Trends and Gender Differences in Substance Use Among Children and Adolescents Admitted to an Addiction Treatment Center in Turkey: Years 2011-2013

Abstract

Objective: In this study we aimed to examine the trends and gender differences in substance use behaviors and treatment seeking patterns of children and adolescents who were admitted to an addiction treatment center in Turkey. Method: Participants were 2718 children and adolescents who had been consecutively admitted to the 'Children and Adolescent Alcohol and Drug Dependency Treatment Center' in Istanbul between January 2011 and December 2013. A detailed drug use questionnaire was completed by all participants, and substance use characteristics were analyzed in terms of gender and substance types. The data regarding age of first use, age at referral, referral pattern, and type of the substances used were compared between three years (2011, 2012, and 2013) and between genders. Results: There was a statistically significant increase in the number of females (p