Adapting Overdose Prevention Approaches for Youth

Adolescents and young adults from the ages of approximately 13 through 25 years have not been spared by the impact of the overdose crisis. In recent years, the youth overdose death rate has significantly increased while treatment engagement rates for youth have remained low. Many of the same approaches for reducing adult overdose, including overdose prevention, medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), treatment of co-occurring mental health disorders, and harm reduction, are relevant for youth but must be adapted to be developmentally responsive. The lack of treatment providers who can care for youth with developmentally responsive prevention and treatment services contributes to this groups’ poor engagement in care.

In this session, experts in youth substance use will share potential clinical and policy strategies to mitigate the overdose epidemic in youth. Presenters first will review the latest epidemiology about youth opioid use, overdose, and age disparities in access to treatment. They then will describe the evidence for MOUD and naloxone in this age group and highlight opportunities to engage youth in different settings, including primary care, schools, emergency departments, and the community. They will end by discussing potential policy-level solutions to reduce the treatment gap for youth. Presenters will use case-based examples and provide recent innovations in youth treatment to guide participants in a discussion about how to work with and advocate for evidence-based care for youth and their families. Participants will feel empowered to bring lessons learned back to their communities.