Underage Drinking: A Developmental FrameworkPEDIATRICS 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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