Supporting young people

Barriers accessing AOD support

Young people may not think their AOD use is an issue, or might want to ‘fix it’ on their own.¹² They might be scared, embarrassed or worried about talking to a GP. They may be concerned about legal ramifications and confidentiality.⁸

Some young people may also distrust health professionals due to a past negative experience where they believed help was unavailable, ineffective or difficult to access. This means they could be uncomfortable, defensive or hostile if AOD is raised.^{13, 14}

They may also be reluctant to address their AOD use due to other barriers, such as:

• treatment costs and medication (reassuring them that treatment is available from public health services can counter this)
• having to take time off school or work
• travel costs
• feeling stigmatised.¹²

These barriers can be intensified for those belonging to historically excluded communities:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young peoples
• lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and/or intersex (LGBTIQA+) young people
• multicultural young people who have been discriminated against
• young people who have had contact with the criminal justice system
• young people with a physical or mental disability.¹⁵

Being aware and responsive to the needs of diverse young people can help them feel safe, supported and more willing to access help.

If you’re concerned about the young person’s substance use and they are reluctant to talk, or are not ready to make a change, you may need to build trust with ongoing longer appointments.
This can be difficult within the constraints of GP appointments being short, one-off consultations. But it can help to let the young person know the door is open anytime if they want to talk or access support.

Talking to young people about drug use in a GP Setting

When young people feel safe to chat with GPs and other health professionals about their AOD use, it can help them minimise harm and get the right kind of support, if needed. This isn’t always easy, but here are some things that can help:

Be the young person’s ally.

Build rapport to create trust and respect. This can mean talking about ‘lighter’ and non-confrontational things.

Start the conversation by exploring what they like about their alcohol and drug use, and what motivates them to use it. This shows you’re interested in listening and understanding their viewpoint, rather than lecturing or judging.16

Use non-stigmatising language. If a young person feels judged this can stop them from seeking support, and may negatively impact their health, wellbeing, employment or education.17, 18

Read more about stigma and words to choose in a professional setting.

Create safe spaces. This can include:

• clinic posters encouraging young people to speak to their GP about substances use needs
• affirming posters and brochures for people with diverse identities. There are great organisations and resources that can help with creating more diverse and inclusive clinic environments:
  • Minus18 – Inclusive workplaces training
  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural safety framework health.vic.gov.au
  • Youth Disability Advocacy Service – supporting young people with a disability
• reassuring the young person your conversation is confidential. If the young person is underage, there may be certain situations where a parent/guardian will need to be notified. This includes if:
  • it is necessary to prevent a serious threat to public health, safety or welfare
  • the young person is at imminent risk of harming themselves
  • the young person is at imminent risk of harming others.19 See here for more information.
• asking curious, empathetic and open-ended questions about their AOD use:
  • ‘Tell me a little bit about your substance use…’
  • ‘What do you like about your substance use?’
  • ‘If you stopped using substances is there something you would miss about it?’
  • ‘Could you tell me about what worries you about your substance use?’