Adolescent substance use disorders. Preface: Been there, done that, and now what? Adolescent addictive behaviors from etiology to postvention.

摘要

Childhood and adolescence are not only critical phases for normal development but also periods when various pathological behaviors or disorders, including substance use disorders (SUD), are first recognized. Substance use and SUD among American youth continues to present a challenging public health problem because of concerns regarding the short- and long-term physical and mental health outcomes of adolescents who use psychoactive drugs. The use of alcohol and other drugs is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among adolescents from motor vehicle accidents, suicidal behavior, violence, drowning, and unprotected sexual activity, including unplanned pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. Lifetime diagnoses of alcohol and drug abuse among adolescents in the United States range from 3% to 10%. Six percent and 5.4% of youths ages 12 to 17 were classified as needing treatment for alcohol use and illicit drug use, respectively. Only a small segment of adolescents in need of treatment (10% -15%) end up receiving services because of lack of motivation for treatment among youth, poor screening and assessment skills of providers, limited resources, inadequate age-appropriate quality programs, and lack of a broad consensus on preferred treatment strategies. Nevertheless, the number of published treatment studies has grown dramatically during the last decade.