Editing Substance abuse (section)

===Immigrants and refugees===

Immigrant and refugees have often been under great stress,<ref>{{cite journal |last=Drachman |first=D. |year=1992 |title=A stage-of-migration framework for service to immigrant populations |journal=Social Work |volume=37 |issue=1 |pages=68–72 |doi=10.1093/sw/37.1.68 }}</ref> physical trauma and depression and anxiety due to separation from loved ones often characterize the pre-migration and transit phases, followed by "cultural dissonance", language barriers, racism, discrimination, economic adversity, overcrowding, social isolation, and loss of status and difficulty obtaining work and fears of deportation are common. Refugees frequently experience concerns about the health and safety of loved ones left behind and uncertainty regarding the possibility of returning to their country of origin.<ref name="Pumariega">{{cite journal |author1=Pumariega A. J. |author2=Rothe E. |author3=Pumariega J. B. | year = 2005 | title = Mental health of immigrants and refugees | journal = Community Mental Health Journal |volume=41 | issue= 5 | pages = 581–597 | doi = 10.1007/s10597-005-6363-1 |pmid=16142540 |citeseerx=10.1.1.468.6034 |s2cid=7326036 }}</ref><ref name="NIAAA" /> For some, substance abuse functions as a coping mechanism to attempt to deal with these stressors.<ref name="NIAAA" />

Immigrants and refugees may bring the substance use and abuse patterns and behaviors of their country of origin,<ref name="NIAAA">{{Citation |last=[[National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism]] |title=NIAAA: Social work education for the prevention and treatment of alcohol use disorders |date=2005 |chapter-url=http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/Social/Module10FImmigrants&Refugees/Module10F.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060907145139/http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/Social/Module10FImmigrants&Refugees/Module10F.pdf |chapter=Module 10F: Immigrants, Refugees, and Alcohol |publisher=[[National Institutes of Health]] |id=1 U24 AA11899-04 |archive-date=7 September 2006}}</ref> or adopt the attitudes, behaviors, and norms regarding substance use and abuse that exist within the dominant culture into which they are entering.<ref name="NIAAA" /><ref>{{cite journal |author1=Caetano R. |author2=Clark C. L. |author3=Tam T. | year = 1998 | title = Alcohol consumption among racial/ethnic minorities: Theory and research | journal = Journal of Alcohol, Health, and Research | volume = 22 | issue = 4| pages = 233–241 }}</ref>

Another factor that can contribute to substance abuse among immigrants is the lack of support that they receive.  With few social and economic resources available to them, some turn to drugs as a way to cope through the stress that they are experiencing.  When examining an assimilation model it can be concluded that as immigrants settle into their new environment and adapt to the new culture they are in, the amount as which they use begins to match those of their new environment.  So in some cases, the amount in which one uses decreases as they adapt to their new society.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Alcohol and Drug Use Among Displaced Persons: An Overview {{!}} Office of Justice Programs |url=https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/alcohol-and-drug-use-among-displaced-persons-overview?utm_source=chatgpt.com |access-date=2025-03-06 |website=www.ojp.gov}}</ref>