The treatment of adolescent drug and alcohol users: a matter to be discussed with adolescents?

Background: Alcohol and drug use has been growing in Brazil and abroad and has been considered a public health problem. A growing body of literature has contributed to prevention and treatment programs. Considering the particular characteristics of adolescents, different intervention strategies have been implemented and evaluated. Objectives: The goal of this study was to describe different intervention strategies and treatment programs, as well as the assessment procedures for measuring intervention effectiveness. Methods: This article presents a review of the scientific literature pertaining to the treatment of adolescent alcohol and drug users contained in the database Adolec and written during the period between 1997-2007. Results: Six articles were selected. They had some similarities in their use of assessment scales, toxicology testing to determine decrease in usage, and investment in brief intervention programs. The differences were found in the assessment three articles took into consideration the participant's satisfaction in the treatment program, and only one of these did not use specific scales to collect data. Conclusions: This article highlights the need to increase the amount of studies that detail intervention strategies and make replication possible. The study points to conceptual questions regarding adolescence and the need for participatory evaluation as important aspects in the process of implementing and evaluating programs specifically for adolescents.