Relationship between self-care inquiry and stress levels in adolescents with substance use disorders

Abstract

Adolescents living with substance use disorders are presented with many challenges when confronted with the reality of recovery from addiction. Despite numerous interventions used to assist adolescents seeking rehabilitation, few interventions focus on everyday stressors or triggers that contribute to substance use. Research has shown that stress significantly impacts substance use. This study evaluates whether inquiring about self-care strategies for adolescents seeking recovery from a substance use disorder will reduce stress levels, thus improving the chances of adolescents maintaining recovery. Adolescents participating in outpatient treatment at a recovery facility were recruited for this study. They were asked to fill out surveys once a week for four weeks about their level of stress and self-care activities. Due to several unforeseen circumstances, the nature of this study became a feasibility study in which clear barriers and recommendations for future research are addressed.