A Harm Reduction Approach to Youth Anxiety & Substance Use
Anxiety and substance use are among the most pressing and interconnected concerns facing today’s adolescents and emerging adults. This training explores current trends in youth anxiety and alcohol and cannabis use, examines the mechanisms that link them, including self-medication, shared risk factors, and developmental context, and considers how stigma and access to care shape young people’s help-seeking behavior. Participants will explore practical communication strategies and approaches such as safety planning, identifying trusted adults, and setting personal boundaries that are not only relevant to substance use but are transferable life skills for navigating risk across adolescence.
