimination put African American into embarrassing situation and makes them feel highly neglected in absence of proper legal support. Discrimination must be stopped and proper legal services provided to all. Stereotyping of Blackman In a research conducted by The Black Mental Health Alliance for Education and Consultation, Inc. by inviting a group of African American men to share their thoughts and experiences with regard to mental health they found startling facts about what they think about their damaged image in the society. "There is still a lot of stereotyping of black men in the entire medical and diagnostic professions." This is a major grievance among African American males. They are aggrieved about how they are treated by others. They do not feel like accepting help from them in the way they receive Diagnostic .Professional do not try to go deeper into their problems and easily brand them mentally sick to be vulnerable to be treated as culprits and criminals. . They earn natural resentment against them. They remain in the mood of avenging for not getting cooperation and for not being given attention to. They feel rejected and dejected for this adverse attitude of the clinical professionals. Racism in the country makes African Americans believe they are perhaps of no use to the society. It is very stressful for them to learn that in spite of good works done following all rules of the society they do not earn respect. They feel stunned to learn that people around still consider that they could do any harm or indulge in illegal activities any time and any where. Racism often makes them very painful. When the society feels that they can not provide or protect their families they feel worthless and depressed and at a loss about what to do and to turn to. The mental health problem of African Americans is a complex issue. Strong stigma and taboo are attached with it. This issue is related with the overall culture, socio-political environment and masculinity of this community that keeps the males under stress and fix. There are a large number of young men who are affected by this metal health that amounts to one in four but only a small percentage is properly diagnosed and corrected. As a result 7% of them develop depression during life time. Many opt for suicide out of frustration. The suicide rate goes on increasing, which is as high as 146% during 1980-1995 among 15-19 age groups. They resort to alcohol to suppress their depression but with negative consequences. There is urgent need of care that is affordable accessible and respectful too. Protection through proper insurance and other financial help is required. There is differential treatment meted out to the African Americans in the area of clinical treatment which is not fair for their mental health. 12 percent of population comprises of African American but only 2% of psychiatrists and psychologists each and 4 percentages of social workers cover them. Only one third of them are covered by clinical care compared to one half that of non-Hispanic whites. The medicines used for their treatment is also inferior with more side effects than that is used for whites. The effect of this differential treatment is grave on the community, individual, family and the society who have to face the wrath of these frustrated young men. When mental disorders are not treated properly African American youths get more vulnerable to substance abuse, incarceration, homicide, suicide and homelessness. Social factors such as negative environment created out of racism, inequality, economic oppression also have equal role in contributing to the mental disorder because the African American youths have to try to care about their families in this harsh circumstances meted out to them. Gradually they are subjected to more and more depression, frustration, hopelessness, and erosion of self-esteem. Poverty accentuates their problem. Poor youths are prone to fall into prey by many vested interests in the society. The past trauma of violence adds fuel to the fire. They are likely to commit suicide after altercation or likelihood of victimization by police, schools, other institutional authorities they belong to, landlords, or even the welfare department. They feel very insecure and lack of respect. They try to find solution in homicides or suicidal acts of destruction. The solution of the problem of African Americans lies not in stereotype branding them as unsocial, criminal or outlawed or stereotype treatment but by taking a very liberal view about their plight. They have the right to proper treatment and healing. They are as important parts of the society as others are and need to be brought to the society of healthy persons by forgetting the taboos and stigma of the past. Broader view about this class of African American will enable to heal the grudge, avenging attitude and return the self respect and esteem they are looking for and deserve. Once the negative based taboos and stigma are forgotten there would start a natural reform environment. Prevention efforts that are targeted towards reducing destructive behavior among youths must have active support of the community members. Policies must be made to foster equality and justice to enable them opportunities to care for them. Institutional and individual racism must be addressed properly to clean the environment from prejudice. (Souls of Black Men). Bibliography 1. Souls of Black Men...www.consumerstar.org/pubs/Souls.pdf visited on 20th Nov.08 2. "Parental Smoking Linked to Conduct Disorder in Boys" ' [Press Release from the University of Chicago Medical Center, July, 1997] www.cqs.com/smokaspd.htm visited on 20th Nov 08 3. African American Psychology By Faye Z. Belgrave, Kevin W. Allison 4. African American Men Discuss Mental Health www.communityvoices.org visited on 21st Nov. 08 5. "Race Matters: Disparities in African-American Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder" Charmayne Maddox, McNair Scholar, Pennsylvania State University Faculty Research Adviser Dr. Keith B. Wilson, Associate Professor of Education College of Education Pennsylvania State University family.jrank.org/pages/310/Conduct-Disorder- 6. AMERICAN YOUNG ADULTS: RELATION TO FAMILY HISTORY OF ALCOHOLISM AND DRUG USAGE Cindy L. Ehlers*, Evelyn Phillips, Antonio Sweeny and Craig J. Slawecki Department of Neuropharmacology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA, USA 7. Rodney Elain; Mupier. Robert 'Alcohol Abuse and Conduct Disorder Among African-American Male Adolescent COAs and NonCOAs' www.haworthpress.com/store 8. Young Black males facing mental health crisis, group says Dr. Claire Xanthos, a health services research specialist, newpittsburghcourieronline.com/articlelive/articles/41922/1/Young-Black-males-facing-mental-health-crisis 9. National Association of Black Social Workers, Inc. and the Black Psychiatrists of America. Dr. Claire Xanthos 10. The secret epidemic affecting young African-American males 1 comment www.examiner.com/x-628-Health-Examinertopic24489-African-American-Youth October 2, 10:05 AM by Angela Spears, Health Examiner Read More