Systematic Review of Substance Use Measurement Tools in Adolescent and Young Adult Childhood Cancer Survivors.

ABSTRACT

Substance use among adolescents and young adults (AYAs) is associated with an increased risk of poor physical and mental health outcomes. For AYA childhood cancer survivors (CCSs), substance use may also increase their likelihood of experiencing late effects. As a result, professional organizations recommend that AYA CCSs be regularly screened for risk behaviors, including substance use. The best methods for assessing these behaviors as part of clinical care for AYA CCSs, however, remain unclear. To begin to address this gap, the purpose of this study was to systematically review written substance use measures that have been used with AYA CCSs and published between 2000 and 2020. A search of PubMed, PsycINFO, and CINAHL using terms related to substance use and AYA CCSs identified 47 articles representing 20 different written substance use measures that evaluated current substance use (i.e., use of alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, prescription medications taken in a manner other than as prescribed, and/or other illicit substances within the 12 months). Measures varied in domains assessed, item formats, and response formats. Results are presented alongside recommendations for selecting screening tools for use with AYA CCS populations in both clinical and research settings.