Substance-Use Disorders in Children and Adolescents

TY - JOUR

T1 - Substance-Use Disorders in Children and Adolescents

AU - Thomasius, Rainer

AU - Paschke, Kerstin

AU - Arnaud, Nicolas

PY - 2022/6/24

Y1 - 2022/6/24

N2 - BACKGROUND: The most common substance use disorders in childhood and adolescence have to do with alcohol and cannabis. These disorders begin as early as puberty, are often accompanied by other mental disorders, and, if untreated, very frequently persist into adulthood.METHODS: This review is based on pertinent publications retrieved by a selective search in PubMed on substance use disorders in children and adolescents.RESULTS: Substance use disorders are among the commonest mental disorders in childhood and adolescence. In Germany, approximately 10% of adolescents have tried cannabis at least once. The prognosis is negatively affected by individual (bio-)psychological traits, mental comorbidities, laws that facilitate consumption, socioeconomic disadvantage, consuming peers, and parental substance use disorders. A timely diagnosis, motivation by the pediatrician, and referral to specialized child and adolescent psychiatric services helps assure that those affected receive appropriate treatment, with the goal of abstinence from the substance as well as improvement in emotional regulation, affectivity, and attention. According to studies from the English-speaking countries and considering all treatment forms, treatment is completed by approximately 60% to 65% of children and adolescents; 20% to 40% of these patients are abstinent six months after the end of treatment. No studies of this type have been carried out to date in Germany.CONCLUSION: As the results of treatment are generally poor, there is a major need for research on the treatment and care of children and adolescents with substance use disorders. In particular, the interfaces between outpatient and inpatient care need further improvement.

AB - BACKGROUND: The most common substance use disorders in childhood and adolescence have to do with alcohol and cannabis. These disorders begin as early as puberty, are often accompanied by other mental disorders, and, if untreated, very frequently persist into adulthood.METHODS: This review is based on pertinent publications retrieved by a selective search in PubMed on substance use disorders in children and adolescents.RESULTS: Substance use disorders are among the commonest mental disorders in childhood and adolescence. In Germany, approximately 10% of adolescents have tried cannabis at least once. The prognosis is negatively affected by individual (bio-)psychological traits, mental comorbidities, laws that facilitate consumption, socioeconomic disadvantage, consuming peers, and parental substance use disorders. A timely diagnosis, motivation by the pediatrician, and referral to specialized child and adolescent psychiatric services helps assure that those affected receive appropriate treatment, with the goal of abstinence from the substance as well as improvement in emotional regulation, affectivity, and attention. According to studies from the English-speaking countries and considering all treatment forms, treatment is completed by approximately 60% to 65% of children and adolescents; 20% to 40% of these patients are abstinent six months after the end of treatment. No studies of this type have been carried out to date in Germany.CONCLUSION: As the results of treatment are generally poor, there is a major need for research on the treatment and care of children and adolescents with substance use disorders. In particular, the interfaces between outpatient and inpatient care need further improvement.

KW - Adolescent

KW - Adult

KW - Cannabis

KW - Child

KW - Comorbidity

KW - Family

KW - Humans

KW - Mental Disorders/diagnosis

KW - Outpatients

KW - Substance-Related Disorders/epidemiology

U2 - DOI: 10.3238/arztebl.m2022.0122

DO - DOI: 10.3238/arztebl.m2022.0122

M3 - SCORING: Review article

C2 - 35635442

VL - 119

SP - 440

EP - 450

JO - Deutsches Ärzteblatt

JF - Deutsches Ärzteblatt

SN - 0012-1207

IS - 25

ER -