Substance Use Disorders in Adolescents: A Qualitative Systematic Review.
Hilal Kara, Dudu Karakaya
PMID 40252241WHAT IT FOUND
Adolescents with substance use disorder described starting use through curiosity, family conflict, peers and easy access, then facing health, school, family and legal harms.
They asked for motivated, nonjudgmental treatment with family support and coping skills.
Key findings
01Adolescents linked starting and continuing substance use to curiosity, poor coping, family conflict or substance use, peer influence, and easy access.
02During treatment, adolescents reported barriers such as difficulty accessing care under 18, separation from family, restricted freedom, and medication side effects, and they asked for age-appropriate, nonjudgmental support.
03After treatment, adolescents described rebuilding family relationships, returning to school or work, improving sleep and eating, and making future plans.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Only English-language studies were included, so the synthesis may not represent adolescents from non-English-speaking cultures. The review synthesised 11 qualitative studies with sample sizes ranging from 4 to 47 participants, and no total participant count was reported. The included studies report experiences and perceptions, not measured treatment outcomes or causal effects. The review did not examine how experiences differ by country income level or local treatment environment.
Declared interests
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that a particular treatment works. It synthesises what adolescents said about their experiences, not measured outcomes.