Long-Term Health and Psychosocial Status of Youth who Received Substance Abuse Treatment in Adolescence

Alcohol and substance abuse in the adolescent population is a major health concern with a number of harms known to be associated with high levels of use. Few studies report on long-term health status of youth who have received treatment for a substance abuse problem during adolescence. This study aimed to describe the long-term status of a cohort of adolescents who received treatment in an intensive day treatment program situated in a tertiary care paediatric hospital. Youth participated in an interview that collected data using both standardized screening tools (GAIN-SS, AUDIT, CUDIT, DUI) as well as closed and open ended questions about education, employment, and physical and mental health status. Young adults in this sample continue to use alcohol and cannabis, with a proportion reporting problematic use. Their academic achievement is close to expected for their age group. They report concurrent mental health disorders; and as a cohort, access the health care system for both acute and chronic health conditions more than their contemporaries. These findings support the inclusion of academic, mental health and medical components in programs for adolescents with substance abuse, in order to address a broad range of determinants of health outcomes.