Drinking, Conduct Disorder, and Social Change: Navajo Experiences

by Stephen J. Kunitz, Jerrold E. Levy

Overview

Based on interviews with more than a thousand Navajo Indian men and women, this book examines the associations between childhood experiences and behavior and the development of alcohol dependence in adulthood. Because Navajo life has changed markedly over the past two generations, it also examines the role of urbanization and universal school in reshaping Navajo youth and considers the implications for changing patterns of alcohol use in adulthood. In addition the book explores a wide range of timely issues such as domestic violence, factors associated with resistance to alcohol abuse as well as remission and recovery, the treatment and prevention of alcohol dependence, and the implications of pursuing either population-based preventive interventions or interventions focussed on high risk individuals or groups.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780195136159
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	04/06/2000
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	280
Product dimensions:	9.44(w) x 6.62(h) x 1.01(d)

Table of Contents

1. Conduct Disorder, Drinking, and the Problem of Prevention, Stephen J. Kunitz and Jerrold E. Levy2. Historical Background: Tuba City and Shiprock, Eric Henderson3. Patterns of Alcohol Use, Eric Henderson4. Alcohol Dependence: Definition, Prevalence, and Risk Factors, Stephen J. Junitz, K. Ruben Gabriel, and Jerold E. Levy5. Types of Alcololics, Stephen J. Junitz and K. Ruben Gabriel6. Conduct Disorder: Risk Factors and Changing Prevalence Stephen J. Kunitz, K. Ruben Gabriel, and Jerrold E. Levy7. Antecedents of Violence in Adulthood, Stephen J. Kunitz, K. Ruben Gabriel, and Jerrold E. Levy8. Treatment and Remission, Gilbert Quintero9. Risk and Protective Factors Affecting Navajo Women's Drinking Patterns, Joanne McCloskey10. Conclusions, Stephen J. Kunitz and Jerrold E. LevyAppendices

Editorial Reviews

This is a comprehensive account of thirty years of research focused on the issues related to alcohol use/abuse among the Navajo Indians of Arizona and New Mexico. While considering the role of social change on this Native American population, the researchers focus on the role of conduct disorder before the age of 15 years as a major risk factor to alcohol dependency. Issues such as physical abuse, dropping out of school, absence of parents during adolescence, parental and family drinking, and the effect of mother's drinking are examined. The researchers are seeking a method of prevention to focus on those at high risk. They found while analyzing the data that many other issues regarding the complexity of alcohol dependency and this population arose. Content and data are valuable for public health workers, health educators, researchers, nurses, physicians, and others involved in providing prevention and intervention of alcohol dependency in Native American populations as well as the general population. The vast amount of research is important but the stories of the participants are excellent views of the problem and examples of how some have coped. In telling their stories participants clarify many of the issues without the interference of the many acronyms used by the authors throughout the work. The many issues confounding the culture of the Navajos are presented in this book, and the main focus is on the problem of alcohol dependency. The determination of the risk factor of conduct disorder before the age of 15 is a starting point for prevention, but in the overall scheme of the prevalence of alcohol dependency in the entire population, it is actually a small risk factor. Thisposes a dilemma when considering the availability of limited resources for prevention and intervention. I agree with the authors' conclusion that the global issues of alcohol dependency found in this research are relevant to the general population. The complex problems of alcohol dependency facing all cultures support a strong argument that use of many modalities will meet the diverse needs of all.

Marilyn Lavelle