Nursing Intervention for Drugs & Alcohol in Adolescents

Nursing interventions for adolescents with substance abuse problems involve contacting the parents and reporting any abuse of the child. The treatment methods vary according to the type of substance and the mental health of the adolescent.

FAS

• Adolescents with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) have arrested social development skills. They exhibit problems with socialization, attention span and aggressive behavior. Mental health nursing interventions should begin early.

Schools

• "Over 28 percent of students nationwide had been offered, sold or given an illegal drug on school property during the 12 months preceding the 2001 Youth Risk Behavior Survey" according to a report by the National Association of School Nurses. Nursing interventions by the school nurse for adolescents is a proposed strategy.

School-based Drug Testing

• Issues that communities need to address when considering random drug testing are parental permission, confidentiality issues, and what is the threshold for prescription medications used by the student.

Adolescent Opioid Addiction

• Positive reinforcement combined with drug therapies increase retention of adolescent addicts to treatment.

Opioid Treatment Drugs

• Methadone, Buprenorphine, Suboxone and Naltrexone are therapeutic drugs used for an opioid addiction. Strong community support and family interventions have shown greater success when combined with drug therapy in adolescents.