The study of adolescent alcohol abuse relapse prevention is an area that became popularized in the mid-1990s when it became clear that adolescent drinking was on the rise. Alcohol is often the drug of choice for pre-teens due to its easy accessibility in the average home.
Adolescent alcohol abusers often feel isolated
Research Direction
Adolescent alcoholics, much like adult alcoholics, must have powerful personal incentive in order to stay sober. According to a 1994 study by Brown & Vik, 50% of all adolescents studied relapsed within the first three months following treatment for alcohol or marijuana abuse. One thing that most researchers agree on is that long-term rehabilitation is both needed and too costly to be practical for most families. Current research impetus is focused on finding a short-term, affordable solution.
Isolation
Findings from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism suggest that one difficulty in preventing adolescent alcohol abuse relapse is the strained family relationships that go hand in hand with the problem. The adolescent withdraws from the family and often gets in trouble at school and at home, resulting in alienation from his support system. The most successful treatment plans rely on family and community efforts to monitor behavior and reinforce positive progress in order to rebuild the adolescent self-esteem and strengthen his resolve. Unfortunately, by the time treatment comes into play, relationships with family, teachers and positive influences are often disrupted to the point of near estrangement, and the child is left with only the negative influences who make up his social strata.
Risk Factors
Any child is potentially at risk for alcohol dependence due to outside influences from peers and societal environment, but family history plays a significant role, particularly in cases where interaction with an alcoholic parent leads to an unstable home environment. Older siblings also play a role in influencing adolescent drinking.
Multi-pronged Approach
Research shows that effective prevention of adolescent alcohol abuse relapse requires a multi-pronged approach involving motivating the user, ongoing therapy, problem solving and coping strategies, plus efforts by family, school, friends and community to aid and support the child's decision to stay sober. Kids start drinking for many reasons, including a need to fit in or seem cool, low self-esteem and escapism from real or perceived misery. In order to be effective, a treatment program must address the root cause and change the environmental factors that helped to foster the problem.
Potential for Success
The study of adolescent alcohol abuse relapse prevention has collected a great deal of information, but often results in more questions than answers, including some question about what constitutes a successful treatment outcome in adolescents. The good news is that extended research from the same sources shows a tendency for many adolescents with alcohol abuse problems to outgrow them by age 22.
Tags: alcohol abuse, abuse relapse, adolescent alcohol abuse, alcohol abuse relapse, abuse relapse prevention, adolescent alcohol, adolescent drinking