Instruction: -I provided the previous discussion assignment so you can use the same focus group. -the target population is young adult between the age of 18-24

Outpatient Care for Young Adults

Name

Institutional Affiliation

Discussion question:

Several treatment settings and treatment modalities such as outpatient, inpatient, AA, group therapy, internet therapy, etc. are identified in Week 3's literature. Think about your social media campaign selected population and identify one setting that would work best for your population of interest and state why based on the literature.

Target population: young adult between 18-24 years old.

Outpatient Care for Young Adults

For a social media campaign targeting alcohol abuse among young adults aged 18-24 years, outpatient treatment emerges as the most effective setting. This demographic typically undergo important transitional phases in their lives: students, first-time employees, or residents (Snowdon et al., 2019). These transitions can also put them at a higher risk for alcohol dependence; however, they are likely to have more rigid and demanding schedules, which may not allow them to attend comprehensive treatment services such as inpatient treatment.

Outpatient care is convenient and can be accessed without affecting the individual's routine activities, such as school or work for young adults. According to the literature, outpatient care is a viable option in treating substance use in this population, as the clients are able to balance their care with their social and professional responsibilities. It is also a fact that outpatient treatment is more helpful in bringing positive change in behavior in the long run because the person has to use these coping mechanisms in real-life situations rather than in a controlled setting associated with in-patient care (Mee-Leen & Shulman, 2003). Also, young adults are active users of digital technologies and, hence, are more likely to accept treatment interventions that are technology-facilitated, such as teletherapy and internet-based interventions. Implementing these technological aspects into outpatient services may be helpful in improving convenience and appeal, getting a positive reception among this consumer-focused generation that has grown up with the use of technology. Furthermore, group sessions within the OP are also helpful, as students stated that peer support is significant because they can feel lonely and misunderstood in their early adulthood.

References

Mee-Lee, D., & Shulman, G. D. (2003). The ASAM placement criteria and matching patients to treatment. Principles of addiction medicine, 453-465.

Snowdon, N., Allan, J., Shakeshaft, A., Rickwood, D., Stockings, E., Boland, V. C., & Courtney, R. J. (2019). Outpatient psychosocial substance use treatments for young people: An overview of reviews. Drug and alcohol dependence, 205, 107582.