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Gender‐responsive considerations for substance‐using adolescent girls
Author(s) -
Thamotharan Sneha,
Conrad Selby
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
the brown university child and adolescent behavior letter
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1556-7575
pISSN - 1058-1073
DOI - 10.1002/cbl.30085
Subject(s) - substance use , psychology , substance abuse , adolescent health , psychiatry , interpersonal communication , perception , monitoring the future , developmental psychology , clinical psychology , medicine , social psychology , nursing , neuroscience
The abuse of tobacco, alcohol, and illicit substances continues to be a leading cause of death and disability among youth and places a significant strain on our nation, with costs related to crime, lost work productivity, and health care exceeding more than $700 billion annually. Substance use is a growing health concern among adolescent girls, who are beginning to surpass boys in their use. For instance, early‐adolescent girls drink alcohol and use inhalants and stimulants more than boys. Additionally, girls have different pathways to substance use than boys, including the perception of potential benefits such as “self‐medicating” to deal with problems, to forget past traumatic experiences, and to relieve stress related to interpersonal relationships.