The long-term objective of this project is to determine the impact of non-specific treatment factors, dosage, and client satisfaction on drinking behaviors among adolescents within a school-based intervention. The first specific aim of this study targets this general objective by examining how treatment satisfaction and session attendance relate to one another while evaluating the extent to which they impact the number of binge drinking episodes and alcohol-related problems reported by teens endorsing at least one alcoholic drink in the past 30 days (N = 200-250).
The second aim more closely examines this change process by proposing that adolescents' motivation to change is an important mechanism by which these non-specific treatment constructs relate to and impact alcohol-related outcomes. Lastly, the third aim of the project investigates whether level of alcohol consumption at intake (i.e., low, moderate, heavy) moderates the relationship among these variables. Structural equation modeling (SEM) will be used to determine overall model fit and individual parameter estimates will be used to evaluate specific relationships between variables. SEM is an efficient analytic strategy to employ because it allows for both levels of analysis simultaneously. Additionally, since some of the constructs within the model may be highly correlated; SEM allows for the inclusion of latent variables and reduces the measurement error associated with them. Understanding the process by which youth reduce hazardous drinking and avoid the deleterious effects of use is important in determining which non-specific elements of treatment for teens is responsible for changes in hazardous drinking. Furthermore, the identification of these constructs within an easily disseminated, low-cost program offers support for the implementation of the target intervention on a larger scale. The goal is to provide a readily available treatment option to teens interested in gaining skills and information in order to reduce binging and alcohol-related problems which have already begun. ? ? ?
| Schulte, Marya T; Ramo, Danielle; Brown, Sandra A (2009) Gender differences in factors influencing alcohol use and drinking progression among adolescents. Clin Psychol Rev 29:535-47 |
