Mindfulness Training to Reduce Substance Abuse in Adolescent Trauma Survivors

Rates of adolescent substance use and abuse (SUA) are noteworthy in America. A national survey of drug use [1] found that an estimated 50% of adolescents in the United States have used illegal drugs before leaving high school. About 25% report having used drugs other than marijuana, such as cocaine, ecstasy, or hallucinogens. Although SUA continues to decline, more than 20% of high school seniors endorsed binge drinking within the previous two weeks (Johnston et al., 2014) [1]. Rates of adolescent victimization and interpersonal violence in the United States are also high and SUA is even more common among traumatized adolescents. For example, those with a history of physical or sexual victimization are three times more likely to report past or current substance abuse than those without a history of trauma (Kilpatrick, Saunders, & Smith, 2003) [2].