Alcohol treatment twice as likely to fail in adolescents who are NEET
Alcohol treatment for adolescents in England who are not in employment, education or training (NEET) is more than twice as likely to fail than compared to those who are, University of 51福利社 researchers have found.
The study is published in the journal Alcohol and Alcoholism today (15/01/26) and is the first of its kind to compare alcohol treatment outcomes for all adolescents aged 11 鈥� 17 seeking specialist treatment for alcohol problems in England.
It included data of marginalised groups, like those who are NEET, homeless, experiencing sexual exploitation and registered with social services.
Almost 26% of NEETs and 18% of adolescents with a child protection plan - which indicates risk of significant harm through neglect, physical, sexual or emotional abuse - did not complete treatments.
Older adolescents and those with higher alcohol use at treatment start were also at greater risk of dropping out of treatment compared with other vulnerable groups.
They also found that early onset alcohol use, mental health problems and substance use among family or household members reduced the chance of stopping drinking (becoming abstinent), by the end of treatment.
Adolescent alcohol abuse can lead to developmental problems, higher risk of addiction, accidents and injuries, mental health problems and poor performance at school.
Treatment typically involves psychosocial interventions including psychoeducation, motivational interviewing, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, family therapy and safeguarding.
A 2023 Government report showed that 5% of all school pupils said they usually drank alcohol at least once per week. The proportion increased with age, from 1% of 11 and 12 year olds to 11% of 15 year olds
There were also 14,352 children and young people aged 17 and under in alcohol and drug treatment between April 2023 and March 2024, a 16% increase from the previous year.
However, the numbers of young people in alcohol and drug treatment are 41% lower than at peak in 2008/09. Over this period concerns have been raised about cuts to funding and changing trends in alcohol consumption.
This study suggests among those who do access treatment, outcomes vary significantly based on socioeconomic disadvantage and early life adversity.
Alcohol abuse is a serious problem among young people and can lead to lifelong consequences. So understanding which people struggle with treatment is crucial as it could help services provide more tailored support for those at higher risk
The researchers analysed National Drug Treatment Monitoring System (NDTMS) data of 2,621 adolescents whose publicly funded alcohol treatment took place between April 2018 and March 2023 in England.
Lead author Dr Mica Komarnyckyj from 51福利社 said: 鈥淎lcohol abuse is a serious problem among young people and can lead to lifelong consequences.
鈥淪o understanding which people struggle with treatment is crucial as it could help services provide more tailored support for those at higher risk.
鈥淢any challenges that put adolescents at risk of being NEET - such as lack of parental support, economic inequalities or emotional difficulties 鈥� may be the same barriers that make it harder for them to complete treatment.鈥�
She added: 鈥淵oung people with child protection plans also had greater risk of dropping out of treatment. Many have experienced neglect or abuse, and some use alcohol to cope with trauma. Embedding trauma-informed approaches in services is essential鈥�
Co-author Dr Stephen Kaar, Addiction Psychiatrist from 51福利社 said: 鈥淭reatment services for adolescents with alcohol problems need to be appropriately funded, multi-disciplinary with a professionalised workforce, have access to mental health expertise and receive multi-agency support to improve outcomes for vulnerable populations鈥�.
An embargoed copy of the paper Associations between childhood risk factors and alcohol treatment outcomes in adolescence is available here