7.7 Pharmacotherapies for Youth Substance Use Disorder: Rationale, Evidence-Base, and Practical Strategies

Substance use disorders (SUDs) are prevalent and impairing across the lifespan. Psychosocial interventions remain the cornerstone of SUD treatment, but long-term abstinence outcomes are limited. Amid advances in characterizing the neurobiology of SUD, a number of pharmacotherapies have been developed and several currently have US FDA approval in adults. Application of these medications to adolescents with SUD has been less well-studied, but a number of recent randomized controlled trials may provide guidance for clinicians treating adolescents with SUD.
Source: Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry - Category: Psychiatry Authors: Source Type: research