Substance abuse among youth: knowledge and attitudes among medical professionals

Abstract

Background. Substance abuse at a younger age can have serious health consequences in later adulthood. The main aims of this Swiss study were to provide an overview of substance abuse among children and youth up till the age of 16 and to collect assessments of medical professionals regarding the prevalence of these problems in a medical context and their willingness and ability for intervention. Methods. The study comprised an online questionnaire survey of 1'200 Swiss medical professionals, 916 medical doctors and 284 nurses. Role security and therapeutic commitment were measured using an adjusted version of the SAAPPQ. Findings. Substance abuse is most frequently reported of by school physicians and pediatricians, less by General Practitioners. Regression analysis suggests that both role security and therapeutic commitment are influenced by frequency of contact (B = 1.79, p < .001), and medical context (pediatric vs. non-pediatric) (B = 1.11, p < .05). Conclusions. Medical professionals feel responsible but could benefit from different kinds of support including postgraduate training to identify risk groups, to use special instruments and to apply systematic procedures.