Grant: Health Sys. Impact Embedded ECR Award - Health Services, Health Systems & Policy

Young adulthood (ages 18-25) is when substance use concerns often begin. It is also the time of transition from child to adult healthcare systems. Addressing substance use in young adults is important, but many face challenges as they move to the adult system. The proposed embedded research projects aim to understand young adult substance use for individuals who are within the general adult healthcare system. Four projects seek to find out who these young people are, why they come, and what we can do to better support them. Project 1 will examine all substance-related emergency department visits by young adults from 2016-2023. Trends before and after cannabis legalization and the pandemic will be compared. Project 2 will test two approaches to motivate young adults to attend substance use treatment. Strategies will include offering incentives and sending texts. Project 3 will ask young adults in substance use and mental health treatment programs about their substance use intensively for 2 weeks to understand the thoughts, feelings, and situations that lead to substance use. Project 4 will test three treatment sessions that address issues that are particularly important for young adults. These sessions will be based on values, fun activities, and social networks. All projects will be developed and interpreted with young adults, healthcare providers, and health system leaders. Collectively, this work will improve access to effective substance use treatment for young adults.