An analysis of stressors and co-morbid mental health problems that contribute to youth's paths to substance-specific services.
Substance-specific services are tailored to address the inappropriate use of chemicals such as alcohol and marijuana. Unfortunately, few teens ever access such need-based services. This article explores the paths to substance-specific service use in a sample of urban adolescents who are public service sector users: a direct path from substance misuse and an indirect path from general mental health service use. Results indicate that even though a significant percentage of youths frequently consume substances and display negative use-related behaviors, few actually received substance-specific services. Contributors to the substance misuse path included youths' family substance dependence and environmental stressors. Contributors to the mental health services path were comorbid depression and substance misuse.
Johnson
S D
SD
Department of Social Work, University of Missouri-St. Louis, 8001 Natural Bridge Road, St. Louis, MO 63121-4499, USA. Sharon_Johnson@umsl.edu
Stiffman
A
A
Hadley-Ives
E
E
Elze
D
D
D000293:Adolescent; D015897:Comorbidity; D005195:Family Relations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D017150:Public Sector / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012931:Social Environment; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications*; D016320:Substance Abuse Treatment Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D014481:United States; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*