Timing of Drug Use During adolescence, the brain continues to develop. In fact, functions such as decision-making and impulse control are among the last to mature. These functions are critical to making mature decisions and are lacking, to some extent, in younger adolescents. Therefore, early drug use is a very strong risk factor for the later development of mental health disorders. Development is also associated with other risk factors such as genetic influence, psychosocial experiences, and/or general environmental factors (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2020). Some research findings show that mental health disorders may precede SUD. Thus, early diagnosis and treatment of mental health disorders may help to decrease comorbidity. Other findings suggest that young adolescents develop internalizing disorders, or disorders that are grounded in distress emotions such as depression and anxiety, before developing SUD (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2020).
Research findings indicate that untreated ADHD in youth increases the risk for SUD. Healthcare professionals must identify whether these young people have received effective ADHD treatment and what treatment initiatives have been implemented (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2020). Treatment of childhood ADHD often includes the administration of stimulant medications such as amphetamine. This is a matter of concern, since prescribed stimulant medications have addictive potential. Research findings are not consistent regarding this treatment. Some studies suggest that AHDH medications do not increase the risk of SUD among children. It is essential that when stimulant medications are prescribed, healthcare professionals teach patients and families about the chronic nature of ADHD and the risk for SUD (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2020).
CONTINUUM OF CARE
It is important to incorporate a continuum of care for SUD in adolescents if treatment is to be effective. The care continuum begins with prevention and education; involves outreach for adolescents who are more difficult to reach; and occurs across various care settings, including outpatient, inpatient, residential and therapeutic communities, and halfway houses.
Healthcare Professional Consideration: Acute inpatient detoxification is the first step in the treatment and recovery process. Detoxification is not considered to be a treatment itself. Acute inpatient care settings can provide medications that can help to suppress withdrawal symptoms during detoxification. It is important to note that persons who do not receive further treatment after detoxification (e.g., via therapeutic communities or halfway houses) usually resume their substance use (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2019b). should start with young children to create awareness of SUD and its consequences. Preventive conservations can facilitate communication and, ideally, the making of wise decisions about substance use (Addiction Center, 2021). Education regarding substance use and SUD is also an important preventive strategy. Educational programs are designed to teach social, personal, and drug resistance techniques that adolescents can apply to their own lives. Early intervention and counseling for adolescents at high risk and/or who are dealing with dysfunctional home environments and displaying problematic behavior may be especially important to prevention (Addiction Center, 2021). Most programs are targeted at children and adolescents because these are the ages when most people initiate use of alcohol and other drugs. Effective substance use prevention programs target protective factors related to child and adolescent substance abuse, including parental investment in the individual, social competence, self-regulation, and school bonding and academic achievement (Scheier, 2015). are team-based processes designed to meet specific needs (Merced County Behavioral Services, 2021). Healthcare Professional Consideration: For adolescents who have run away from home or who are unhoused, outreach and case management is the initial treatment of choice. Adolescents living on the street are subject to such dangerous problems as prostitution, substance abuse or dependence, and shoplifting. Workers must help their youthful clients overcome the obstacles that prevent them from obtaining needed services. They must concentrate on building a trusting relationship that will help them persuade the adolescents to accept counseling and treatment for substance abuse or dependence.
Prevention Prevention of SUD is of critical importance. Adolescents are in the process of developing their identities, likes, and dislikes, and thinking about what the future may hold for them as they grow into young adulthood. If young adolescents begin to experiment with drugs to acquire or keep friends, they may put themselves at risk for a potentially life-threatening habit or addiction In 2018, there were 27 million students in 8th to 12th grade who used an illicit drug. In the same year, 29.3% of this population used illicit drugs and suffered a depressive episode. An estimated 18.7% of 8th to 12th graders drank alcohol in the last month of 2018, and 12% of those adolescents participated in binge drinking (Addiction Center, 2021). Prevention of SUD can begin at home. Open dialogue between parents (or other adults to whom they are close) and adolescents is critical to the prevention of SUD. These conversations Outreach Community outreach programs are standard ways for groups such as social service agencies and healthcare agencies to identify a community need and provide services to the people who need them. These people are often disadvantaged and/ or not able to access needed services (American Student Dental Association [ASDA], 2022 (Addiction Center, 2021). Evidence-Based Practice Outreach workers must establish a trusting relationship with adolescents to steer them into treatment. The various treatment facilities include therapeutic communities, outpatient clinics, and 12-step groups. Some large cities have halfway houses designed specifically to treat substance abusing or dependent adolescents. Outreach workers (sometimes referred to as case managers) do not work in isolation. Effective outreach programs Halfway Houses Halfway houses are transitional living facilities for people who are in recovery for drug and/or alcohol addiction. Halfway houses are designed for individuals who have gone through a treatment
program for addiction, particularly those who find the thought of returning home overwhelming because of a dysfunctional environment or lack of a strong support system.
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