Trends in Therapeutic Services Participation among U.S. Adolescents Affected by Substance Use, 2002-2017.

Objective

Substance use continues to pose threats to adolescent health and development in the United States (U.S.). Despite evidence of effectiveness, little is known about adolescent participation in self-help groups (e.g., Alcoholic Anonymous, Alateen) and individual/group counseling for coping with own and another family member's substance use. This study provides new information on the prevalence and trends of adolescent participation in self-help groups and counseling for substance use using a nationally-representative sample.

Methods

Data was derived from the 2002-2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, which include cross-sectional samples of U.S. adolescents aged 12-17 (n=243,618). Specifically, year-by-year prevalence of program participation was estimated, and then the trends were tested using logistic regression analyses while controlling for sociodemographic factors.

Results

We found that U.S. adolescents' participation in self-help groups and counseling for substance use decreased from 5.6% in 2002 to 3.4% in 2017, a 39 percent decline that was significant while controlling for sociodemographic confounds (AOR = 0.969, 95% CI = 0.963-0.974). The decreases were most notable among low-income (-39%) and Hispanic (-49%) adolescents.

Conclusion

Findings suggest that barriers to therapeutic service use and potential unmet needs among U.S. adolescents, especially low-income and Hispanic adolescents affected by own and family member's substance use, need to be alleviated to promote healthy recovery.