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NIDA releases resources for treatment of teens with substance-use disorders
As part of National Drug Facts Week, the National Institute on Drug Abuse released online treatment resources for health care professionals and parents whom interact with teens with substance-use disorders.
According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health conducted in 2012, only 10% of adolescents, aged 12 to 17 years, received proper treatment services for their addictions. An educational module, “The Substance Use Disorder in Adolescents: Screening and Engagement in Primary Care Settings,” was created to promote early screenings of adolescent substance use. The module provides videos that demonstrate skills medical students and resident physicians can use when conducting substance use screenings among adolescents. Although the module is a training tool, it is publicly available to anyone seeking treatment approaches for teens who struggle with substance use.
In addition, a new online publication, “Principles of Adolescent Substance Use Disorder Treatment: a Research Based Guide,” discusses evidence-based treatment approaches for adolescent substance use, answers frequently asked questions regarding adolescents and addiction, and identifies the role of caregivers and health care professionals in providing emotional support and treatment to teens in recovery.
“Because critical brain circuits are still developing during the teen years, this age group is particularly susceptible to drug abuse and addiction. These new resources are based on recent research that has greatly advanced our understanding of the unique treatment needs of the adolescent,” NIDA director Nora D. Volkow, MD, said in a press release.
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