Addictions and Native Americans - by Laurence French (Hardcover)

About the Book

Substance abuse is a major health and social problem plaguing Native Americans both historically and today. After presenting the social and psychological factors that have contributed to Native American addictions and the patterns of behavior and circumstances associated with this complex and widespread problem, French discusses the treatment, intervention, and prevention issues facing therapists. He also explores the development and consequences of a new form of addiction, compulsive gambling, focusing on its relationship to substance abuse. A major contribution of this volume is its review and critique of regulatory acts documenting federal policy.

Book Synopsis

Substance abuse is a major health and social problem plaguing Native Americans both historically and today. After presenting the social and psychological factors that have contributed to Native American addictions and the patterns of behavior and circumstances associated with this complex and widespread problem, French discusses the treatment, intervention, and prevention issues facing therapists. He also explores the development and consequences of a new form of addiction, compulsive gambling, focusing on its relationship to substance abuse. A major contribution of this volume is its review and critique of regulatory acts documenting federal policy.

Review Quotes

?[T]here is much material in the book that social workers and others might find informative....The author is to be commended in his attempt to address this important social issue and have the book serve as a catalyst for critical thinking about the complexity of the issue's many varied dynamics.?-Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare

?This monograph is a useful addition to the growing scholarship in Mative American health issues. Scholars with an interest in American Indian history and culture along with health care professionals will find the concise summary of the current state of knowledge on this topic a foundation they could use for research, activism, and interpersonal relations with contemporary Indians.?-Great Plains Research

"ÝT¨here is much material in the book that social workers and others might find informative....The author is to be commended in his attempt to address this important social issue and have the book serve as a catalyst for critical thinking about the complexity of the issue's many varied dynamics."-Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare

"[T]here is much material in the book that social workers and others might find informative....The author is to be commended in his attempt to address this important social issue and have the book serve as a catalyst for critical thinking about the complexity of the issue's many varied dynamics."-Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare

"This monograph is a useful addition to the growing scholarship in Mative American health issues. Scholars with an interest in American Indian history and culture along with health care professionals will find the concise summary of the current state of knowledge on this topic a foundation they could use for research, activism, and interpersonal relations with contemporary Indians."-Great Plains Research

About the Author

LAURENCE ARMAND FRENCH is Professor of Psychology and Chair of the Department of Social Sciences at Western New Mexico University. He is also a licensed clinical psychologist. His publications include Psychocultural Change and the American Indian (1987) and The Winds of Injustice (1994).