Understanding the service needs of youth with opioid use: A descriptive study of demographics and co-occurring substance use and mental health concerns

Tailoring opioid use prevention content for juvenile diversion programs with adolescents and their caregivers

INTRODUCTION

Opioid use (OU) skyrockets as youth transition into young adulthood, indicating adolescence is a critical time for prevention. The juvenile legal system (JLS) presents an ideal setting for OU prevention, as it is the single largest referral source for youth outpatient OU treatment, after self-referral. However, no OU prevention programs have been developed for youth in JLS diversion programs or their families. The current formative study established specific OU prevention needs and preferences of families in JLS programs, to guide future tailored prevention efforts.

METHODS

We interviewed 21 adolescents with substance use and 20 of their caregivers referred by a JLS diversion program in the northeastern United States to explore their OU-related knowledge, personal experiences, motivations, and behavioral skills. We used a deductive qualitative analysis approach wherein data were analyzed using an a priori coding framework based on the Information Motivation Behavioral Skills model.

RESULTS

Caregivers knew more about OU than youth, several of whom misidentified both opiates and non-opiates. Few participants reported a history of personal OU, though many knew of others' OU. Participants perceived several potential motivations for OU: mental health problems, relationships, life stressors, difficulty accessing preferred substances, and experimentation. Though often unfamiliar with the symptoms, participants were eager to learn skills to identify and manage a suspected overdose.

CONCLUSIONS

Youth involved in a JLS diversion program and their caregivers were open to and eager for tailored opioid use prevention content to help them reduce risks. We discuss implications for OU prevention and intervention program development.

Preventing Substance Use and Overdose Among Young Adults: The Role of Social Determinants of Health

The United States is in the midst of an evolving overdose crisis, driven by the proliferation of potent synthetic opioids (e.g., illicitly made fentanyl), the resurgence of stimulants (e.g., methamphetamine), and the introduction of adulterants (e.g., xylazine) into the illicit drug supply. These substance use challenges are happening against the backdrop of rising mental health challenges that are closely linked to substance use and overdose. As overdose deaths have increased, the demographic profile of those dying has shifted and now disproportionately affects certain racial and ethnic minority populations. Social determinants of health (SDOH) are an underexplored component of the prevention response but are particularly salient in addressing substance use and overdose. Many SDOH have been linked to an increased risk for substance use and overdose, either directly or indirectly. The author examines the connection between SDOH and substance use and overdose, with a particular focus on young adults.

Research landscape analysis on dual diagnosis of substance use and mental health disorders: key contributors, research hotspots, and emerging research topics

BACKGROUND

Substance use disorders (SUDs) and mental health disorders (MHDs) are significant public health challenges with far-reaching consequences on individuals and society. Dual diagnosis, the coexistence of SUDs and MHDs, poses unique complexities and impacts treatment outcomes. A research landscape analysis was conducted to explore the growth, active countries, and active journals in this field, identify research hotspots, and emerging research topics.

METHOD

A systematic research landscape analysis was conducted using Scopus to retrieve articles on dual diagnosis of SUDs and MHDs. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied to focus on research articles published in English up to December 2022. Data were processed and mapped using VOSviewer to visualize research trends.

RESULTS

A total of 935 research articles were found. The number of research articles on has been increasing steadily since the mid-1990s, with a peak of publications between 2003 and 2012, followed by a fluctuating steady state from 2013 to 2022. The United States contributed the most articles (62.5%), followed by Canada (9.4%). The Journal of Dual Diagnosis, Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, and Mental Health and Substance Use Dual Diagnosis were the top active journals in the field. Key research hotspots include the comorbidity of SUDs and MHDs, treatment interventions, quality of life and functioning, epidemiology, and the implications of comorbidity. Emerging research topics include neurobiological and psychosocial aspects, environmental and sociocultural factors, innovative interventions, special populations, and public health implications.

CONCLUSIONS

The research landscape analysis provides valuable insights into dual diagnosis research trends, active countries, journals, and emerging topics. Integrated approaches, evidence-based interventions, and targeted policies are crucial for addressing the complex interplay between substance use and mental health disorders and improving patient outcomes.

Health through the eyes of youths: a qualitative study

Background

Emerging definitions of health have suggested a shift in focus to one's ability to manage their health condition, function, and social determinants of health. The construct of health for youths with mental health and substance use disorders (MHSU) is complex and multi-dimensional with interplay between biological, behavioral, and social conditions. Expanding definitions of health is crucial in the measurement of health and evaluation of integrated youth services (IYS) systems for people with MHSU disorders. Hence, it is critical to understand the construct of health from the perspective of a young person living with a MHSU disorder.

Methods

This study was conducted using inductive thematic analysis. Three focus groups were conducted from July to August 2017.

Results

A total of 22 youths (17-24 years) took part in this study. Results showed that health is a multidimensional construct situated in the ecosystem of a person's environment. Health can be understood from two macro themes: Individual health and Determinants of health. It consisted of physical health, mental health, day-to-day functioning, and being in control of your own health condition. Systemic and social factors were factors that influenced the state of health.

Conclusion

This study contributes to a conceptualization of good health in youth with MHSU disorders. This conceptualization can aid in the development of more accurate measures of health and functioning and the evaluation of mental health services for youth with MHSU.

Patterns of service utilization among youth with substance use service need: a cohort study

BACKGROUND

Integrated youth services (IYS) are vital to addressing the needs of youth who use substances. Evidence on the characteristics of youths accessing these services and the types of services accessed have been limited. The objectives were to identify sociodemographic, self-reported health and mental health, patterns of service utilization (service type and frequency of visits) among youths with different levels of substance use service needs (low, moderate, and high), and to estimate the extent to which substance use service needs, self-reported health and mental health influenced the frequency of visits and types of service utilized.

METHODS

Data were collected from youth (12-24 years) accessing IYS centres in Canada. Information on socio-demographic factors, substance use in the last month, self-rated health measures, number of service visits, and type of services utilized were included. Poisson regression was used to estimate the relationship between substance use needs and number of service visits and the different type of services utilized.

RESULTS

Of 6181 youths, 48.0% were categorized as low substance use service needs, 30.6% had moderate needs and 21.4% had high needs, with higher proportion of men in the high needs group. Mental health and substance use (MHSU) services were utilized the most across all three groups, followed by counseling. The median number of visits was 4 for the low and moderate needs group and 5 in the high needs group. People with high service needs had 10% higher rate of service visits and utilized 10% more services than people with low service needs (service visits: RR = 1.1 (95%CI: 1.1-1.2); service type: RR = 1.1 (95%CI:1.0-1.1)). The rate of service visits increased by 30 to 50% and the number of services increased by 10-20% for people who rated their health good/fair/poor. Similarly, the rate of service visits increased by 40 to 60% and the number of services increased by 20% for people who rated their mental health good/fair/poor.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPACTS

Our study highlighted that regardless of service needs, youth who use alcohol and drugs have complex intersecting needs that present once they access integrated youth services.

Becoming our young people’s case managers: caregivers’ experiences, needs, and ideas for improving opioid use treatments for young people using opioids

Background

Evidence continues to show that young people, ages 15-24, remain at significant risk of harms from non-medical opioid use and opioid use disorder (OUD), with experts calling for widespread implementation of developmentally-appropriate interventions. These recommendations include the involvement of caregivers in the prevention, early intervention, and treatment of young people using opioids. However, little research has investigated caregivers’ experiences supporting young people, leaving critical gaps in understanding this role. The aim of this study is to explore caregivers’ experiences accessing opioid use treatments with young people and their needs and ideas for improving such treatments.

Methods

This study reports qualitative findings from Phase 1 of the Improving Treatment Together project, a multi-phase, multi-site community-based participatory study broadly aimed at co-designing opioid use treatments to improve the experiences and outcomes of young people using non-medical opioids. During Phase 1, a total of 27 caregivers (parents, guardians) participated in full-day workshops that were conducted in three communities in British Columbia, Canada. Following human-centred co-design methods, caregivers engaged in small and large group discussions of their experiences, needs, and ideas for improving opioid use treatments for young people. Discussions were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and thematically analysed.

Results

Across communities, caregivers’ main experiences were defined as ‘becoming our young people’s case managers’ and ‘enduring a never-ending rollercoaster’. To improve these experiences, two needs themes were identified – expanding organizational and system-level capacity and wider-spread understanding of opioid use as a health issue. Caregivers brainstormed a total of 378 individual ideas to meet these needs, several of which spanned multiple needs themes.

Conclusions

Caregivers’ experiences, needs, and ideas reveal critical opportunities for improving the quality of interventions for opioid use among young people. This study represents a substantial contribution to the design and implementation of developmentally-appropriate and family-centred interventions for young people using opioids.

Early Posttherapy Opioid Prescription, Potential Misuse, and Substance Use Disorder Among Pediatric Cancer Survivors

BACKGROUND

Pediatric cancer survivors often have pain, which may be managed with opioids. We examined the prevalence of opioid prescriptions, potential misuse, and substance use disorders (SUDs) among pediatric cancer survivors during the first year posttherapy.

METHODS

Using MarketScan Commercial Database, we identified 8969 survivors (aged 21 years or younger at diagnosis) who completed cancer therapy in 2009-2018 and remained continuously enrolled for at least 1 year posttherapy and 44 845 age-, sex-, and region-matched enrollees without cancer as a comparison group. Outcomes included opioid prescriptions, any indicator of potential prescription opioid misuse, and SUDs within 1 year posttherapy. Outcomes were compared between survivors and noncancer peers in bivariate and adjusted analyses, stratified by off-therapy age (children: 0-11 years; adolescents: 12-17 years; young adults: 18-28 years). All statistical tests were 2-sided.

RESULTS

A higher proportion of survivors than noncancer peers filled opioid prescriptions (children: 12.7% vs 2.0%; adolescents: 22.9% vs 7.7%; young adults: 26.0% vs 11.9%). In models adjusting for sociodemographic factors and health status, survivors remained 74.4%-404.8% more likely than noncancer peer to fill opioid prescriptions (P < .001). The prevalence of potential misuse or SUDs was low, with 1.4% of child, 4.7% of adolescent, and 9.4% of young adult survivors fulfilling at least 1 criterion; however, it was higher than noncancer peers (0.1%, 1.4%, and 4.3%, respectively). In adjusted models, the likelihood of potential misuse among survivors remained at least 2 times higher than that among noncancer peers (P  < .001), and the difference in SUDs became nonstatistically significant.

CONCLUSION

Statistically significantly higher rates of opioid prescriptions and potential misuse were found among pediatric cancer survivors within 1 year posttherapy as compared with peers without cancer.