Family Involvement and Success in Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment
Literature Review
Social Work Practicum Class II
University of Northern Iowa
Ashley Knerr
Adolescents face various struggles every day. Some of these struggles, such as substance use and behavioral struggles, lead them to being placed in a treatment setting. Today’s youth are living in a world where illegal substances are more accessible. Therefore, experimentation of these substances is also becoming more common. These substances include marijuana, alcohol, opiates, psychedelic mushrooms, prescription medications, and methamphetamines to name a few (Schlauch, et al., 2013). When an adolescent finds themselves addicted and losing themselves within the addiction, …show more content…
Often times, the counselor meets with their patient on a regular basis to talk about their use, their relationships, setting boundaries, and relapse prevention. Another area of focus is on the patient’s cognitive thoughts. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a form of counseling that is often used to evaluate one’s mind frame. When working with addiction, CBT is how one works to fight the thoughts that their addiction might give as they work on sobriety as well as their own thoughts about why they need to use (Liddle, et al., 2013). Through this evaluation, one learns how to continue without the use of substances. In the study by Liddle, et al. (2013), they evaluated CBT therapy and found that often the therapy is good for the person while they are in treatment. However, the results are not sustained for a period of time after treatment. While CBT is essential for adolescents to use while in treatment, it is also important for the family to learn about how the adolescent thinks, what their triggers are and the steps that they can take to work with the adolescent on relapse prevention. This is where the Area Substance Abuse Council incorporates their family group. The topics of these groups revolve around the way the adolescent thinks, identifying triggers and high risk situations and how addiction works overall (CD+ Youth Residential, 2016). With both the individual and the family …show more content…
MDFT is a form of therapy that involves the family for at least some of the sessions. They often work on family relations, interactions, involvement, parental monitoring, and warmth. Two of these areas, parental monitoring and parental warmth, have been highly recognized to impact patients that are in treatment. Both areas involve attention being paid to the child to let them know what is going on, setting boundaries and expectations for them, and allowing them to understand that you are there if they need you (Bertrand, et al., 2013). MDFT works to increase these interactions and guide the parents to better understand what changes can be made on their end to assist the adolescent in treatment, rather than enable their use. In the Liddle, et al. (2013) study, they found MDFT to be beneficial to clients. It demonstrated that the effects of the therapy caused a decrease in substance use for individuals in
Literature Review
Social Work Practicum Class II
University of Northern Iowa
Ashley Knerr
Adolescents face various struggles every day. Some of these struggles, such as substance use and behavioral struggles, lead them to being placed in a treatment setting. Today’s youth are living in a world where illegal substances are more accessible. Therefore, experimentation of these substances is also becoming more common. These substances include marijuana, alcohol, opiates, psychedelic mushrooms, prescription medications, and methamphetamines to name a few (Schlauch, et al., 2013). When an adolescent finds themselves addicted and losing themselves within the addiction, …show more content…
Often times, the counselor meets with their patient on a regular basis to talk about their use, their relationships, setting boundaries, and relapse prevention. Another area of focus is on the patient’s cognitive thoughts. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a form of counseling that is often used to evaluate one’s mind frame. When working with addiction, CBT is how one works to fight the thoughts that their addiction might give as they work on sobriety as well as their own thoughts about why they need to use (Liddle, et al., 2013). Through this evaluation, one learns how to continue without the use of substances. In the study by Liddle, et al. (2013), they evaluated CBT therapy and found that often the therapy is good for the person while they are in treatment. However, the results are not sustained for a period of time after treatment. While CBT is essential for adolescents to use while in treatment, it is also important for the family to learn about how the adolescent thinks, what their triggers are and the steps that they can take to work with the adolescent on relapse prevention. This is where the Area Substance Abuse Council incorporates their family group. The topics of these groups revolve around the way the adolescent thinks, identifying triggers and high risk situations and how addiction works overall (CD+ Youth Residential, 2016). With both the individual and the family …show more content…
MDFT is a form of therapy that involves the family for at least some of the sessions. They often work on family relations, interactions, involvement, parental monitoring, and warmth. Two of these areas, parental monitoring and parental warmth, have been highly recognized to impact patients that are in treatment. Both areas involve attention being paid to the child to let them know what is going on, setting boundaries and expectations for them, and allowing them to understand that you are there if they need you (Bertrand, et al., 2013). MDFT works to increase these interactions and guide the parents to better understand what changes can be made on their end to assist the adolescent in treatment, rather than enable their use. In the Liddle, et al. (2013) study, they found MDFT to be beneficial to clients. It demonstrated that the effects of the therapy caused a decrease in substance use for individuals in