Substance Use and Substance Use Disorders

A special issue of Adolescents (ISSN 2673-7051).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 June 2021) | Viewed by 7673

Special Issue Editor

School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work, Centre for Evidence and Social Innovation, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN, UK
Interests: substance use; mental health; development of APPS for SW and medical education and practice

Special Issue Information

The majority of young people presenting to specialist substance misuse services have a range of problems or vulnerabilities related to their substance use (e.g., mental health problems; being looked after; not being in education, employment or training) or wider factors that can impact on their substance use (e.g., criminal offenses, self-harm, experiencing sexual exploitation or domestic abuse). There has been a considerable increase in young people using drugs and alcohol in the UK, Europe, and the U.S after a long period of a downward trend. Those seeking treatment have a number of complex needs, including mental health needs that can only be met through a combination of specialist treatment and wider social and health care. Likewise, it is crucial to consider the international evidence base and literature on young people’s substance use, including nature and prevalence, models of treatment, pharmacological and psychological interventions, and comorbidities. Papers addressing these topics are invited for this Special Issue, especially those that have a strong methodological rigor or a practice focus.

Keywords

  • Young people 
  • Substance use 
  • Comorbidities 
  • Prevalence 
  • Interventions 
  • Models of treatment 
  • Evidence of effectiveness 
  • Case studies

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 641 KiB  
Article
Social Determinants of Narcotics Use Susceptibility among School-Attending Adolescents in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau: A Cross-Sectional Analysis
by Jon Edmund Bollom, Aladje Baldé, Zeca Jandi, Hamadou Boiro, Jónína Einarsdóttir and Geir Gunnlaugsson
Adolescents 2021, 1(3), 306-320; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/adolescents1030023 - 03 Aug 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 4125
Abstract
Balanced medical and criminal justice approaches addressing determinants of alcohol and other drugs (AOD) use are central to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 3 and 16. However, data on AOD use in resource-poor settings are characterised by relative paucity and anecdote. [...] Read more.
Balanced medical and criminal justice approaches addressing determinants of alcohol and other drugs (AOD) use are central to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 3 and 16. However, data on AOD use in resource-poor settings are characterised by relative paucity and anecdote. This study aimed to describe and analyse AOD use susceptibility and its determinants among school-attending adolescents in the capital Bissau, Guinea-Bissau. Survey data were collected through a locally adapted Planet Youth questionnaire in June 2017 across 16 schools in Bissau. The 2039-strong sample was selected through a multi-stage, random cluster process. Participants’ lifetime alcohol use was 27.3%, smoking 10.8%, and cannabis use 3.6%. In each instance, the ‘15 years and above’ age bracket was the most common initiation period, signifying increased instigation in later adolescence. Subsequent Varimax Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of 312 variables captured data-driven models of AOD use susceptibility, implying imitated, polydrug use among initiates. Linear regression analysis revealed drinking, group violence, male gender, school dismissal and relationship breakdown as explanatory variables. Overlapping predictive variables suggest singular interventions may pre-empt myriad antisocial behaviours. PCA offers alternatives to singular, potentially myopic quantifications of drug use. PCA facilitates the creation of context-sensitive composite variables, enabling the identification of related outcome behaviours relevant to studies’ sociocultural settings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Substance Use and Substance Use Disorders)
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Review

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13 pages, 686 KiB  
Review
Virtual Reality-Based Alcohol Prevention in Adolescents: A Systematic Review
by Christina Prediger, Stefanie Maria Helmer, Robert Hrynyschyn and Christiane Stock
Adolescents 2021, 1(2), 138-150; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/adolescents1020011 - 28 Apr 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2808
Abstract
Virtual Reality-simulations offer new opportunities for alcohol prevention in adolescents. As an innovative medium, Virtual Reality can be attractive for the target group, and avatar-based pathways allow tailoring prevention in a gender-specific manner. However, tailoring may reproduce gender stereotypes and be exclusive. Therefore, [...] Read more.
Virtual Reality-simulations offer new opportunities for alcohol prevention in adolescents. As an innovative medium, Virtual Reality can be attractive for the target group, and avatar-based pathways allow tailoring prevention in a gender-specific manner. However, tailoring may reproduce gender stereotypes and be exclusive. Therefore, this systematic review aims to summaries existing evidence regarding Virtual Reality-simulations for alcohol prevention targeting adolescents and to examine how gender is considered. A systematic search was conducted in seven databases. Two reviewers independently performed screening, data extraction, and quality assessment. Out of 224 search hits, four publications derived out of an Australian, a Danish, and a US-American project met the inclusion criteria. Research designs included qualitative (2), quantitative (1), and mixed-method approaches (1). Qualitative methods focused on development, evaluation, and participatory methods in the creation process, demonstrating adolescents’ involvement in Virtual Reality design. Adolescents appreciated the realism and the exposure to peer pressure and to negative alcohol consequences. Quantitative designs focused mainly on measuring alcohol-related outcomes (e.g., attitude and behavioral intentions towards binge drinking), and positive changes were found. In all studies, gender was assessed in the male-female dichotomy. Further gender-sensitive research is needed to develop and test the possibilities and pitfalls of tailoring Virtual Reality-simulations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Substance Use and Substance Use Disorders)
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