Alcohol and other drug use are the leading cause of disability in young people.

Comorbidity between alcohol and drug use and mental health problems is common - and can quickly and easily have grave outcomes. Very few young people with substance abuse problems seek help, with a staggering average of 18-years between identifying they have a problem, and receiving treatment. While evidence-based treatments for youth substance abuse exist, it can take up to 25 years for this evidence to be implemented in clinical practice.

In this week’s show, we welcome Professor Leanne Hides, a clinical psychologist with over 20 years of experience in the development and testing of treatments for primary substance use and comorbid mental disorders in young people. Leanne Hides holds a National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Senior Research Fellowship and the industry-supported Lives Lived Well Chair in Alcohol, Drugs and Mental Health at the University of Queensland, Australia. She co-leads the Federal Government funded grant for the Centre for Youth Substance Abuse Research (CYSAR), the only youth focused substance use research centre in Australia.

Throughout our discussion, Leanne delves into evidence-based approaches for the prevention and early intervention of youth alcohol and substance use; and recent research being undertaken trying to bridge the gap between this evidence and what gets used in clinical practice.