Alcohol Addiction in Children and Adolescents

Abstract

Addiction is an uncontrollable desire for the repetition of a particular obsession, despite its negative impact on health and causing harm to social lives. Although it affects their well-being, people persist in pursuing and maintaining this compulsive behavior. Nowadays, substance addiction issues are emerging prominently in children and adolescents as much as in adults. Alcohol can lead to permanent and serious developmental disorders in the adolescent brain. Among these damages, there is a significant risk of losing mental health and experiencing severe psychiatric illnesses such as psychosis and schizophrenia. Especially during critical periods like childhood and adolescence, early alcohol use poses a biopsychosocial (biological, psychological, and social) problem leading to serious negative consequences in society. This study aims to address alcohol addiction in children and adolescents, discussing risk factors, potential problems they might face, treatment approaches, and providing recommendations for approaching this issue for both families and healthcare professionals.