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Monday, April 7, 2008

Underage Drinking: A Developmental Framework
PEDIATRICS Vol. 121 Supplement April 2008, pp. S235-S251




A developmental framework for understanding and addressing the problem of underage alcohol consumption is presented.

The first section presents the rationale for a developmental approach, including striking age-related data on patterns of onset, prevalence, and course of alcohol use and disorders in young people.

The second section examines the fundamental meaning of a developmental approach to conceptualizing underage drinking.

The third section delineates contemporary principles of developmental psychopathology as a guide to future research and intervention efforts.

Strategic, sensitive, and effective efforts to address the problem of underage drinking will require a developmentally informed approach to research, prevention, and treatment.

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