• Wenhua Lu, Lei Xu, Renee D Goodwin, Miguel Muñoz-Laboy, and Nancy Sohler.
• Department of Community Health and Social Medicine, School of Medicine, The City University of New York, New York, New York. Electronic address: wlu1@med.cuny.edu.
• Am J Prev Med. 2023 May 1; 64 (5): 704715704-715.

IntroductionThe overall prevalence of alcohol use disorders and drug use disorders in adolescents has been declining in recent years, yet little is known about treatment use for these disorders among adolescents. This study aimed to examine the patterns and demographics of treatment of alcohol use disorders, drug use disorders, and both conditions among U.S. adolescents.MethodsThis study used publicly available data for adolescents aged 12-17 years from the annual cross-sectional surveys of the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 2011-2019. Data were analyzed between July 2021 and November 2022.ResultsFrom 2011 to 2019, fewer than 11%, 15%, and 17% of adolescents with 12-month alcohol use disorders, drug use disorders, and both conditions received treatment, respectively, with significant decreases in treatment use for drug use disorders (OR=0.93; CI=0.89, 0.97; p=0.002). Overall, treatment use in outpatient rehabilitation facilities and self-help groups was most common but decreased over the course of the study period. Extensive disparities in treatment use were further identified on the basis of adolescents' gender, age, race, family structure, and mental health.ConclusionsTo improve adolescent treatment use for alcohol and drug use disorders, assessments and engagement interventions that are gender specific, developmentally appropriate, culturally sensitive, and contextually informed are especially needed.Copyright © 2023 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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