Of all individuals who seek treatment for alcohol and other drug use disorders (i.e., substance use disorder), 7% are adolescents between 12 and 17 years old.

For these youngest treatment seekers, relapse rates are high, with estimates from different studies suggesting 55-90% drink or use other drugs within the first year after completing treatment.

From a developmental perspective, adolescents have unique clinical qualities that make them different from young and older adults in terms of the nature of their substance use problems, and the different factors that influence these problems positively and negatively.