Substance use outcomes from the Child/Adolescent Anxiety Multimodal Extended Long-term Study (CAMELS).

Area of Science:

• Child and adolescent psychiatry
• Addiction medicine
• Mental health treatment outcomes

Background:

• High prevalence of co-occurring substance use problems and anxiety disorders in youth.
• Need to understand long-term impact of anxiety treatment on subsequent substance use.
• Previous research indicates frequent comorbidity between anxiety and substance use disorders.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the long-term benefits of successful anxiety treatment on substance use diagnoses.
• To assess the impact of anxiety treatment on lifetime expected use of alcohol and tobacco.
• To evaluate outcomes 3-12 years post-treatment completion.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the Child/Adolescent Anxiety Multimodal Extended Long-term Study (CAMELS).
• Followed 319 youth (initially 7-17 years) an average of 6.5 years after treatment for anxiety.
• Assessed substance use outcomes including diagnoses and lifetime alcohol/tobacco use.

Main Results:

• Significantly lower rate of substance use disorder diagnoses (3.4%) compared to population rates (11.4%).
• Lower lifetime alcohol use rates observed at both initial and final follow-up visits.
• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) initially lowered tobacco use, but rates increased by final follow-up; treatment remission linked to fewer diagnoses.

Conclusions:

• Anxiety treatments provide a lasting beneficial impact on problematic substance use diagnoses.
• Treatment for anxiety also positively influences expected substance use, including alcohol and tobacco.
• Benefits observed for an average of 6.5 years post-treatment.