Running Header: Drug Abuse and Socioeconomic Status

The Relationship between Prescription Drug Abuse and

Socioeconomic Status in the US
David J. Weber
Colorado River Collegiate Academy

DRUG ABUSE AND SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS

2

Abstract
A study was conducted to measure teenagers opinions on prescription drug abuse and the
relationship between socioeconomic status. The participants included 47 early college high
school students from Colorado River Collegiate Academy in Bastrop, TX. The participants were
between the ages of 14-16 years and were in the 9th grade. A survey was created in Google forms
and emailed out to all of the CRCA students not including myself (57 total) with only 47
responding within the time limit. The survey included Likert-scale items and open-ended
response items to record opinions and thought. The results show feelings and provide other
brains to share ideas about the relationship and the stereotypes in this area of study. Because
some people had mixed feeling about this area of research and the topic of choice there were
some difficulties that stood in the way but were eventually stabilized and fixed without altering
any of the results.

DRUG ABUSE AND SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS

3

The Relationship between Prescription Drug Abuse and

Socioeconomic Status in the US
With changes in social expectations some forms of drug use are getting more common as
time advances. There are different areas where the growing epidemic of drug use is growing
rapidly. The main area of focus for this paper is places in economic status. We know how a
familys lack of income and decrease the things a family can afford but the economic status
seems to have an influence on expectations and actions that occur. There are many times where
someone is caught committing a crime could it be partially because of someones economic
status?
According to Evans & Sullivan (2014), Rates of prescription drug abuse have reached
epidemic proportions. Large-scale epidemiologic surveys of this under-recognized clinical
problem have not included antidepressants despite their contribution to morbidity and mortality
(p. 107). They conducted a comprehensive search on PubMed, Medline, and PsycINFO using
many different search words to help them come to a conclusion. The words used were in need to
help find sources for their own thesis. These words were also used to find general information on
medicines like antidepressants. (to Evans & Sullivan, 2014).
Thoughts of Felicilda-Reynaldo (2014) Drug abuse is a chronic public health problem,
affecting all levels of society, with potential irreversible consequences. Drug abuse may affect a
persons relationships, employment status, educational opportunities, status in society, and
general health and wellness in which this this may be a great source if information. This

DRUG ABUSE AND SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS

4

informational source offers many different ideas and sub-topics to the ideas. Ideas are provided
from mental conditions to physical conditions to social conditions. This article should have many
qualifying features needed that can be helpful in better understanding the relationship between
social economic status and prescription drug abuse.
From the United States Government Accountability Office, (2014) We identified eight
practices related to the prevention of prescription drug fraud, waste, and abuse that can include
multiple activities, this paper covers a broad range of things. This paper is very informational
and covers general and specific ideas, this can be helpful when looking at things from different
views. This doesnt just go from looking at them but looking at a solution also. This should be
adequate when examining how social economic status and prescription drug abuse compare and
contrast. Yet there is more to come we should talk about a wide range of things under this idea
and surrounding ideas.
This essay should focus on some key points shown but not limited to the above also with
inclusion of other respected information from these articles. From the first source we should find
information in general about medicines like antidepressants but not only that. In the second we
should discuss the effects of these drugs on a person socially, economically, and in health but not
just those alone. And in the third we should look at the possible solutions for the problems. We
should go in an order that flows properly from learning to discussing to solving.
From the above articles you can see and understand the severity of the situation. Because
of this occurrence and its severity a study was conducted. Surveys were made and sent via Email. The surveys were sent to members of an early collage high school in central Texas. These

DRUG ABUSE AND SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS

5

surveys were conducted in February of the year 2015 the results of this study are outlined in the
following sections.

Method
Participants
The survey was sent to 57 students of the central Texas early collage high school. Out if
the 57 sent there was 47 received. There were some who took this seriously and those who did
not. Out of all of their results there were some students who took the time to answer the survey
items properly and respectfully.
Materials
The survey included three Likert scale and three open ended question. The Likert scales
ranged from one to five, one being strongly disagree and five being strongly agree. The open
ended questions had a box write in the personal opinion or the fact as an answer with little
requirements or rules to abide by before submission.
Procedure
We sent the surveys and the participants were given three weeks to respond to the survey.
As responses started to add up and answers we seeming more clear as time progressed. After the
time limit was up results were final they were analyzed but not changed or modified.
Results

DRUG ABUSE AND SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS

6

The first question asked if the person taking the survey felt that prescription drug abuse is
on the rise in the United States, the results had the majority of responses as neither yes or no. the
nest question asked if the one taking the survey thinks that there is enough resistance to slow or
stop prescription drug abuse before it starts. A ratio was found that for every 200 that say no
there should be about 180 that say yes. Another question asked what age should be most likely
to become addicted to prescription drugs. Ages mostly ranged from teenagers to college students
and so forth. A different part took peoples opinions if abusing prescription drugs leads to abuse
of hard-core illegal drugs. Most people chose neither agree nor disagree and that concluded the
results of that part.
Discussion
The results of A great some of the close-ended questions seemed like they were largely
varied so they were not always that close when we compare either agree or disagree, but at the
same time they seemed like there was a large number of people who voted for a neutral
standpoint. The reason may be likely from a lack of charismatic behavior or just flat out laziness,
on the contrary you could very easily tell who is trying on the open ended questions giving you
opportunity to exclude the answers that were crappy or where you could see that there is no
effort being put towards the question or statement. The open-ended questions may be much
easier to use and to exclude the bad answers, for instance you might find two answers that
contradict each other and use both of them as examples in the research paper and I might point
out parts that are incorrect or correct to support or to go against a claim, but when doing that I
want to be careful not to be too biased. I want to keep a reasonable tone that people will listen to,
not a Tone that people will think is out of the ordinary and does not provide an idea that can be
worked with. The main surprise that I found was people's inconsiderate actions to other people's

DRUG ABUSE AND SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS

7

work that they spent their time to make. People should have answer other peoples survey items
with Consideration for their paper to come, One lazy answer on one of the close ended questions
can throw off the percentages greatly when you don't have that many people to take it. All things
considered this may have been A bit of a challenge to put all that together. Another surprise is
how little people actually went through and did the surveys which surprised me very much,
because they were required to but not everyone did and that alone sets me off, but with the other
thing it infuriates me on how little people would try. In some cases there are people who took the
project seriously, and those who did not, some people put answers like dont care And other
answers that go to show how inconsiderate some people were, but on the other hand the people
who took the project seriously I admire their diligence And how well they answered the
questions they did not just fly through and put slapdash answers but they gave a reasonable
answer that were provided with evidence and such, But it's not necessarily the evidence that
counts it is the effort put towards putting their own opinion. The things that people put were not
always good but the ones that took the project seriously are those who I admire.

DRUG ABUSE AND SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS

8

References
Felicilda-Reynaldo, R. (2014). Recognizing Signs of Prescription Drug Abuse and Addiction Part
I. Nursing Pharmacology, 23(6), 391-396.
Government Accountability Office, (2014). Cms pursues many practices to address prescription
drug fraud, waste, and abuse. Washington: United States Government Accountability
Office.
Evans, E., & Sullivan, M. (2014). Abuse and misuse of antidepressants. Substance Abuse and
Rehabilitation, 5, 107-120.

DRUG ABUSE AND SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS

9

Table 1

Table 2

Table 3