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Screening for Substance Use and Associated Medical Conditions

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Treating Adolescent Substance Use

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Abstract

Early onset of substance use leads to a higher risk of developing psychosocial problems and a lifelong substance use disorder, which makes screening, prevention, and early intervention instrumental in moderating potential harm. Substance use can be viewed along a continuum from experimentation to problematic substance use and to mild, moderate, and severe substance use disorders. Nonmedical use of prescription medications also operates under a similar continuum and is particularly relevant to the adolescent age group since prescription medications may be more available to young people in some settings than are other substances. This chapter discusses key revisions from the DSM-IV to the DSM-5 and briefly explains how shifts in the diagnostic process impact the implementation of various screening tools. Evidence-based screening instruments are presented and described in detail. Additional health screening recommendations are outlined due to the high-risk behaviors associated with substance use.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Social Work, Adolescent Substance Use and Addiction Program, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

    Jesse W. Schram

  2. Department of Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

    Patricia C. F. Schram

  3. Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Patricia C. F. Schram & John R. Knight

  4. Department of Medicine and Psychiatry, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

    John R. Knight

Authors
  1. Jesse W. Schram
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  2. Patricia C. F. Schram
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  3. John R. Knight
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Patricia C. F. Schram .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Justine W. Welsh

  2. Division of General Pediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA

    Scott E. Hadland

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Schram, J.W., Schram, P.C.F., Knight, J.R. (2019). Screening for Substance Use and Associated Medical Conditions. In: Welsh, J., Hadland, S. (eds) Treating Adolescent Substance Use. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-01893-1_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-01893-1_3

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-01892-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-01893-1

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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