Assessment Description
Research the range of contemporary issues teenagers face today. In a 500-750-word paper, choose one issue (besides teen pregnancy) and discuss its effect on adolescent behavior and overall well-being. Include the following in your submission:
1. Describe the contemporary issue and explain what external stressors are associated with this issue.
2. Outline assessment strategies to screen for this issue and external stressors during an assessment for an adolescent patient. Describe what additional assessment questions you would need to ask and define the ethical parameters regarding what you can and cannot share with the parent or guardian.
3. Discuss support options for adolescents encountering external stressors. Include specific support options for the contemporary issue you presented.
You are required to cite a minimum of three peer-reviewed sources to complete this assignment. Sources must be published within the last 5 years, appropriate for the assignment criteria, and relevant to nursing practice.
Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.
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Adolescence: Contemporary Issues and Resources
Adolescent Contemporary Issues and Resources
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Adolescent Contemporary Issues and Resources
Adolescents face a lot of challenges including changes in the contemporary world that needs to be keenly looked at and addressed. This can be attributed to the challenging environment in which they are raised and need to figure out and cope with. With the curiosity that is an inseparable part of adolescence, they try some of these things that may be dangerous to their lives and end up getting stuck in them (Desilver, 2019). One of such negative social behaviors that affect teenagers is drug abuse.
There is a significant decline in drug abuse among teenagers compared to the previous statistics thought the current number is still significantly large. According to the University of Michigan’s long-running Monitoring the Future survey as reported by Desilver (2019), 30.2% of 12th-graders and 18.6% of 10th-graders had consumed alcohol in the past 30 days in 2018. This was a decline from 52% and 38.8%, respectively in the last two decades.
Some of the factors that are attributed to the misuse of drugs among teens are the ease of accessibility to substances, such as alcohol and cigarettes. A desire for social acceptance and insecurities associated with adolescence and exacerbated by peer pressure contributes largely to the continued use of these substances (Desilver 2019). Some of the risks factors for drug abuse are A family history of substance abuse and an environment of lawlessness and drug abuse.
There are various strategies for assessing drug abuse among teenagers. For instance, the American Addition Center had developed a Substance Abuse Self-Assessment with questions that can be used to make an accurate decision. It consists of 11 yes or no questions that are designed to be used
as an informational tool to assess the severity and probability of a substance use disorder (Crouch, 2019). For instance, one can ask “Am I Addicted?” Other commonly used screening tools are the CRAFFT and the Personal Experience Screening Questionnaire (PESQ) (Crouch, 2019). Some questions such as “do you feel your parents are the reason for your addiction and would want to leave home?” may seem sensitive to the adolescents and should not be asked in the presence of a parent. In such cases, the parent may ethically be denied the right to decide for the teenager if they want to leave home or not (Crouch, 2019).
Various support options can be implemented to health teenagers overcome the issue of drug abuse. Treatment centers can be established for teens to target the emotional and social issues that led to their drug use. These centers can support these teens by organizing education forums for them to teach them the dangers of drug abuse and how to avoid them (Kristjansson et al., 2020). Those who are in recovery can also benefit from these programs to continue their classes and ensure that they are not left behind. Support can also be given in form of Parent or family engagement, Family support, Parental disapproval of substance use, Parental monitoring, and School Connectedness (Kristjansson et al., 2020). Such options are effective in mitigating the impacts of risk factors of drug abuse.
Drug abuse is a huge problem in society that extends to adolescents. The problem should be urgently addressed, particularly among teenagers to ensure that they do not ruin their lives at such an early age. This should be a combined effort between parents, government officials and institutions, care providers, and members of the population. Adolescents should as well strive to ensure that they do not indulge in such practices that can jeopardize, and health and future..
References
Crouch, J. (2019). Improving Identification of Adolescents at Risk for Substance Use Disorders.
Desilver, D. (2019). The concerns and challenges of being a U.S. teen: What the data show. Pew Research Center. https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/02/26/the-concerns-and-challenges-of-being-a-u-s-teen-what-the-data-show/
Kristjansson, A. L., Mann, M. J., Sigfusson, J., Thorisdottir, I. E., Allegrante, J. P., & Sigfusdottir, I. D. (2020). Development and guiding principles of the Icelandic model for preventing adolescent substance use. Health promotion practice, 21(1), 62-69.