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Substance misuse among adolescents is a major public health concern. It is estimated
that nearly one in four high school students in the United States have tried an illicit drug, and that
one in ten have used a prescription drug for non-medical reasons. The consequences of substance
misuse can be serious and long-lasting. Adolescents who misuse substances are more likely to
experience academic problems, legal issues, and mental health problems. They are also at in-
creased risk of developing addiction. Research suggests that one of the most important factors in
healthy child development is a strong, open relationship with a parent. It is important to start
talking to your children about alcohol and other drugs before they are exposed to them
(SAMHSA, 2022).
II. Special Considerations
Adolescents are going through internal and external changes within their human develop-
ment that can make them more susceptible to explore substance abuse. Adolescents who partake
in substance abuse are more likely to have academic issues, legal issues, and develop addictions.
Research is being analyzed for this specific age group due to the increase in adverse effects
across the nation for adolescents. Teen pregnancy and depression have been the top two adverse
results from adolescents who have made the choice to abuse substances. The lack of empirical
data does not allow for a best practice for this group at this time.
III. Effective Interventions
Caponnetto et al., 2023 reported that adolescents disclosed vaping to cope with anxiety.
Although research has not quantified the extent of interventions to properly respond to clients
that present with this scenario, the statistics throughout the resources cited yield a strong sample
of positive results for adolescents dealing with anxiety. Winer et al., 2022 suggest the prevention
approach for adolescent substance abuse. Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treat-
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ment (SBIRT) is an effective approach to identify adolescents who use substances and is recom-
mended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) (Winer, 2022). Parents can provide sig-
nificant prevention by being able to have the conversation with their child before they try drugs
or alcohol.
IV. Working with Parents, Teachers, Clinicians, or Other Helping Professionals
The conversation with a parent, teacher, clinician, or other helping professional can be
challenging when it comes to adolescent substance abuse and prevention. The wellness of the
family can decrease the risk of the adolescent indulging in high-risk behavior. Working together,
the family and community can build a culture of excellence that promotes inclusion, diversity,
and wholeness. Through these tenants the community can reinforce the knowledge that the par-
ents share with their adolescent child to encourage positive behavior.
V. Ethics and Legal Issues
When dealing with minors it is imperative to know the laws and regulations that govern
the state that the adolescent resides. Ethically, this group of clients needs more data to provide
evidence-based best practices for treatment. ACA, 2014 brings awareness to the fact that some
locations will allow minors to get counseling services without the consent of their parents. It is
wise to know the limits for the jurisdiction that you provide services.
References
Anderberg, M., Dahlberg, M., & Wennberg, P. (2021). Adolescents with substance abuse
problems in outpatient treatment: A one-year prospective follow-
up study. Nordisk alkohol- & narkotikatidskrift : NAT, 38(5), 466–479.
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https://doi.org/ 10.1177/1455072521995611
Basyoni, A., Mohamed, A. I. A.-R., Ghazy, H. Ke.-S., & Abdel-Daiem, N.-K. (2021). Risk
factors for adolescents’ substance abuse. Egyptian Nursing Jour-
nal, 18(3).
https://doi.org/10.4103/enj.enj_37_21
Caponnetto, P., Triscari, S., Vitale, N. M., & Polosa, R. (2023). Letter to the Editors of Sub-
stance Abuse: Research and Treatment; Adolescents Who Vape Nicotine and Their Experiences
Vaping: A Qualitative Study; Regarding Dubé et al. (2023). Substance
abuse : research and treatment, 17, 11782218231197959. https://doi.org/
10.1177/11782218231197959
Dykes, G., & Casker, R. (2021). Adolescents and substance abuse: The effects of
substance abuse on parents and siblings. International Journal of
Adolescence and Youth, 26(1), 224-237. https://doi.org/
10.1080/02673843.2021.1908376
Kaur, P. P., Sokhey, G., & Sharma, N. (2022). Role of Relational Risk Factors in Substance
Abuse among Adolescents. Indian Journal of Health and Wellbeing, 13(1), 53-56. https://
go.openathens.net/redirector/liberty.edu?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-
journals/role-relational-risk-factors-substance-abuse/docview/2651840996/se-2
McWhirter, J. J., McWhirter, B. T., McWhirter, E. H., & McWhirter, R. J. (2017). At-risk youth:
A comprehensive response for counselors, teachers, psychologists, and hu-
man service professionals (6th ed.). Stamford, CT: Cengage Learning. ISBN:
9781305670389.
Nath, A., Choudhari, S. G., Dakhode, S. U., Rannaware, A., & Gaidhane, A. M. (2022).
Substance Abuse Amongst Adolescents: An Issue of Public Health Signif-
icance. Cureus, 14(11), e31193. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.31193
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration(SAMHSA).
(2022). Talk. They Hear You. 5 Conversation Goals. Retrieved from
https://www.samhsa.gov/talk-they-hear-you/parent-resources/five-conversa-
tion-goals
Temane, A. A., Rikhotso, T., Poggenpoel, M., & Myburgh, C. (2023). Adolescents' lived
experiences of substance abuse in the Greater Giyani Municipality. Cura-
tionis, 46(1), e1– e9. https://doi.org/10.4102/curationis.v46i1.2379
Walker, D. A., & Holtfreter, K. (2021). Teen pregnancy, depression, and substance abuse: The
conditioning effect of deviant peers. Deviant Behavior, 42(3), 297-312.
https:// www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/01639625.2019.1666610
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Winer, J. M., Yule, A. M., Hadland, S. E., & Bagley, S. M. (2022). Addressing adolescent
substance use with a public health prevention framework: the case
for harm reduction. Annals of Medicine, 54(1), 2123–2136. https://doi.org/
10.1080/07853890.2022.2104922
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