Yeh Jasper, Modrowski Crosby, Aguirre Isabel, Portis Samantha, Miranda Robert, Pielech Melissa
Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, 121 South Main Street, Providence, RI 02903, USA.
Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, 222 Richmond Street, Providence, RI 02903, USA.
Children (Basel). 2025 Jul 2;12(7):876. doi: 10.3390/children12070876.
Rates of receiving opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment among adolescents and young adults (AYA) aged 16-25 are low. The current study qualitatively analyzed informants' perspectives regarding the availability of, developmental considerations relevant to, and barriers associated with OUD treatment for AYA. : Thirty key informants involved with OUD treatment in the northeastern United States completed individual, semi-structured interviews, including treatment providers (N = 11) and clinic leaders in programs that provide medication and psychosocial treatments for AYA with OUD (N = 10), as well as opioid-related policymakers (N = 6) and patient advocates (N = 3). Interviews were transcribed and independently double coded. Template-style thematic analysis methods were used and revealed seven themes. : The first theme highlighted limited treatment program availability for adolescents (aged < 18 years) with OUD. Four themes related to developmentally optimizing OUD treatment for AYA, describing the importance of caregiver involvement, AYA peer connections, wraparound services, and early intervention. Two themes described barriers to AYA OUD treatment, including stigma and knowledge gaps about medications for OUD as well as deficits in AYA's access to basic resources (e.g., housing, food security) that prohibit effective participation in treatment. : Results highlight concerns from systems-level key informants regarding gaps in OUD treatment options for youth under the age of 18 and a high need for OUD treatment that is developmentally tailored to AYA. Findings point toward potential modifications and additions to existing adult treatment programs to make OUD treatment more accessible, relevant, and engaging for AYA.
16至25岁的青少年和青年成年人中，接受阿片类物质使用障碍（OUD）治疗的比例较低。本研究对受访者关于青少年和青年成年人OUD治疗的可及性、相关发育因素及障碍的观点进行了定性分析。在美国东北部参与OUD治疗的30名关键受访者完成了个人半结构化访谈，包括治疗提供者（N = 11）、为患有OUD的青少年和青年成年人提供药物及心理社会治疗项目的诊所负责人（N = 10）、与阿片类物质相关的政策制定者（N = 6）以及患者权益倡导者（N = 3）。访谈内容被转录并独立进行双重编码。采用模板式主题分析方法，揭示了七个主题。第一个主题强调患有OUD的青少年（年龄<18岁）的治疗项目可及性有限。四个主题与对青少年和青年成年人OUD治疗进行发育优化相关，描述了照顾者参与、青少年和青年成年人同伴联系、综合服务及早期干预的重要性。两个主题描述了青少年和青年成年人OUD治疗的障碍，包括对OUD药物的污名化和知识差距，以及青少年和青年成年人获取基本资源（如住房、食品安全）的不足，这些不足阻碍了他们有效参与治疗。研究结果凸显了系统层面关键受访者对18岁以下青少年OUD治疗选择差距的担忧，以及对针对青少年和青年成年人进行发育定制的OUD治疗的高度需求。研究结果指出了对现有成人治疗项目进行潜在修改和补充的方向，以使OUD治疗对青少年和青年成年人更易获得、更相关且更具吸引力。
