Published online April 1, 2008
PEDIATRICS Vol. 121 Supplement April 2008, pp. S337-S347 (doi:10.1542/peds.2007-2243F)
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SUPPLEMENT ARTICLE


Developmentally Informed Research on the Effectiveness of Clinical Trials: A Primer for Assessing How Developmental Issues May Influence Treatment Responses Among Adolescents With Alcohol Use Problems

Eric F. Wagner, PhD

Community-Based Intervention Research Group, Florida International University, Miami, Florida

The goal of this article is to familiarize readers with the adolescent developmental issues and processes most likely to affect responses to treatment for alcohol use problems. Although the need for research that blends developmental science and treatment outcome research is widely acknowledged, scant information exists about developmentally informed approaches to treatment research with alcohol-abusing teens. Exactly how developmental issues may influence treatment responses among adolescents with alcohol use problems remains an open question. In the hope of moving developmentally informed research forward, this article reports findings from a literature review regarding the degree to which developmental issues and processes have been considered in adolescent alcohol treatment research. Moreover, promising concepts and methods from applied developmental science are discussed, as are various developmental processes and transitions that may influence adolescent risk behavior. Finally, guidance is provided regarding how applied developmental science conceptualizations and methods may be incorporated successfully into randomized, clinical trials with adolescents with alcohol use problems.

Key Words: adolescent • alcohol • development • treatment

Abbreviations: AOD—alcohol and other drug • DSM-IV—Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition

Accepted Nov 27, 2007.