title: Addressing substance misuse in adolescents: a review of the literature on the screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment model.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Adolescent substance use is a major public health concern in the United States. Pediatricians are in a unique position via the medical home to address this issue. Screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) is a comprehensive approach that aims to prevent, identify, and reduce substance use. SBIRT has been heavily studied in adults, but research with adolescents is still ongoing. This review examines the SBIRT model and highlights recent applicable research.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This research indicates that alcohol and drug use has a negative impact on the developing brain. In 2011, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released a policy statement recommending the use of SBIRT. An adolescent SBIRT algorithm can be used clinically. Recent studies focus on individual components of SBIRT; however, there have been no studies that examine all three components together in adolescents. Nevertheless, research indicates that SBIRT is an important tool to assess and intervene regarding adolescent substance use.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SBIRT is recommended by the AAP as a way to address adolescent substance use. Pediatricians should be screening adolescents for substance use at every well exam, and acute care visits when possible, with a validated tool. Although more research is needed, SBIRT is an effective method to address adolescent substance use.
authors: aChildren's Hospital at Dartmouth bGeisel School of Medicine, Children's Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock, Lebanon, NH, USA.
authors: Aimee
authors: A
authors: Beaton
authors: Catherine D
authors: CD
authors: Shubkin
authors: Steven
authors: S
authors: Chapman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000295:Adolescent Medicine / Q000193:education; D000465:Algorithms; D004503:Education, Medical, Graduate / Q000379:methods; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000458:organization & administration; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy