“Being present for your life again”: Young adults’ views of recovery
In the United States, there is a large gap between the number of young adults with substance use disorder and the number who engage with specialty addiction treatment. Reasons accounting for the difficulty of engaging this population include both individual barriers (e.g., motivation) and external barriers (e.g., lack of treatment affordability or access). In this […]
IDENTIFYING HELPFUL TEXT MESSAGE STRATEGIES TO REDUCE ALCOHOL USE AMONG YOUNG ADULTS
Alcohol use often increases through young adulthood, which for some can have immediate and long-term consequences. Young adults, however, are harder to engage in treatment than their older counterparts. Innovative, “low-touch” strategies like texting may help reach more young adults that might not otherwise seek treatment. This randomized controlled trial examined several text message interventions […]
LARGE YOUTH STUDY REINFORCES IMPORTANCE OF ADDRESSING SUBSTANCE USE IN MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT
Mental health concerns and substance use often co-occur, particularly among adolescents and young adults. This study identified common patterns of their co-occurrence for adolescents receiving mental health treatment to inform best practices for this age group. WHAT PROBLEM DOES THIS STUDY ADDRESS? Individuals’ first experiences with substance use often occur during adolescence. Among adolescents […]
MORE PRESCRIBED ADHD STIMULANT MEDICATIONS IN SCHOOLS ASSOCIATED WITH RISK FOR BROADER STIMULANT USE AMONG OTHER STUDENTS
Youth who use prescription medications recreationally may access them through peers at school who obtain them through legal prescriptions for legitimate reasons including the treatment of ADHD. This study examined risk factors for the nonmedical use of prescription stimulants in high school students. WHAT PROBLEM DOES THIS STUDY ADDRESS? Schools are common points […]
THE “SWEET SPOT”? FOR ADOLESCENTS THAT ATTEND RESIDENTIAL TREATMENT, 60 TO 90 DAYS MAY BE IDEAL
Financial constraints and high demand for limited treatment space require programs to strike a balance between the most effective treatment that can be delivered over the shortest period of time. This study linked long-term data from a treatment program, the justice department, and hospitals to explore what length of stay is associated with reduced risk […]
Impulsivity and stressful life events uniquely relate to heavy alcohol and cannabis use in at-risk youth
Adolescence is a critical period for the onset of substance use. It is important to understand why some youth engage in problematic substance use, especially youth who are most vulnerable. This study examined the unique contributions of impulsivity and stressful life events on problematic substance use among youth. WHAT PROBLEM DOES THIS STUDY ADDRESS? Adolescence […]
“Street Universities”: A program for young people by young people, but do they work?
Community-based, open-door interventions are innovative approaches to engaging young people suffering from mental health and substance use challenges with pro-social activities, peers, and therapeutic services. This study described and evaluated the “Street Universities” model in Australia, which allows young people to connect with others, participate in a range of activities, and see specialized mental health […]
Increasing cannabis use worsens depression for most young adults
Cannabis use among young adults is linked to depressive symptoms, but the direction of the relationship is unclear; that is, whether increased use leads to increased depression or if increased depression leads to increased use of cannabis. This longitudinal study of youth in the community explored this relationship between cannabis use and depression from teen […]