Describe the contemporary issue and explain what external stressors are associated with this issue. Outline assessment strategies to screen for this issue and external stressors during an assessment for an adolescent patient.

Range of Contemporary Issues Teenagers Face Today

Teenagers deal with serious issues daily, as this is the most challenging development period. Teenagers go through some challenging internal and external battles during this time. They experience puberty, hormonal changes, social and family demands, and employment and academic pressures, which they are expected to handle. Since most adolescents frequently feel misunderstood, it is necessary to evaluate the issues they face and their external stressors to find solutions to them. This paper analyzes the issue of substance use in adolescents and the associated external stressors. There is also a description of assessment strategies to screen for the issue and support options for adolescents experiencing external stressors associated with substance abuse.

Contemporary Issue and Associated External Stressors

Adolescent substance use can range from occasional experimentation to serious substance use problems. The most commonly abused drug in adolescents is alcohol, followed by other drugs like cannabis, tobacco, and opioids (Halladay et al., 2020). Adolescents who use any substance, even experimental substance use, are susceptible to short-term issues like overdosing, fights, accidents, and inappropriate sexual activities. They are also at higher risk of developing long-term effects such as higher addiction rates, substance use disorder, academic underachievement, and mental health disorders. Childhood maltreatment is the most common external stressor associated with substance abuse in adolescents. Children who are physically abused or neglected by their parents are more likely to experience trauma and often turn to substance abuse as a coping strategy to deal with trauma. Sexual abuse is also an external stressor associated with substance abuse in adolescents. It has been shown that female adolescents who have been victims of sexual abuse are more likely to abuse drugs (Leban & Gibson, 2020). Peer pressure also plays a role in substance use. Adolescents who associate with peers who engage in substance abuse are more likely to abuse drugs to increase their popularity in peer groups.

Assessment Strategies to Screen for the Issue and External Stressors

When assessing adolescents for substance use and the associated external stressors, one strategy can be through the use of biological screening tests. Urine or blood samples can be taken and analyzed if an adolescent uses a drug such as alcohol. Another strategy is through the use of questionnaires. An adolescent can be asked to fill out a questionnaire assessing substance use. A questionnaire is effective as it can help determine external stressors and how an adolescent is affected by substance use. Some questions that can be asked for additional assessment include: What do you think is the main reason you engage in substance use? Has substance use ever made you do something you would not normally do? Do you think your mood is affected by substance use? However, before an assessment is done, it is crucial to first build trust with the adolescent by informing them that only personal questions will be asked, and their responses will help give the best treatment possible. It is also important to assure them that all the information they provide will be kept private. This would mean the information should not be disclosed to the parents. Such information may include their engagement in substance abuse and the activities they engage in after abusing drugs. However, where necessary, information would be shared with parents with the adolescents’ consent. This may include information that may help parents monitor the behaviors of an adolescent.

Support Options

One support option for adolescents is implementing programs promoting involvement in family-based therapy. Family therapy sessions bring together people closest to an addicted adolescent to discuss problems such as problem-solving and inadequate family communication (Wang et al., 2019). Through family therapy, solutions to external stressors such as neglect and physical abuse can be devised. External stressors such as sexual and physical abuse can affect adolescents’ mental health. Therefore, it would be recommended that adolescents who are victims of such malpractices be taken to mental health centers where their mental health can be assessed and managed. Also, enrolling them in rehabilitation programs would be necessary to help adolescents stop engaging in substance use. Their participation in rehabilitation programs would motivate them to stop substance abuse as they would meet peers who are also striving to stop substance abuse.

Conclusion

Overall, substance use is an issue of concern in adolescents. External stressors such as physical abuse, sexual abuse, and peer