The mental impact of transitioning from working to retirement Research Proposal

The mental impact of transitioning from working to retirement - Research Proposal Example As this is a secondary research study, which is descriptive in nature, the method used in gathering data is a survey of related research studies and related literature using the internet and online libraries. Result of the online research proved inadequate of materials pertaining to research studies focused on the direct correlation of retirement to mental health. Nevertheless, available related studies and literature proved sufficient enough to proceed with the research. Three hypothesized results are determined. These essentially revolve on the following areas of concern: (1) the consistent inconsistency of the mental impact of retirement, (2) the specific state of the retiree, and (3) the correlation of retirement on mental health. The implication of the study shows the need for further research, specifically a focused research on the mental impact of retirement in related line of works and a focussed-research on the impact of retirement on the specific areas of mental health. Ano ther implication is the need for a personalized retirement plan to turn the challenges of retirement into an opportunity rather than a crisis. This calls for the professional intervention of health-care providers. Literature Review With old age normally comes the decline in physical and functional ability (Davies, 1998, p. 7) and inevitably in mental health – of which against diverse yet limited definition of the term, MacDonald (2006) comprehensively denoted to cognitive, emotional and social well-being. The correlation of mental health with age has been proven by various researches. For example, Gottlieb (1995) confirmed that as one reaches old age, cognitive capacity generally declines which Siegler et al. (1996) noted most in ‘information processing, selective attention, and problem-solving ability’. (cited in, Goldman, Rye & Sirovatka, 1999, p. 337) Increased in cognitive impairment is also observed in older people (National Statistics – Great Britain , 2003, p. 3). However, the individual’s lifestyle, psychosocial state (Gottlieb, 1995, cited in, Goldman, et al. 1999, p. 337), level of education, and income level (National Statistics – Great Britain, 2003, p. 3) spell the difference between individuals. On the other hand, Suthers, Saito, and Crimmins (2003) stated that as one reaches old age challenges to emotional well-being are in all likelihood multiply, such as the loss of love ones, decline in health, worsening physical infirmity, or change in social roles (p. 41). In fact, Romsa, Bondy, and Blenman (1985) observed that, â€Å"Generally, retired individuals have stronger needs for love and association with others than do people at other points in the life span† (cited in Nussbaum, 2000, p. 129). While McMurdo (1998) in showing the benefits of exercise across ages noted that physical inactivity in adults – ‘30% of adults in US are woefully inactive’ – will further isolation in old age, as the lack of physical exercise may hasten physical dependency which could be limiting and detrimental to social life (p. 101), as the loss of social relationship may result to loneliness and depression (Baroff & Olley, 1999, p. 355). Cameron and Persinger’s (1983) study found that â€Å"the death rate increases after retirement only for those people who

Drug Use Among African-American Adolescent Females Essay

Drug Use Among African-American Adolescent Females - Essay Example In addition, substance use and abuse leads to poorer performance in school, premature dropping out, legal complications, and poor employment opportunities. These are precisely the problems that a young African-American female is ill equipped to confront in a world where race and gender may already place them at a disadvantage. African-American adolescent females have made great strides in confronting drug abuse, yet there are still several risk factors that they are routinely exposed to. Substance abuse has been identified as the nation's number one health problem. It is critical to address the problem of teenage drug use as most users begin using AOD before they turn 15 years old (Lewis et al., 2002, p.15). For the purposes of this paper, an adolescent is a person attending school in grades 13 through 18 years old. Reaching and intervening into this age bracket is one of the keys to the success of stemming the tide of drug addiction. It is decidedly relevant to understand the scope of the problem as well as the triggers and stressors that may lead a young black female to use drugs or relapse after a treatment program. The economical cost to society makes it financially imperative to intervene at a young age. An untreated drug problem costs society almost four times as much as would be spent on a residential treatment program (Lewis et al., 2002, p.56). There is also a great personal cost attached to the abuser of AOD. Physical health suffers not only from the drugs , but also from poor eating habits and the stress involved with the stigma of drug use. The legal status of teen use of drugs can destroy a young girl's life by disrupting the educational process and exposing them to other criminal activity. While substance abuse is a major threat to our public health, it is one that the nation cannot afford to ignore. Stressors that raise the risk of drug use are often not gender or race specific, though there are some notable exceptions. In general, females in their teen years tend to use slightly fewer drugs than their male counterparts. Nearly 50 percent of men and women have tried an illegal drug by their senior year of high school, and alcohol is the most popular drug of choice followed by marijuana (Johnston, O'Malley, Bachman, and Schulenberg, 2007, p.115). However, marijuana is the drug that is most regularly used, with 1 percent of 8th graders smoking it daily, and 5 percent of 12th graders using the drug daily (Johnston et al., 2007, p.90). In contrast to the typical stereotyping of the media, African-American teens use fewer drug and less often than their Caucasian or Hispanic cohorts (Johnston et al., 2007, p.132-135). This misperception may be due to the strong correlation between poverty and drug use, and the over-representation of African-Americans in the nation's penal system. Howe ver, the statistics clearly indicate that adolescent African-American females are one of the lowest using demographic groups. There are several pressures that come to bear on young African-American women to begin using drugs. Having an opportunity beyond high school has a significant impact on a student's decision to postpone experimenting and using drugs. Marijuana use by 8th graders is 50 percent lower among the students who are planning on attending a 4-year college (Johnston, et al., 2007,