Contemporary issue teenagers face today.

Introduction

This is a volatile time, and there are several issues facing teens today that the previous generations did not deal with. Technological advancements and the rise of social media have contributed to a change in the manner in which young people interact with one another, learn and receive information. Contemporary issue teenagers face today.

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Underage use of illegal drugs and drinking remains a problem for teens today. The paper addresses adolescent substance use as a contemporary issue teenagers face today and its impact of o adolescent overall well-being and behavior

Adolescent substance use and external factors associated with the issue

Adolescent substance use is a public health crisis in the United States and across the globe. The most common substances that adolescents use include marijuana, nicotine, alcohol, and cigarettes. Adolescents who use these substances are at higher risk of negative mental health, educational and psychosocial outcomes. Kingston et al. 2017). The use of substances among adolescents and teens is a result of numerous psychological factors. According to Kingston et al. (2017), external stressors associated with adolescent substance use include low academic achievement, low self-esteem, monitoring, family problems, and close friends’ approval of use.  Adolescents’ decision to use drugs or alcohol happens impulsively when the substance is availed to them and they use the substances in order to fit in with people/ friends who offer them substances. Contemporary issue teenagers face today.

Assessment strategies to screen for this issue and external stressors during an assessment for an adolescent patient

When a clinician encounters an adolescent known to have or suspected of a substance use problem, it is crucial to integrate the process of assessment with treatment decisions.  The initial stage entails efficiently identifying substance use and related problems/ stressors, psychiatric comorbidity, along psychosocial maladjustment. This is achievable by the utilization of screening instruments as a brief initial step for the evaluation of the use of drugs before moving, if need be, to the second step of comprehensively assessing the problem severity after it has been established that the adolescent might meet the criteria for a  substance use disorder(Bivin  & Riaz, 2017).Contemporary issue teenagers face today.

Additional assessment questions you would need to ask and ethical parameters regarding what I can and cannot share with the parent or guardian

Additional assessment questions that I would need to ask include asking the client if they use drugs or alcohol to relax,  feel better, change their mood or fit in, and if they use drugs or alcohol alone or in the company of their peers. I would also ask the client if they had flashbacks or blackouts as a result of substance use, if they use two or more drugs at a time, and if they are always capable of stopping using alcohol or drugs when they want. Contemporary issue teenagers face today.

Confidentiality is one of the major tenets of adolescent care and it is a crucial element of building or rapport and formation of a therapeutic alliance. According to Welsh and  Hadland (2019),   the information that the minor shares with the clinician must be kept confidential unless it involves harm or safety of the patient of other minors, in which case it must be right away disclosed to a guardian or parent.

Support options for adolescents encountering external stressors. School and community-education and skills training are support options for adolescents encountering external stressors. The problem of adolescent substance use can be alleviated by education programs and skills training for adolescents in school and community settings. Contemporary issue teenagers face today. Adolescents can be taught personal and social skills to help avoid substance use, such as methods of dealing with stress, problem-solving and decision making, as well as methods to improve self-control and techniques to resist peer influences. Onrust (2016) alleges that training adolescents on basic skills such as self-control, problem-solving, and decision-making skills can equip adolescents with the skills they need to overcome peer pressure. Also,   providing health education on the way substance use interferes with one’s health and well-being and personal goals is a strategy of preventing substance use among adolescents. Contemporary issue teenagers face today.

Conclusion

Adolescent substance use is a serious public health problem that negatively affects mental health, educational and psychosocial outcomes. Stressors associated with adolescent substance use include low academic achievement, peer pressure, and family problems.  The issue of adolescent substance use can be alleviated by education programs and skills training for adolescents in school and community settings. Contemporary issue teenagers face today.