Employee Assistance Implications for Appalachian Working-Class Women from the Alcohol and Stress Research Project

ABSTRACT

The Southern highlands are culturally isolated from the rest of the South and its traditional residents have distinct alcohol abuse and stress problems that are reflected in the highest alcohol related arrest statistics in America. In 1990 the University of Tennessee Medical Center undertook a survey of nursing assistants and licensed practical nurses in the appalachian region of Tennessee. Two-thirds of the respondents reported alcohol related problems that affected family life, particularly during holidays. Nearly half (49%) reported stress resulting from family members' use of alcohol and/or drugs, 8% report that their mate is a problem drinker, and 29% report that their father was a problem drinker or alcoholic. Yet, only 7% use the EAR Ideas for bridging the gap are discussed.