Substance Use Disorders

Abstract

Abstract Almost 4% of adolescents in the past year met criteria for a substance use disorder, which is characterized as mild, moderate, or severe, depending on the number of symptoms identified. These symptoms range from negative consequences of use to compulsive use despite serious consequences. Cannabis is the most abused substance among adolescents, and opioids are the most common drugs of misuse for adolescent females and the third most common for males. Adolescent substance use disorders may be part of a behavioral profile of dysregulated, antisocial, and aggressive behaviors, and therefore, the material in this chapter overlaps with information presented in Chapter 7. Effective treatments have been identified for this population of youths, but most presenting for services do not receive them, and many more youths never receive intervention at all. Social workers’ intersection with this population may occur in mental health treatment, specialized addiction services, and other social service settings, where they can promote the implementation of empirically supported interventions.