Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 4, 2026

Use of the Operant Orofacial Pain Assessment Device (OPAD) to Measure Changes in Nociceptive Behavior
Published on: June 10, 2013
Adolescent Opioid Use Disorder: Assessment, Treatment, and Overdose Prevention
Sivabalaji Kaliamurthy1, Prianka Kumar2
1Division of Psychiatry, Children's National, Washington, DC, USA; Department of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, The George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Howard University, Washington, DC, USA; Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
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.
Related Concept Videos
Opioid Analgesics: Synthetic and Semisynthetic Opioids
Drug Abuse and Addiction: Pharmacological Phenomena
Opioid Analgesics: Morphine and Other Natural Cogeners
Pharmaceutical Poisoning: Treatment Strategies
Analgesia and Pain Management
Substance Use Disorders Affecting Sleep
Understanding the concepts of physical dependence,...
