Question

What do you consider an appropriate co-occurring diagnosis for an adolescent substance use disorder compared to an adult substance use disorder? Why or why not?

Answer 1

A diagnosis for an adolescents and adults substance use disorder would include set of behavioral and cognitive interventions along with pharmacological interventions. These include following strategies-

PSYCHOSOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL INTERVENTIONS-

The prinicipal goals of these interventions are to improve functioning and maintaining abstinence. A number of  behvaioral interventions are used for treating adolscents and adults with substance drug abuse, these are

• motivational interviewing
• cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
• family based therapies
• integrative interventions

Among these interventionas, CBT have shown the best results in terms of achieving abstinence and improving functioning.

PHARMACOLOGICAL INTERVENTIONS-

These are primary treatments for youths with substance abuse problems, pharmacotherapy are reserved for youths who didn't show any improvements from behavioral interventons. These include medications such as nicotine replacement therapy and bureopion for tabacco, N- acetycylsteine for cannabis and buprenorphine- naloxone for opioid use disorders. For alcohol the most common medication used among adults are also used for treatments of adolscents, these are naltrexone and disulfiram.They have shown reduction of alcohol related cravings.

other than these medications  Atomoxetine, bupropion and osmotic - release methylphenidate may be effective for other co-occuring substance use and ADHD.