Risk Behaviour and Addiction in Adolescence – UU – 2024
SUMMARY RISK BEHAVIOUR AND
ADDICTION ON ADOLESCENCE
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, Risk Behaviour and Addiction in Adolescence – UU – 2024
Table of Contents
HC1: An introduction to risk behaviour and the development of substance and
behavioural addictions during adolescence ........................................................................ 3
HC2: Peer influence and risk behaviour in adolescence ................................................. 11
HC3: International teen trends in substance use. Whats driving them? ....................... 19
HC4: The role of parents in the prevention of risk behaviour and addiction ............... 22
HC5: Prevention of risk behaviour and addiction ............................................................. 29
HC6: Individual vulnerability for risk behaviour and addiction ...................................... 34
HC7: The Neurobiology of Substance Addiction .............................................................. 40
HC8: Changing risk behaviour and addiction.................................................................... 48
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, Risk Behaviour and Addiction in Adolescence – UU – 2024
HC1: An introduction to risk behaviour and the
development of substance and behavioural
addictions during adolescence
How do we define Risk Behaviour?
- Risk behaviour: Behaviours that pose a risk to a healthy physical, cognitive,
psychosocial development of adolescents
o Substance use (e.g., smoking/vaping, alcohol use, cannabis use, use of XTC
and other party/designer drugs)
o Other risk behaviours (e.g., (online) gambling, gaming, social media use)
o Contact with a substance > Experimenting with a substance > Integrated use
> Excessive use > Addicted use
- What we tend to regard as ‘risk behaviour’ depends on…
o Characteristics of the particular substance or behaviour
§ For instance, smoking/vaping versus gaming
o Cultural and societal norms:
§ Example: alcohol use in western versus Islamic cultures
o Scientific knowledge:
§ Example: knowledge on the risks of alcohol use for the cognitive
development of adolescents
Predictors:
The behaviour change wheel:
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, Risk Behaviour and Addiction in Adolescence – UU – 2024
Which (neurological) developments take place during adolescence?
- Adolescence (+10 – 24 years)
o Early adolescence (aged 10 – 14): physical growth, sexual maturation,
psychosocial development, social identity formation
o Mid adolescence (aged 15 – 17): experimenting with (risk) behaviours,
personal identity formation
o Late adolescence (aged 18 – 24): practicing adult roles
- Neurological development during adolescence
o Strong grow in brain volume: increase in white matter (connections), but
decrease in grey matter (nerve cells)
§ Grey matter is where information is processed (thinking, perceiving,
feeling). Grey matter relates more to intelligence and cognition,
§ White matter is where information is transmitted across different parts
of the brain. White matter relates to the speed and efficiency of brain
communication.
- Neurological development in adolescence
o Increase in white matter: communication between brain regions strongly
improves
§ Long term memory increases
§ Capacity for abstract (critical) thinking and metacognition (thinking
about thinking) increases
§ High plasticity and flexibility of the brain
4
SUMMARY RISK BEHAVIOUR AND
ADDICTION ON ADOLESCENCE
Blok 1
1
, Risk Behaviour and Addiction in Adolescence – UU – 2024
Table of Contents
HC1: An introduction to risk behaviour and the development of substance and
behavioural addictions during adolescence ........................................................................ 3
HC2: Peer influence and risk behaviour in adolescence ................................................. 11
HC3: International teen trends in substance use. Whats driving them? ....................... 19
HC4: The role of parents in the prevention of risk behaviour and addiction ............... 22
HC5: Prevention of risk behaviour and addiction ............................................................. 29
HC6: Individual vulnerability for risk behaviour and addiction ...................................... 34
HC7: The Neurobiology of Substance Addiction .............................................................. 40
HC8: Changing risk behaviour and addiction.................................................................... 48
2
, Risk Behaviour and Addiction in Adolescence – UU – 2024
HC1: An introduction to risk behaviour and the
development of substance and behavioural
addictions during adolescence
How do we define Risk Behaviour?
- Risk behaviour: Behaviours that pose a risk to a healthy physical, cognitive,
psychosocial development of adolescents
o Substance use (e.g., smoking/vaping, alcohol use, cannabis use, use of XTC
and other party/designer drugs)
o Other risk behaviours (e.g., (online) gambling, gaming, social media use)
o Contact with a substance > Experimenting with a substance > Integrated use
> Excessive use > Addicted use
- What we tend to regard as ‘risk behaviour’ depends on…
o Characteristics of the particular substance or behaviour
§ For instance, smoking/vaping versus gaming
o Cultural and societal norms:
§ Example: alcohol use in western versus Islamic cultures
o Scientific knowledge:
§ Example: knowledge on the risks of alcohol use for the cognitive
development of adolescents
Predictors:
The behaviour change wheel:
3
, Risk Behaviour and Addiction in Adolescence – UU – 2024
Which (neurological) developments take place during adolescence?
- Adolescence (+10 – 24 years)
o Early adolescence (aged 10 – 14): physical growth, sexual maturation,
psychosocial development, social identity formation
o Mid adolescence (aged 15 – 17): experimenting with (risk) behaviours,
personal identity formation
o Late adolescence (aged 18 – 24): practicing adult roles
- Neurological development during adolescence
o Strong grow in brain volume: increase in white matter (connections), but
decrease in grey matter (nerve cells)
§ Grey matter is where information is processed (thinking, perceiving,
feeling). Grey matter relates more to intelligence and cognition,
§ White matter is where information is transmitted across different parts
of the brain. White matter relates to the speed and efficiency of brain
communication.
- Neurological development in adolescence
o Increase in white matter: communication between brain regions strongly
improves
§ Long term memory increases
§ Capacity for abstract (critical) thinking and metacognition (thinking
about thinking) increases
§ High plasticity and flexibility of the brain
4
