Social Problems

The differences between emerging and latent social problems are, as defined, emerging problems are problems that are showing up, being "born" or just now catching public attention, or a shift of power and those in control enforce that what bothers them (problem) should bother the rest of society. Latent problems are problems that are there, but are not recognized, such as problems that are possible, but not active.

One emerging social problem in the family unit today is the increase of aging parents of mentally ill adults. This is a problem that hits close to home for me, since my daughter is autistic and has been diagnosed as also mentally retarded. My husband and I will, as the doctor predicted, probably have to care for her welfare her whole life. Her diagnosis predicts that she will never be able to fully self sustain herself and would probably always need help to make it day to day even as an adult. The social problem of this situation is that the mentally ill children usually outlive their parents, and the community in which the family lives will have to continue care of the mentally ill individual after the parents pass on.

"More than one-third of long-term mentally ill adults live withtheir families, most with aging parents, a situation that accentuates the need for residential alternatives to home care for deinstitutionalized patients who will out-live their caregivers. The role of parentingmentally disabled adults may also impose undue stress on elderlypersons." (Lefley, H)

In Mississippi, autism rates have risen from one in every five hundred births to one out of every 166 live births (http://www.rcsd.k12.ms.us/~web_co/News/2005-2006/Autism.htm) with the increase of this disorder, more parents are finding themselves in the same position I am, which makes this problem an emerging family social problem.