Adolescent Opioid Use Disorder: Assessment, Treatment, and Overdose Prevention.

Authors

Sivabalaji Kaliamurthy, Prianka Kumar

Published in

Child and adolescent psychiatric clinics of North America. Volume 35. Issue 4. Pages 677-691. Epub Jul 15, 2026.

Abstract

Adolescent opioid use has evolved amid a fentanyl-dominated drug supply, leading to sharp increases in overdose mortality, often among youth without a prior opioid use history, and those using counterfeit pills containing fentanyl. This article reviews epidemiology, clinical presentation, and assessment of adolescents with suspected opioid use and opioid use disorder (OUD), emphasizing diagnostic challenges, withdrawal recognition, and level-of-care determination. Evidence-based pharmacologic management is outlined alongside psychosocial and family-based interventions. Key barriers to care, stigma, and regulatory challenges are examined. The article concludes with a strong case for universal overdose education and naloxone distribution as components of adolescent OUD care.

PMID:
42686308
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 03 Sep 2026.

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