Economic Evaluation of Adolescent Addiction Programs: Methodologic Challenges and Recommendations

Abstract

This article identifies and describes several methodologic challenges encountered in economic evaluations of substance abuse interventions for adolescents. Topics include study design, the choice of perspective, the estimation of costs and outcomes, and the generalizability of results. Recommendations are offered for confronting these challenges using examples from research on adolescent substance abuse and dependency/addiction. © 2008 Society for Adolescent Medicine.