Substance Use Issues Among the Underserved: United States and International Perspectives.
Substance use affects people of all ages, cultures, and socioeconomic levels. Most underserved populations have lower rates of substance use than the general population in a given society, excluding tobacco use. The impact of substance use is more severe, however, in the underserved, with higher rates of incarceration, job loss, morbidity, and mortality. Innovative solutions are being developed to address these differences. Working together, underserved patients with substance use problems can be helped on their journeys toward health and wholeness.
Department of Family and Community Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, 3701 Kirby Drive, Suite 600, Houston, TX 77098, USA. Electronic address: aliciak@bcm.edu.
Alicia Ann
AA
Kowalchuk
Department of Family and Community Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, 3701 Kirby Drive, Suite 600, Houston, TX 77098, USA.
Sandra J
SJ
Gonzalez
Department of Family and Community Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, 3701 Kirby Drive, Suite 600, Houston, TX 77098, USA.
Roger J
RJ
Zoorob
D000437:Alcoholism / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D014943:Global Health; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D035862:Vulnerable Populations
Alcohol; Drugs; Illicit drugs; Substance abuse; Substance use; Substance use disorders; Tobacco