Youth and Substance Abuse

• Commonly used substances worldwide include alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis.

• In 2016 - The global Drugs Survey found respondents reported within the past 12 months

  • 93% reported drinking

  • 60% of smoking tobacco

  • 63% using cannabis

• Acute or prolonged use of these substances can be associated with deficits in social cognition including:

  • psychological processes involved in social interaction.

  • comprising self-knowledge.

  • perception of others.

  • motivational understanding.

• Parents are often unaware of the use of substances and young individuals do not see the issue in substance use.

  • Substance use can affect health and well-being leading to other unsafe behaviors and many health problems.

  • Pediatric care providers play an important role in educating about the dangers of substance use.

  • Early identification and intervention are important to prevent lifelong issues like heart disease, high blood pressure, and sleep disorders.

Adolescents

• A time period where learning habits go on to define lifestyles and were unhealthy habits such as substance use are conditioned and last into adulthood.

• Early adolescence can be when unhealthy behaviors begin, due to seeking new experiences, curiosity, peer pressure, stress, emotional issues, and inability to calculate risks accurately.

• Gender difference reported:

  • Boys tend to drink more alcohol and take more illegal drugs.

  • Cannabis use is higher in boys than in girls.

  • Girls smoke more tobacco than boys.

• Parent-child relationships are important for adolescent development.

  • Both parents are important, but the maternal influence is slightly higher than the paternal influence.

  • Authoritative parenting indicates lower substance use.

  • Parental monitoring also lower substance use and teens' willingness to disclose contributes to lower substance use.

Art Therapy for Substance Use

• Providing individuals to process thoughts, emotions, and experience through artistic expression.

• Art allows individuals freedom to explore with various materials and can be beneficial in the treatment process encouraging client to embrace self-exploration and awareness.

• Art therapy allows clients to explore emotions, communicate in an alternative way, stress management, increase self-control, and increase insight.

• Some helpful interventions:

1. Art Journal

2. Sculpting

3. Music

4. Poetry

5. Acting

6. Yoga

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References

Art Therapy for Addiction and Substance Abuse. (2019, September 27). Retrieved from https://www.addictioncampuses.com/addiction-treatment/art-therapy/.

Fluharty, M. E., Heron, J., & Munafò, M. R. (2018). Longitudinal associations of social cognition and substance use in childhood and early adolescence: findings from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 27(6), 739–752. doi:10.1007/s00787-017-1068-x

Jiménez-Iglesias, A., Moreno, C., Rivera, F., & García-Moya, I. (2013). The role of the family in promoting responsible substance use in adolescence. Journal of Child & Family Studies, 22(5), 585–602. doi:10.1007/s10826-013-9737-y

Paradigm Malibu. (2015, September 21). Drug Use Trends: Youth Substance Abuse. Retrieved from https://paradigmmalibu.com/drug-use-trends-youth-substance-abuse/.

Parents say, "Other teens drink and use marijuana, but my kids don't". (2011, September 12). Retrieved from https://mottpoll.org/reports-surveys/parents-say-other-teens-drink-and-use-marijuana-my-kids-dont.

Staff, S. X. (2015, July 20). Teens' overall substance use declining, but marijuana use rising. Retrieved from https://medicalxpress.com/news/2015-07-teens-substance-declining-marijuana.html.

Substance Use Screening and Brief Intervention for Youth. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and-policy/aap-health-initiatives/Pages/Substance-Use-Screening.aspx.

Teen Substance Use & Risks. (2019, April 1). Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/features/teen-substance-use/index.html.

Why America's teens are more at risk for substance abuse than adults. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://addictionresource.com/guides/teenage-drug-abuse/.