Resistance in Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment: A Literature Synthesis

The resistance to treatment that is typical among substance abusers may be heightened for adolescents who are typically compelled into treatment and who are experiencing standard developmental issues. Very little research addresses resistance in substance abuse treatment, and even less focuses on resistance in treatment of adolescents. This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of recent literature on adolescent substance abuse treatment, highlighting strategies utilized to handle treatment resistance. The analysis includes a review of the literature on the conceptualization of resistance, current adolescent substance abuse treatment modalities, and a discussion of recent research and its implications for future studies of resistance in adolescent substance-abusing populations. (C) 2007 by The Haworth Press, Inc. All rights reserved.