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Cited by 35Substance Abuse Treatment and OutcomesOpioid Use Disorder TreatmentPsychotherapy Techniques and Applications

Investigating interventions that lead to the highest treatment retention for emerging adults with substance use disorder: A systematic review

Dalton, Kathryn, Bishop, Lisa, Darcy, Stephen·2021·Addictive Behaviors
DOI 10.1016/j.addbeh.2021.107005
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Abstract

Background and aims Emerging adults (age 18-25) have the highest rate of substance use disorders (SUD) and often drop out of treatment earlier than those age twenty six or older. In order to increase treatment retention in emerging adults, there needs to be a better understanding of which SUD treatment interventions work best for this population. The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate treatment interventions for emerging adults with SUD and identify which interventions show promise for retention in treatment.Methods Following the PRISMA guidelines, Medline, PsycInfo, CINAHL (all via EBSCO), and Embase were systematically searched for articles that evaluated treatment interventions for emerging adults with SUD. From here, the authors identified treatment interventions that showed promise for retention in treatment.Results Nine studies were included. The main findings indicate (1) behavioral therapy such as cognitive behavioral therapy and contingency management for cannabis and alcohol use disorders, or (2) cognitive behavioral therapy paired with opioid-agonist-therapy for opioid use disorder demonstrate the most promise for retention in treatment.Conclusion The interventions identified that show promise for emerging adults was similar to studies evaluating interventions for all ages. Given that retention rates are often lower in emerging adults despite the application of the full range of effective adult treatments, this review suggests they may require something different. While further studies are warranted to determine with more certainty what works best to keep emerging adults in treatment, some tentative suggestions are included.

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  • Prescription amphetamine formulations are FDA-approved for the treatment of ADHD and narcolepsy.

    “Prescription amphetamine formulations are FDA-approved for the treatment of ADHD and narcolepsy.”

    From The ASAM/AAAP Clinical Practice Guideline on the Management of Stimulant Use Disorder (2024) · cites this paper as [141]

  • Prescription amphetamine formulations increase dopamine and norepinephrine signaling by increasing the release and inhibiting the reuptake of these neurotransmitters.

    “These medications increase dopamine and norepinephrine signaling by increasing the release and inhibiting the reuptake of these neurotransmitters.141”

    From The ASAM/AAAP Clinical Practice Guideline on the Management of Stimulant Use Disorder (2024) · cites this paper as [141]

  • Specific to emerging adults, existing research has shown potential benefits from cognitive-behavioural and motivational interventions, integrated mental health and substance use treatment, and higher emerging adult retention when programs include CBT.

    “Specific to emerging adults, though limited, existing research has shown potential benefits from cognitive-behavioural and motivational interventions, integrated mental health and substance use treatment, and higher emerging adult retention when programs include CBT (6, 48, 49).”

    From Initial insights from a quality improvement initiative to develop an evidence-informed young adult substance use program (2022) · cites this paper as [49]

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Authors
Dalton, K., Bishop, L., & Darcy, S.
Affiliations
Memorial University of Newfoundland (CA)
Corresponding author
Dalton, Kathryn
ORCID
Venue
Addictive Behaviors
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2021-11
Volume
122
Pages
107005
ISSN
0306-4603 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1016/j.addbeh.2021.107005
OpenAlex
W3166090486
Cited by
35
References
40
Citations by year
2026: 10 · 2025: 9 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 2
FWCI
0.61
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
Locations
  • Addictive Behaviors (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Opioid Use Disorder Treatment
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications
Keywords
emerging adults, substance use disorders, treatment retention, treatment discontinuation, cognitive behavioral therapy, contingency management, opioid substitution therapy, cannabis use disorder, alcoholism, opioid use disorder, behavior therapy
MeSH terms
Adolescent, Adult, Alcoholism, Behavior Therapy, Humans, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Treatment Outcome, Substance-Related Disorders, Young Adult

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