Screening for substance use among ethnic minority adolescents: Patterns and prevention approaches

The purpose of this study was to determine if differences exist in the patterns of drug use between adolescent ethnic minorities from African American, Asian, Hispanic, and Native American backgrounds through the use of the Adolescent Substance Battery. The clinical use of the ASB has been used to evaluate and monitor adolescents who are suspected of drug abuse. To evaluate these differences systematically, a sample of 152 ethnic minority adolescent diagnostic assessments were analyzed. Gender differences were found, as 64% of the sample were males and 36% were females. Ethnic differences were found, as 56% of the sample were African American, and 75% of these were males. A total of 60 adolescents, or 39% of the sample, was diagnosed as chemically dependent. The analysis of substance use by ethnic minorities would appear to be helpful in developing ethnic‐ and gender‐specific prevention, intervention, and treatment programs.