Masters Theses

Date of Award

8-1987

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Nursing

Major Professor

Sandra P. Thomas

Committee Members

Sally Helton, Ginger Evans

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to compare the genealogy of hospitalized white males with a primary diagnosis of substance abuse with a control group of hospitalized white males with a primary diagnosis of a medical-surgical condition and no history of substance abuse. Substance abuse was defined as the abuse of either drugs or alcohol. The study included private interviews with thirty-five 30-65 year old white males hospitalized at St. Mary's Medical Center with no history of personal substance abuse to determine the existence of substance abuse in the primary and secondary relatives of this group with a comparable age group of white males hospitalized at St. Mary's and Peninsula Hospitals for substance abuse. Additional demographic information such as age, religion, marital status, birth order, occupation and educational level was used in comparing the two groups.

During the personal interviews each participant had a family tree diagram of primary relatives and a list of clues that if present could be indicative of substance abuse for that relative. A uniform question was asked of each participant regarding the perception of substance abuse in each relative. Answers regarding substance abuse of a relative were categorized as yes, no, uncertain or no knowledge.

Theoretical perspectives of Minuchin, Selye and Neuman were used to provide a frame of reference for the research. Alcoholism whether treated as a symptom or an illness is a family disease. The role of stress in substance abuse is not clearly identified at this point, but the best approach to treatment seems to be a holistic one that includes the family and environmental factors.

Chi-square was used to analyze the data. The null hypotheses compared the relatives, education, marital status, age, birth order, socioeconomic status (SES) and religion of the hospitalized abuser and hospitalized nonabuser.

The study revealed that alcoholism occurs more often in individuals who have family histories of the disease. First- and second-degree relatives of abusers had a higher incidence of abuse than relatives of nonabusers. The male relatives of both groups were more often affected than the female members.

Marriages were found to be less stable in the patients who were abusers. The age of the substance abuser was slightly younger at the time of admission to the hospital than the nonabuser. The socio-economic status for the groups did not vary significantly, but using Hollingshead's classification system of education and occupation most patients in both groups were in the two lower socioeconomic groups. Birth order or education did not make a statistically significant difference with either group. As would be expected in this geographic region, most patients were Protestant and more specifically Baptist, but religion did not appear to be an important part of either group's lives.

Nursing implications of the study include greater emphasis on a holistic approach to care of the substance abuser while being aware of the important demographics and familial dynamics related to the disease of substance abuse.

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