TY - JOUR
T1 - Medical Conditions of Adolescents in Alcohol and Drug Treatment
T2 - Comparison with Matched Controls
AU - Mertens, Jennifer R.
AU - Flisher, Alan J.
AU - Fleming, Michael F.
AU - Weisner, Constance M.
N1 - Funding Information:
Research supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. We would like to thank the counselors, therapists and program directors of the adolescent CD programs for their support of the project, and recruiters Georgina Berrios, Melanie Jackson-Morris, Carolynn Kohn, Cynthia Perry-Baker, and Sandra Wolters. Thanks also to Agatha Hinman for project coordination and editorial assistance.
PY - 2007/2
Y1 - 2007/2
N2 - Purpose: Alcohol and drug problems are associated with medical problems among adults. Research on the relationship of adolescent alcohol and drug use disorders to specific medical problems is less developed and focused on acute consequences. This study addresses gaps in the literature regarding medical comorbidities in adolescents with alcohol and drug use disorders. Methods: This study compares the prevalence of medical conditions among 417 adolescent alcohol and drug treatment patients with 2082 demographically matched controls from the same managed care health plan and examines whether comparisons vary among substance-type subgroups. Results: Approximately one-fourth of the comorbid conditions examined were more common among adolescent alcohol and drug patients than among matched controls, and several were highly costly conditions (e.g., asthma, injury). We also found that pain-related diagnoses, including headache and abdominal pain, were more prevalent among alcohol and drug patients. Conclusions: Our findings point to the importance of examining comorbid medical and chemical dependency in both adolescent primary care and specialty care. Moreover, optimal treatment of many common medical disorders may require identification, intervention, and treatment of a substance use problem.
AB - Purpose: Alcohol and drug problems are associated with medical problems among adults. Research on the relationship of adolescent alcohol and drug use disorders to specific medical problems is less developed and focused on acute consequences. This study addresses gaps in the literature regarding medical comorbidities in adolescents with alcohol and drug use disorders. Methods: This study compares the prevalence of medical conditions among 417 adolescent alcohol and drug treatment patients with 2082 demographically matched controls from the same managed care health plan and examines whether comparisons vary among substance-type subgroups. Results: Approximately one-fourth of the comorbid conditions examined were more common among adolescent alcohol and drug patients than among matched controls, and several were highly costly conditions (e.g., asthma, injury). We also found that pain-related diagnoses, including headache and abdominal pain, were more prevalent among alcohol and drug patients. Conclusions: Our findings point to the importance of examining comorbid medical and chemical dependency in both adolescent primary care and specialty care. Moreover, optimal treatment of many common medical disorders may require identification, intervention, and treatment of a substance use problem.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2006.09.021
DO - 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2006.09.021
M3 - Article
C2 - 17259058
AN - SCOPUS:33846430576
SN - 1054-139X
VL - 40
SP - 173
EP - 179
JO - Journal of Adolescent Health
JF - Journal of Adolescent Health
IS - 2
ER -
