New federal guidelines on screening and treating adolescent drug use

Psychologists who work with adolescent substance abusers have two new research-based guides for screening and treatment.

A consensus panel formed by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's (SAMHSA) Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), recently completed two guidelines that detail for substance-abuse counselors the best practices for screening and treating adolescent substance abuse. They are part of CSAT's Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) publication series, which was started almost 10 years ago to provide clinicians and substance-abuse treatment facilities with up-to-date information on the best methods for treating substance abuse in various populations.

One of the new guidelines, TIP 31, "Screening and assessing adolescents for substance use disorders," lists the warning signs of substance-use disorders among teens, including changes in grades and increases in unexcused school absences, accidents or gastrointestinal disturbances. It also details when and how to screen for adolescent substance use.

The other, TIP 32, "Treatment of adolescents with substance use disorders," emphasizes the differences between treating adults and adolescents. And it discusses treatment options that emphasize teens' special needs, including attention to their cognitive, emotional and social development.

For copies of the new guidelines, visit the CSAT web page at www.samhsa.gov or call SAMHSA's National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information at (800) 729-6686,
TDD (800) 487-4889.

--B. Azar



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