Addressing Stigma in Medication Treatment of Adolescents With Opioid Use Disorder

J Addict Med. 2017 Nov/Dec;11(6):415-416. doi: 10.1097/ADM.0000000000000348.

Abstract

: In September 2016, the American Academic of Pediatrics released a policy statement that adolescents with opioid use disorder should be offered pharmacotherapy with buprenorphine/naloxone, methadone, or naltrexone. In our clinical practice, however, we have encountered the perception among patients, families, and clinicians alike that medications should be used as a last resort. That we should wait until things get worse is a discarded approach. As addiction specialists, it is imperative that we prevent and identify risky use and use disorders, then intervene early and offer timely, evidence-based treatment. We suggest that adolescents deserve special attention and that specific efforts should be made to reduce the stigma associated with treating adolescents with opioid use disorder with medications to optimize those efforts.

Publication types

  • Editorial

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adolescent Behavior / psychology*
  • Humans
  • Opiate Substitution Treatment / psychology*
  • Opioid-Related Disorders / drug therapy*
  • Social Stigma*