Abstract
To date, no ethnographic studies of the role of African- American clergy in providing informal services to drug users in the rural South have been reported. We use qualitative interviews with 15 African-American ministers and 26 African-American drug users in Arkansas' Mississippi River Delta region to explore this issue. All drug users reported significant religiosity, and 9 had discussed drug problems with clergy. Every minister had provided assistance to at least one drug user or their family during the previous year, including: direct counseling; referrals to treatment programs; aiding negotiations with formal institutions; and providing for basic needs. Ministers stated that clergy are not well-prepared to address drug problems, and most acknowledged a need for professional training. They also discussed barriers to education. The findings contribute to understanding rural informal drug treatment resources. They suggest that professional treatment providers should investigate the potential benefits of improving outreach efforts to assist African-American ministers engaged in drug abuse issues.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 1-21 |
Number of pages | 21 |
Journal | Journal of Ethnicity in Substance Abuse |
Volume | 5 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Mar 8 2006 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:Project research is supported by National Institute on Drug Abuse Grant 1R01DA15363, Rural Stimulant Use and Mental Health: Services and Outcomes, Brenda Booth, Principal Investigator, Carl Leukefeld and Harvey Siegal, Co-Principal Investigators.
Funding
Project research is supported by National Institute on Drug Abuse Grant 1R01DA15363, Rural Stimulant Use and Mental Health: Services and Outcomes, Brenda Booth, Principal Investigator, Carl Leukefeld and Harvey Siegal, Co-Principal Investigators.
Funders | Funder number |
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National Institute on Drug Abuse | 1R01DA15363 |
Keywords
- African Americans
- Clergy
- Ethnography
- Informal drug counseling
- Rural South
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Medicine (miscellaneous)
- Health(social science)