About this Research Topic

Background

Many nations have experienced recent epidemics in substance use disorders, such as misuse of psychostimulants (e.g., European and Middle Eastern countries) or opioids (e.g., United States), where there also have been co-occurring epidemics in mental health. These trends have disproportionately impacted adolescents and young adults. Manuscripts are sought that report novel evidence from adolescents to shed light on: treatment or prevention strategies that improve outcomes of both conditions, mechanisms by which substance use may exacerbate mental health symptoms, or pathways whereby mental health problems potentiate substance use problems. Of particular interest is evidence with strong causal implications between mental health symptoms and substance misuse such as might be derived from randomized controlled trials or longitudinal etiology studies. Manuscripts are preferred that report on more prevalent mental health problems that tend to emerge during adolescence (e.g., depression or anxiety symptoms are preferred compared to psychosis) as well as reports of data from countries for which little evidence is currently published.

Evidence has long demonstrated that substance misuse and consequent disorders are correlates of and likely exacerbate many mental health diagnoses as well as the reverse causal directionality (e.g., self medicating with drugs in response to emotional anguish). However, extant research is far from fully delineating the (1) directionality among these associations, (2) nuances among specific mental health diagnoses or forms of substance use, or (3) their cross lagged effects or mechanisms that could be targeted to improve treatment outcomes. Despite the well-established co-occurrences of mental illnesses and substance use disorders, these conditions are frequently treated using sequestered services (which can be a barrier to successful outcomes) rather than as coordinated and complementary treatment regimens. It is hoped that by delineating linkages and illuminating novel potential targets of intervention strategies, both mental health can be improved and substance misuse can be reduced by informing ways to augment existing programs through synergistic treatment of these frequently co-occurring conditions.

This Special Issue is intended to stimulate progress toward novel evidence-based treatment and/or prevention for adolescents that both improves mental health and reduces substance misuse, including evidence from novel settings such as countries from which little data have been published. Examples of study topics sought for this issue include reports of evidence regarding (1) outcomes of a novel treatment, prevention program, or strategy (e.g., implementation) that improves both mental health and substance use; (2) vulnerabilities or resiliencies that are common to or serve as a mechanism linking mental health and substance misuse progressions; or (3) subtypes of adolescents whose mental health symptoms are reduced following treatment for substance use disorder or vice versa. Manuscripts will be prioritized which report evidence that (1) has direct potential to improve treatment or prevention intervention, (2) adds qualitatively new information to the existing research literature, and (3) follows rigorous methodologies. Examples of the types of acceptable study designs include randomized or idiographic clinical trials, etiology studies that yield strong causal implications (e.g., evidence of Granger causality), neuroimaging, and meta-analyses. Examples of manuscripts that will be considered non-responsive to this call for papers include policy-related research that lacks outcomes-related evidence, reports that are strictly limited to advancing methodology, and manuscripts that are limited to reports of prevalence or incidence rates.

Keywords: Adolescence, mental health, substance use, treatment, etiology

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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