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Substance Use Disorders and Adolescent Psychopathology

Public Health Reviews volume 34, Article number: 10 (2012) Cite this article

Abstract

Adolescence is a vulnerable developmental stage where significant changes occur in a youth’s body, brain, environment and socialization, which may increase vulnerability to substance use, development of addiction, and psychiatric disorders. A co-occurrence of mental and behavioral disturbances with drug involvement in adolescence is common, as reflected in both a high risk for drug use in youth with mental illness and a high frequency of psychopathology among drug users. In this review we provide a broad and basic overview of some of the research evidence indicating a strong co-occurrence of drug use disorders (abuse and dependence) with externalizing and internalizing disorders, as well as a few other serious mental health conditions among adolescents. Increasing awareness and knowledge of the high probability of the co-occurrence of mental and behavioral disturbances with drug involvement informs the understanding of the etiology, course, and treatment of psychiatric problems among adolescents.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Family and Community Health, University of Maryland School of Nursing, 655 W Lombard Street Ste 645C, Baltimore, MD, 21201, USA

    Carla L. Storr ScD, MPH

  2. Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, 21205, USA

    Carla L. Storr ScD, MPH, Lauren R. Pacek & Silvia S. Martins MD, PhD

  3. Department of Epidemiology, Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, New York, NY, 10032, USA

    Silvia S. Martins MD, PhD

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  1. Carla L. Storr ScD, MPH
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Correspondence to Carla L. Storr ScD, MPH.

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Storr, C.L., Pacek, L.R. & Martins, S.S. Substance Use Disorders and Adolescent Psychopathology. Public Health Rev 34, 10 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03391678

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