Pharmacotherapy for Adolescent Alcohol Use Disorder.
Summary of "Pharmacotherapy for Adolescent Alcohol Use Disorder."
Alcohol use disorder (AUD) occurs in few young adolescents, but is as common as in adults by the late teens. To address problems with the current American Psychiatric Association DSM-IV criteria, the anticipated DSM-V will eliminate the distinction between substance abuse and dependence in favour of a single category. For adolescents, pharmacotherapy for AUD may target alcohol withdrawal symptoms, alcohol consumption reinforcement properties, craving or co-morbid mental disorders. While uncommon among adolescents, severe alcohol withdrawal may require the closely monitored application of benzodiazepines. Disulfiram alters alcohol metabolism and has been shown to increase abstinence in adolescents with AUD, but sufficient motivation to maintain abstinence is needed for this approach to be appropriate. Medications to reduce alcohol craving, including naltrexone and acamprosate, may also assist some adolescents in maintaining abstinence. Adolescents with AUD typically also have co-morbid mental disorders and problems with other substances. Co-morbid mental disorders, such as major depressive disorder and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, may be addressed by pharmacotherapy. The potential for interactions between prescribed medications and alcohol or illicit substances necessitates patient education and monitoring. While there is a paucity of empirical information on the applicability of these pharmacotherapy approaches in adolescents, cautious application of these medications in selected cases in the context of systematic psychosocial interventions is warranted to promote abstinence and address associated problems.
Affiliation
Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
Journal Details
This article was published in the following journal.
Name: CNS drugs
ISSN: 1172-7047
Pages:
Links
- PubMed Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22676261
- DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2165/11634330-000000000-00000
Medical and Biotech [MESH] Definitions
Adolescent Behavior
Any observable response or action of an adolescent.
Adolescent, Institutionalized
An adolescent who is receiving long-term in-patient services or who resides in an institutional setting.
Alcohol Amnestic Disorder
A mental disorder associated with chronic ethanol abuse (ALCOHOLISM) and nutritional deficiencies characterized by short term memory loss, confabulations, and disturbances of attention. (Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, p1139)
Anorexia Nervosa
An eating disorder that is characterized by the lack or loss of APPETITE, known as ANOREXIA. Other features include excess fear of becoming OVERWEIGHT; BODY IMAGE disturbance; significant WEIGHT LOSS; refusal to maintain minimal normal weight; and AMENORRHEA. This disorder occurs most frequently in adolescent females. (APA, Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms, 1994)
Adolescent, Hospitalized
Adolescent hospitalized for short term care.
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