The Best Pharmacological Interventions for Depression in Adolescents with Comorbid Substance Use Disorders

According to Riggs, et al (2007) depression rates are higher in adolescents with substance use disorders (15-24%) than in adolescents without substance use disorders (2-8%). Adolescents with substance use disorders are also more likely to have poorer drug treatment outcomes and higher relapse rates. Despite the high incidence of this comorbidity, no treatment protocol has been extensively studied. This paper will examine the literature to date on pharmacologic treatment for adolescents with comorbid depression and substance use disorders.