Psychological symptoms and drug use severity among Israeli adolescents presenting for outpatient drug abuse treatment

Gary M. Diamond, Miriam C. Izzard, Tami Kedar, Anat Hutlzer, Haim Mell

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

3 Scopus citations

Abstract

The objective of this study was to assess the rates of externalizing and internalizing symptoms, and the relation between psychological symptoms and drug use severity, among 117 Israeli adolescents presenting for outpatient drug abuse treatment. Psychological symptoms were assessed via both adolescent self-report and parent report. Drug use was assessed using both adolescent self-report and urinalysis. Results showed that 58% of the sample evidenced clinical levels of psychological symptoms, with girls evidencing higher rates of externalizing and mixed symptomatology than boys. Parents' report of adolescents' internalizing symptoms predicted severity of drug use. These findings suggest that treatment for this population should be multidimensional, and address not only drug use per se, but also psychological risk factors.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)495-505
Number of pages11
JournalJournal of Adolescence
Volume28
Issue number4
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Jan 2005

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health
  • Social Psychology
  • Developmental and Educational Psychology
  • Psychiatry and Mental health

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