Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2008 Apr;121 Suppl 4(Suppl 4):S290-310.
doi: 10.1542/peds.2007-2243D.

A developmental perspective on alcohol and youths 16 to 20 years of age

Sandra A Brown  1 , Matthew McGue, Jennifer Maggs, John Schulenberg, Ralph Hingson, Scott Swartzwelder, Christopher Martin, Tammy Chung, Susan F Tapert, Kenneth Sher, Ken C Winters, Cherry Lowman, Stacia Murphy
Affiliations
Review

A developmental perspective on alcohol and youths 16 to 20 years of age

Sandra A Brown et al. Pediatrics. 2008 Apr.

Abstract

Late adolescence (ie, 16-20 years of age) is a period characterized by escalation of drinking and alcohol use problems for many and by the onset of an alcohol use disorder for some. This heightened period of vulnerability is a joint consequence of the continuity of risk from earlier developmental stages and the unique neurologic, cognitive, and social changes that occur in late adolescence. We review the normative neurologic, cognitive, and social changes that typically occur in late adolescence, and we discuss the evidence for the impact of these transitions on individual drinking trajectories. We also describe evidence linking alcohol abuse in late adolescence with neurologic damage and social impairments, and we discuss whether these are the bases for the association of adolescent drinking with increased risks of mental health, substance abuse, and social problems in adulthood. Finally, we discuss both the challenges and successes in the treatment and prevention of adolescent drinking problems.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Schulenberg J, Maggs JL, Hurrelmann K. Health Risks and Developmental Transitions During Adolescence. Cambridge University Press; New York, NY: 1997.
    1. Aseltine RH, Gore S. Mental health and social adaptation following the transition from high school. J Res Adolesc. 1993;3(3):247–270.
    1. Hogan D, Astone N. The transition to adulthood. Annu Rev Sociol. 1986;12:109–130.
    1. Fussell E, Furstenberg FFJ. The transition to adulthood during the twentieth century: race, nativity, and gender. In: Settersten RA, Furstenberg FFJ, Rumbaut RG, editors. On the Frontier of Adulthood: Theory, Research, and Public Policy. University of Chicago Press; Chicago, IL: 2005. pp. 29–75.
    1. Settersten RA, Furstenberg FFJ, Rumbaut RG, editors. On the Frontier of Adulthood: Theory, Research, and Public Policy. University of Chicago Press; Chicago, IL: 2005.

MeSH terms