Article
Substance Use and Misuse in Baby Boomers: A Social Work Review
Perspectives on Social Work: The Journal of the Doctoral Students of the University of Houston
(2020)
Abstract
Baby boomers are more likely to use illicit drugs and alcohol compared to different cohorts. Although
substance use in this generation is well-documented, it can be challenging to diagnose, often due to a lack
of awareness on the part of the health care professional, the client’s denial of a problem, and a history of
co-occurring concerns, such as mental and chronic health issues. The objective of this paper is to present
existing knowledge of substance use and misuse in the baby boomer cohort, using a life course perspective.
A collection of articles, written between 2011 and 2020, were reviewed using keyword-based searches on
three databases: Google Scholar, WorldCat, and PubMed. Findings yield opportunities for future literature
to address topics of treatment efficacy, psychosocial stressors, and issues related to women and minority
baby boomers. It is imperative that social workers recognize baby boomer substance use and misuse
patterns, including the impact on recovery and relapse.
Keywords
- substance use,
- substance misuse,
- baby boomers,
- social work,
- life course
Disciplines
Publication Date
Summer 2020
Citation Information
April Viverette and Tamika Baldwin-Clark. "Substance Use and Misuse in Baby Boomers: A Social Work Review" Perspectives on Social Work: The Journal of the Doctoral Students of the University of Houston Vol. 15 Iss. 3 (2020) p. 13 - 26 Available at: http://works.bepress.com/tamika-baldwin-clark/9/