Medical Conditions of Adolescents in Alcohol and Drug Treatment: Comparison with Matched Controls

Overview

Journal J Adolesc Health

Publisher Elsevier

Specialty Pediatrics

Date 2007 Jan 30

PMID 17259058

Citations 21

Authors

Jennifer R Mertens

Alan J Flisher

Michael F Fleming

Constance M Weisner

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Purpose: Alcohol and drug problems are associated with medical problems among adults. Research on the relationship of adolescent alcohol and drug use disorders to specific medical problems is less developed and focused on acute consequences. This study addresses gaps in the literature regarding medical comorbidities in adolescents with alcohol and drug use disorders.

Methods: This study compares the prevalence of medical conditions among 417 adolescent alcohol and drug treatment patients with 2082 demographically matched controls from the same managed care health plan and examines whether comparisons vary among substance-type subgroups.

Results: Approximately one-fourth of the comorbid conditions examined were more common among adolescent alcohol and drug patients than among matched controls, and several were highly costly conditions (e.g., asthma, injury). We also found that pain-related diagnoses, including headache and abdominal pain, were more prevalent among alcohol and drug patients.

Conclusions: Our findings point to the importance of examining comorbid medical and chemical dependency in both adolescent primary care and specialty care. Moreover, optimal treatment of many common medical disorders may require identification, intervention, and treatment of a substance use problem.

Citing Articles

The Role of Melanocortin Plasticity in Pain-Related Outcomes After Alcohol Exposure.

Sharfman N, Gilpin N Front Psychiatry. 2021; 12():764720.

PMID: 34803772 PMC: 8599269. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.764720.

Health Care Use Over 3 Years After Adolescent SBIRT.

Sterling S, Kline-Simon A, Jones A, Hartman L, Saba K, Weisner C Pediatrics. 2019; 143(5).

PMID: 31018988 PMC: 6564060. DOI: 10.1542/peds.2018-2803.

Specialty addiction and psychiatry treatment initiation and engagement: Results from an SBIRT randomized trial in pediatrics.

Sterling S, Kline-Simon A, Jones A, Satre D, Parthasarathy S, Weisner C J Subst Abuse Treat. 2017; 82:48-54.

PMID: 29021115 PMC: 5679476. DOI: 10.1016/j.jsat.2017.09.005.

Substance Use and Associated Health Conditions throughout the Lifespan.

Schulte M, Hser Y Public Health Rev. 2017; 35(2).

PMID: 28366975 PMC: 5373082. DOI: 10.1007/BF03391702.

Interactive Effect of Parent and Adolescent Psychiatric Symptoms on Substance Use among Adolescents in Community Treatment.

Kelly L, Becker S, Wolff J, Graves H, Spirito A Community Ment Health J. 2017; 53(4):383-393.

PMID: 28303445 PMC: 6431791. DOI: 10.1007/s10597-017-0110-2.

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