Psychological treatment of adolescent substance abusers:. A review

Alcohol and drug abuse among youth has become a major national concern. Psychological treatment strategies reported in the literature that have been used with adolescent substance abusers include five approaches: (a) behavior therapy, (b) skills training, (c) reality therapy, (d) psychodynamic therapy, and (e) family therapy. A limited number of studies have evaluated these treatments. Behavior therapy, skills training, and family therapy approaches show some evidence of effectiveness. However, most studies had methodological flaws.