ABSTRACT
A survey of 120 adolescent drug treatment units in the USA, published in 2005, showed that, although screening was taking place, it was often with tools developed in-house with no indication of their validity or reliability or with tools designed for populations other than young people. This chapter identifies appropriate screening instruments for use with young people. Using screening tools is acknowledged to be instrumental in identifying adolescent substance use early and reducing the impact of alcohol use with respect to young people developing further problems related to their continuing to use. Screening is a route towards identification, assessment and treatment. Screening tools should be both age- and culture-appropriate. The value of screening for substance use disorders in adolescents in settings, such as mental health services, paediatric services and emergency medicine clinics, has been reviewed in a number of studies.
