ABSTRACT
Student-athletes have historically been profiled as a high-risk population for problematic substance use. Although hazardous drug and alcohol use is not specific to this demographic, student-athletes pose a unique set of clinical considerations when assessing and treating disruptive substance use behaviors. Unfortunately, within the subset of sport psychology addressing substance misuse, a dearth of research targeting service delivery and treatment persists, making “best practices” difficult to identify with certainty. Limited work has been done in adapting empirically supported treatment approaches, such as motivational interviewing and cognitive-behavioral therapies for substance use, to the student-athlete demographic. Instead, exploration around generalized interventions targeting substance use norm perceptions comprise most tested interventions to date. The current chapter provides an overview of social norm feedback campaigns applied to student-athletes and reviews therapeutic processes promoting productive relationships between practitioners and the athletes with whom they work. Additionally, family-based therapy (FBT) is highlighted as an empirically supported behavioral treatment that has undergone modifications enhancing its utility among athletes.
