Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment: A Review of Evidence-Based Research

Abstract

Introduction The public health significance of adolescent drug 1 abuse is highlighted by the fact that early initiation of drug use is associated with an increased risk for a constellation of problem behaviors (Weinberg, Rahdert, Colliver, & Glantz, 1998) and increased risk for later development of a substance use disorder (SUD) (e.g., Chen, O’Brien, & Anthony, 2005) . Whereas most adolescents who use drugs do not escalate into abuse or dependence (Newcomb, 1995) , it is estimated that about 11% of teenagers meet criteria for an SUD (Winters, Leitten, Wagner, & O’Leary Tevyaw, 2007) . Thus, the prevalence of adolescent SUDs and related health consequences reinforces the need for evidence-based treatments for this population. This chapter summarizes the research literature regarding the treatment of adolescents with an SUD. We limited our literature search to controlled evaluations of drug abuse treatment approaches for adolescent clients since 1990, owing to the principle that drug treatment for adolescents prior to that time may not be comparable to more contemporary standards. The criteria for study inclusion were as follows: (1) adolescents had to be the primary target of the intervention or treatment; (2) drug use outcomes had to be measured; and (3) the study consisted of essential components of a controlled evaluation, including favorable sample sizes, comparison group (i.e., control group, waiting list control, or contrasting treatment group), use of standardized assessment instruments, treatment interventions that are well-described, and outcome evaluation ratings by individuals who did not conduct the therapy.