|
|
 |
 | ||
|
|
| ||
 |
Research |
|
|
|
|
The Center for Adolescent Substance Abuse Research (CeASAR) at Children's Hospital Boston was created as a national research center committed to reducing substance abuse and related disorders in children and adolescents.
|
|
|
|
|
|
CeASAR strives to be the leading source of new discoveries in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of substance-related disorders in children and adolescents.
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Adolescent Substance Abuse Program (ASAP) offers brief diagnostic and therapeutic interventions, including abstinence challenges and toxicology screens, for substance-using adolescents. For adolescents in a time of crisis, we provide triage appointments during which a physician conducts a brief interview, offers short term treatment planning, and arranges for a more comprehensive evaluation. For adolescents who require a more intensive assessment, we provide full diagnostic appointments. During these visits, the adolescent and family members meet individually with both a developmental-behavioral pediatrician and a child psychiatrist, and receive a comprehensive evaluation. ASAP sees patients at the main hospital on Thursdays.
|
|
|
|
|
|
CeASAR is developing evidence-based strategies for medical care providers to identify adolescent substance use early on and intervene before serious harm results. We currently have six research studies investigating multiple issues regarding adolescent substance abuse:
|
|
|
- The CRAFFT Validation Study aims to determine the psychometric properties of a new screening test for identifying adolescent substance abuse in the medical office. Data from the 540 participants have been analyzed, and results should be published soon.
- The CRAFFT Treatment Study is a stage 1a behavioral therapy development project, whose aim is to discover a new, brief counseling approach for managing adolescent alcohol and drug use in the medical office. As part of this study, patients who screen positive on the CRAFFT test are asked participate in a brief office intervention with a designated provider.
- Spirituality and Alcohol Use in Adolescents aims to determine which aspects of religiosity and spirituality are associated with lower rates of alcohol use and alcohol disorders among adolescents. It also examines existing measures of religiosity and spirituality in an adolescent population. Patients who agree to participate have a brief interview with a research assistant, and then fill out several questionnaires. Participants are recruited from the Adolescent Clinics at Children's Hospital, Martha Eliot Health Center and New England Medical Center.
- The Massachusetts College Alcohol Study seeks to investigate and evaluate the process and outcomes of implementing a new alcohol policy at 11 Massachusetts state public colleges and universities. Through focus groups, student and administrative surveys and interviews, the study has gathered data about the new policies over two years. The data are currently being analyzed, and results are expected soon.
- Parental Alcohol Use study assesses parents' reactions to being asked questions about alcohol use and their preferences for how their child's clinician should respond if they have an alcohol problem. Data are currently being analyzed and we expect to publish results shortly.
- The objective of the Home Drug Testing Policies study is to conceptualize the risks and benefits of parents using home drug testing kits and creating home drug testing policies with their adolescent children.
|
|
|
|
CeASAR is a reliable and available source of the latest information on medical management of adolescent alcohol and drug problems. We have a Speaker's Bureau of five clinicians who specialize in the management of adolescent substance abuse. We present at local, regional and national engagements, including Pediatric Grand Rounds at area hospitals, Harvard Medical School Division on Addictions medical education seminars, and public school administrator conferences.
|
|
|
|
For more information on our Center, we encourage you to visit our website.
|
|
|
|
|
|
