Preventing adolescent substance use disorder: a systematic review of community-based practices and social work implications

BackgroundStudies on substance use among adolescents have increased in social work literature. However, preventive interventions in this area are not well documented.MethodsThe present article systematically reviews 17 studies conducted between January 2000 and May 2023 on community-based interventions to prevent substance use disorders among adolescents. All the studied samples were under 18 and mostly between 10 to 14 years old.ResultsMost of the interventions were at school and home and were done simultaneously with parents and teenagers. Fourteen studies showed the effectiveness of the programs.ConclusionOverall, studies recommended developing community-based practices considering various populations, such as immigrant adolescents, to prevent adolescent substance use.