Enhancing Interprofessional Collaboration Integrating Health Administration and Occupational Therapy Perspectives in Adolescent Polysubstance Use and Its Impact Upon Health and Wellness

The prevalence of adolescent E-cigarette (EC) use remains a concern in the U.S. Adolescents who use EC tend to use combinations of substances, including nicotine and cannabis vaping products and combustible forms of cannabis and tobacco. Poly-use, or the use of more than two substances such as EC, cannabis, and combustible tobacco, is associated with worse overall outcomes in terms of severity of dependence, cessation outcomes, and greater health risks. As cannabis policies evolve in Illinois, where both medical and recreational cannabis use have been legalized by 2020, it remains important to track trends in adolescent substance use. This Interprofessional Education (IPE) project utilized data from the 2022 Illinois Youth Surveys (administered to 8th, 10th, and 12th-grade adolescents) and legal and regulatory updates to educate and inform Governors State University College of Health and Human Services students from cross-disciplines of Health Administration and Occupational Therapy about public health concerns of adolescent substance use. Students participated in an IPE training series exploring team development and cohesion, the impacts of polysubstance use among adolescents, the factors contributing to this phenomenon, and how effective interprofessional collaboration can support the development of strategies to address these problems. Students worked in small teams to explore specific risk factors contributing to polysubstance use among adolescents and identify potential solutions to address the problem using an evidence-based, interprofessional collaborative approach. This poster presentation will display the results of the students’ collaborative efforts via concept maps demonstrating the interconnectedness of personal, social, and community factors impacting adolescent polysubstance use.