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4 - Clinical course of youth following treatment for alcohol and drug problems

from Part I - Theoretical, empirical, and methodological foundations for research in adolescent substance abuse treatment

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 August 2009

By
Sandra A. Brown  and
Danielle E. Ramo
Edited by
Howard A. Liddle  and
Cynthia L. Rowe
Sandra A. Brown
Affiliation:
Veterans' Affairs San Diego Healthcare System, University of California, San Diego, CA, USA
Danielle E. Ramo
Affiliation:
San Diego State University/University of California, San Diego, USA
Howard A. Liddle
Affiliation:
University of Miami School of Medicine
Cynthia L. Rowe
Affiliation:
University of Miami School of Medicine
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Summary

Alcohol and drug abuse by adolescents is a problem of critical importance in the USA. Treatment facilities are now providing programs specifically for substance use disorders (SUDs) among adolescents, and research has begun to examine long-term outcomes for these youth. This chapter examines the clinical course of youth following alcohol and/or drug treatment. It considers the use patterns observed after treatment in community treatment programs and through clinical trials, the personal and environmental factors that may influence these outcomes, and the important distinctions between adolescent and adult relapse patterns. A revised cognitive–behavioral model of relapse is presented that incorporates the factors found to be particularly important in understanding the adolescent relapse process. Special challenges for youth are explored, including the prevalence and impact of psychiatric comorbidity, the neurocognitive impact of early alcohol and drug involvement, and the developmental transitions associated with elevated risk for youth with a history of substance abuse.

Adolescent alcohol and drug use is a major social and public health concern. Monitoring the Future, a study funded by NIDA, indicated that 80% of high school students have used alcohol and 54% have used other drugs at least once (Johnston, O'Malley, & Bachman, 2002). Hazardous drinking (five or more drinks on one occasion) is also a frequent occurrence, with 30% of all adolescents nationwide in the USA reporting episodes of binge drinking (Grunbaum et al., 2002).

Type
Chapter
Information
Adolescent Substance Abuse
Research and Clinical Advances
 , pp. 79 - 103
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2006

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