Alcohol Use in Australia Problematic-Free-Samples for Students

Question: Explore the literature on Problematic alcohol use in Australia. Answer: Alcohol consumption involves a noteworthy part in Australian culture and way of life. In 2014-15, 80.6% of Australians matured 18years and over had devoured liquor (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2015). This has built a serious threat to the mental and physical health. In the essay an attempt will be made to explore the issue of alcohol misuse in Australia with statistical evidence, to identify the possible risk and protective factors, to discuss strategies of mental health promotion, negative consequences of alcohol misuse and with a mention to a specific program to discuss the responsibilities of the nurses in combating excessive alcohol use. WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION (WHO) has defined health as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. (WHO 2001, p.1).It can be inferred from the definition that mental health and physical health are very closely related. Individual factors like daily life experiences, quality of social interaction, social structure, the cultural value all influence mental health (Lehtinen, Riikonen Lahtinen 1997; Lahtinen et al. 1999). The term determinant refers to the factors which either enhance or damages or threatens any condition. Determinants of health affect health status in either positive or negative way. Individual choice can go about as a standout amongst the most essential determinants of health. It includes smoking, intake of alcohol and other substances, choice of friend circle etc. The sense of subjective well-being is very much related to positive mental health. Mental health can affect every aspect of a human life. Mental health and well being are bi- directionally related. Mental health promotion is a is a sensible alternative within a public health approach over the life expectancy and crosswise over settings since it brings about improved mental health, alongside development of social and economic domain.(Albee Gulotta 1997; Durlak 1995; Price et al. 1992; Price et al. 1988; Hosman Llopis 1999; Hosman, Llopis Saxena 2004; Mrazek Haggerty 1994). In order to maintain positive mental health the conceivable hazard and defensive variables should be distinguished. Risk factors are those factors which make an individual more vulnerable toward developing an unhealthy behaviour such as personal characteristics, family condition, and environment of school or community. Protective factors are factors which can be addressed while dealing with pre existing risk factors and which can be considered as vital for coping strategies. Some of the common risk factors associated with alcohol consumption are: genetic predisposition to drinking (Boyd et al., 2005), history of physical and sexual abuse in childhood (Makhija, 2007 Langeland, 1998), Sensation seeking and impulsive personality types (Kuntsche et. al., 2006), early exposure of alcohol consumption behaviour among parents, grandparents and siblings (Hawkins et al., 1992) and peer pressure ( Borsari, 2004). The aim of prevention programs is to build the protective factors and to lessen the number of risk factors (Hawkins et al. 2002). It is found that early intervention strategies aimed at reduction of risk factors turned out to be more successful than later intervention strategies to change the life style of the individual toward a positive direction (Ialongo et al. 2001). Availability of alcohol / other drugs is another risk factor as people will get easy accessibility to drugs and alcohol (Hawkins et al., 1992). Some of the common protective factors are strong bonding among family members connectedness, positive parenting style, healthy school environment, connectedness with neighbors, supportive health care policies, positive individual qualities like confidence, positive associate etc. The components of family connectedness include affection, warmth, support the feeling of being understood and loved (Resnick, et al. 1997). Healthy school environment means fair treatment received from staffs and students, felling of safety. Connectedness in school can protect adolescents from health risks related to intake of including alcohol, drug (Society for Adolescent Medicine,2010) early sexual initiation.( Springer, 2001). Community protective factors include to the support and care received adults, other than family such as teachers , neighbors etc. Along with this a strong feeling of safety in the neighbourhood is also very important as a protective factor (Sampson, et al. (1997). Moreover local and state policies that maintain healthy norms in the society are also needed. (Eccle. Goodman ,2002). Protective individual factors include skills and competencies required for making correct choices, maintain healthy and positive relationship (Werner Smith,1992), good communicati on skills which enables one to communicate appropriately by keeping in mind the age, background and status of the people (Scales Leffert, 1999). Some of the other individual protective factors are, the ability to deal with conflict in a constructive way, empathy skills , the ability to maintain ones own position by resisting negative peer pressure etc. (Cohen Prinstein, 2006 , Burke, 2013). For promotion of mental health, information about the factors of mental health and mental health problems, socio economic status, gender, condition of daily life all are needed. In order to implement the strategies, for the sake of betterment of mental health those factors need to be identified, which are modifiable so that those can be used as the target factors in the intervention process. The contributory factors of mental health can be grouped into three elements: Individual factors , societal factors and cultural and political environment. Individual factors include the ability to manage conflict, gain from past understanding, the capacity to endure lifes uncertainty and unpredictability, the ability to regulate ones emotion and thought. Societal factors include quality of social bonding, opportunity to build secure relationship and strong emotional bonding with others, the benefit of having association with a person with whom a proper communication can take place etc. Environmental factors include adequate housing with safety at home and in the surrounding environment, right to equality in the field of education, work place, religion etc. In 1986 in the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion WHO has specified five activity procedures that are recognized as the fundamental outline of health promotion strategy in numerous nations of the world. These are: To create healthy public policy, to develop individual abilities, formation of supportive environments , reorientation of health services and to strengthen group activities in the community One of the most effective strategies of health promotion is to apply Antonovskys Salutogenic approach that instead of breakdown, focuses on coping and instead of risk factors focuses on salutary factors. According to his view, coherence among the positive, neutral and negative consequences of stressors is vital for positive mental health. Optimism is a major component of coping strategy, specifically the ability to accept reality and belief o personal growth play dominant role for mental health (Scheier Carver 1992). In Australia alcohol consumption involves great concern. In 1996 Australia's rank was 20 th in the world on the premise of per capita alcohol consumption and the sum was 7.5 liters of total absolute alcohol consumption per capita every year (World Drink Patterns 1998). In 1998 the rate of consumption was 7.6 liters of absolute alcohol per capita every year (AIHW 1999). In the past few years the reports of various sources have reflected that the expanding extent of adolescents who consumes alcohol on consistent premise and the measure of alcohol consumption have made another record.(AIHW 2008; White and Hayman 2006; Shanahan and Hewitt 1999). The young people of the age range 16 to 24 years are at high risk of alcohol intake related diseases and injury (AIHW 2006). The matter was in the headlines of Australian media also titled as teenage binge drinking and this has brought forth a great amount argument and debate regarding increasing legal age boundary of consumption of alcohol from 18 years to 21 years (Editor 2008; Toumbourou et al 2008). As per the report of Australian Bureau of Statistics in 2015 the percentage of Australian aged 18 years and older was 80.6%. In 1998 The National Drug Strategy Household Survey found that 49% of the masses developed over 14 years fall the grouping of standard consumers (at least once a week)s and 32% of the popu lation fall under the class of incidental consumers (less than weekly). The rate of male drinkers (84%) was higher than that of the women (77%). According to the report of Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2015 and National Health Survey 2014-2015, 17.4% of adults surpassed the National Health and Medical Research Council lifetime risk guideline and the consumption rate of 44.0% adults was more than four standard drinks at least once in the past year, which exceeded the National Health and Medical Research Council single occasion risk guidelines. As alcohol can result in acute health problem and even long term harm, focus was given to the drinking pattern and also on rate of per capita consumption. The drinking pattern includes the time and place of drinking, the recurrence and attributes of substantial drinking events, characteristics of the person who drinks individually or the people who drink together, activities associated with drinking. In Australia the primary importance was not on primary health care rather it was on primary care. The word primary signifies entrance into health system. In the Bio-medical model, a common practice in the area of nursing and allied health. According to World Health Organizations (WHO) definition health promotion strategies capacitate people to be equipped with the abilities to have control over the determinants of health which will consequently results into improvement of health. (WHO, 1998). The three basic strategies of Health promotion are Advocacy i.e. to concentrate on making basic condition for health, empowering which aims at developing a way toward engaging individuals with the goal that they can accomplish their full wellbeing possibilities and mediating which refers to set up an association between various health related interests in the society. Some action plans are required to help the previously mentioned strategies. These are: To build healthy public policy, creation of supportive surroundings for improvement of health,to strengthen group activities in the community for health and to create individual abilities., re-orientation of health services.(Ottawa Charter,1986) From the action plans it is evident that health promotion concentrates not just on activities identified with reinforcing the individual aptitudes and abilities, however it likewise gives accentuation on activities which go for evolving social, ecological and economic conditions that have a great impact on individual and public health. According to Mosbys Dictionary of Medicine, Nursing and Health Professions (2005) Primary care is the first contact in a given scene of ailment that leads to a choice with respect to a course of action to successfully deal with the health problem. Primary care regularly is given by a doctor yet essential care capacities are additionally given by medical attendants, especially by nurses. Australian nursing has set a good example of providing primary health care by considering health within the social culture of economy, political and environmental context. Like other health professionals, the nurses also provide health promotion, strategies for prevention assessment, care, treatment of illness and rehabilitation. In Australia, the vision of the nurses to provide a comprehensive primary health care strategy which encompasses the values and principals, like the care provided by the nurses should not be dominating rather it should be seen that the providers impose their values and wills. Primary health care is a kind of holistic approach which incorporates the body, mind, environment, culture and socio-economic status. It is based upon socially acceptable, practical and scientific method and technology. The main aim of selective primary healthcare is to minimize the rate of specific disease and the aim of comprehensive primary healthcare is improvement of overall health of the community. The strategies of selective primary healthcare includes concentrating on the remedial care with special consideration regarding prevention and promotion. The strategies of comprehensive primary health care include curative rehabilitation, prevention and promotion that look into the removal of root causes of diseases. The methods of curbing the habit of alcohol misuse must give focus on emotional wellbeing program along with mental health promotion, Identification and treatment of the underlined causes. The negative aftereffects of excessive alcohol use by adolescence are change of appetite, weight loss, eczema, headache, vomiting and disturbance in sleep (Zeigler et. al. , 2005).They may face car accident if they drive in an intoxicated condition(Bukstein, 1994). They are more likely to be vulnerable to brain damage and long lasting cognitive deficit due to excessive alcohol consumption (Zeigler et. al., 2005). Alcohol may increase feeling of depression and other mental health problem (Groves, Stanley Sher, 2007). Young people who consume more alcohol are expected to display aggressive behaviour. (Lange, 1998, Miller et al. , 2007) The responsibilities of the nurses by using the Ottawa Charter (Ottawa Charter,1986) as a framework are: To evaluate the health needs and provide fundamental information .The principal obligation of the nurses is to review the health needs of the individual and public at large and after that to give legitimate information, education and instruction which will help the general population to promote their health and practice self care at various periods of their life and to have the ability to cope with both intense and interminable wounds and disease. To adopt necessary health promotion strategies .Only imparting information will not help the people so it is the obligation of the nurses to attain specific competence and skill in health promotion so he/she can enact distinctive health promotion strategies which will then give assistance to individuals to fabricate the ability to control their own health and to settle on sound life decisions. To take part as an active member of inter-sectoral collaborations. In the primary health care system the contribution of the nurses is as partners, guides and collaborators because nurses contribute to health promotion to different inter linked sectors. The vision of the nurses is to provide a comprehensive primary health care in collaboration with the other departments. To spread awareness and handling multiple health determinants Nurses work in a variety of settings, so one of the greatest responsibilities of them is to bring issues to light of individuals about the nature of determinants of health and their changing pattern, the conceivable techniques to control them, and the nurse may likewise help individuals to conquer the obstacles to health promotion. To evaluate health promotion activities .In order to evaluate the validity of the health promotion strategies it is alluring for the nurse to incorporate evaluation strategies in the planning of health promotion activities. It will also help to modify the future activities according to the current trend of need. To collect new information along with comprehension on health promotion by research .In order to develop an evidence-based practice, a scientific data base is needed. The nurse can contribute significantly in this matter by taking part in conducting research and adding research findings to the existing information. To support the individual and community at political and social levels .Notwithstanding giving individual care, a nurse should remember the idea of social and community advancement, alterations of public and social policies related to the population at large So in conclusion it can be said that in Australian society, alcohol misuse is a typical issue of concern which can be addressed effectively inside a legitimate health promotion framework. Nurses assume a vital part in the health care system and the role of the nurses incorporates the best possible ramifications of the health promotion models and techniques for managing complex issues, for example, alcohol misuse. References Albee GW, Gullotta TP (1997). Primary prevention works. Thousand Oaks, Sage Publications. 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