Adolescent Co-Occurring Substance Use and Mental Health Disorders

Abstract

Abstract Adolescents differ from adults physiologically, cognitively, and emotionally. This is a unique developmental period, characterized by a time of dramatic change in the life of every person in every corner of the world. The relatively uniform growth of childhood is suddenly shifted to an increase in the speed of growth and is characterized by rapid physical and psychological changes. It is important for emerging professionals who wish to work with this population to be familiar with the developmental issues and current trends in adolescent substance use and mental health disorders. Despite improvements in prevention and treatment services, adolescent substance abuse and co-existing disorders continue to be a major public health problem. Adolescent Co-Occurring Substance Use and Mental Health Disorders is a textbook on adolescent substance abuse and co-existing mental and behavioral disorders aimed at students seeking a degree or certificate as an addiction counselor. The book’s 13 chapters consist of an Introduction and three sections: Adolescent Development, Co-Occurring Disorders, and Interventions and Treatment. Each chapter includes core content, side-bar points of interest, summary highlights, discussion questions, and recommendations for more digging and curiosity. Several chapters include case vignettes. A learner’s test question bank is also provided.