The goal of this project is to evaluate a multi-component (parent, peer, and school) secondary prevention model for young male and female adolescents at risk for drug abuse and problem behavior. Previously developed curricula include written and videotaped material for social learning interventions used in parent (Parent Focus) and peer (Teen Focus) groups. The parent and peer components will be extended by developing and testing a school-based enhancement that systematically promotes environmental supports for acquired behavior change skills. The school-based enhancement of the peer component involves creating heterogeneous post-intervention peer groups (low- and high-risk youngsters) in a school setting that supports prosocial behavior and discourages drug use and problem behavior. The school-based enhancement of the parent component will include bi-monthly meetings in schools providing specific resources for promoting parental monitoring of school adjustment, drug use, and problem behavior. The school-based enhancement will be experimentally tested by the random assignment of 60 families to either a parent/peer basic program and Oregon social Learning Center (OSLC) booster sessions, or to the basic program plus a school-based enhancement. The evaluation of specific components of the secondary prevention program is partially dependent on an existing data set of 119 referred at-risk families who were randomly assigned to one of four social learning intervention strategies: (1) Parent only; (2) Peer only; (3) Parent/Peer Coordinated; and (4) Self-directed change (materials only). This proposal requests support for evaluating the short- (pre-post) and long-term (1- and 2-year follow-up) relative effectiveness of these four interventions. In addition, it is proposed that a sample of 30 at-risk families be recruited, assessed, and followed up as a no-intervention control group. The control group will provide a needed comparison group for all evaluation analyses, including the effectiveness of the Self-Directed prevention condition. This five-year research period will provide answers concerning the relative cost-effectiveness of individual components as well as the incremental value of the fully comprehensive strategy, including the parent, peer, and school-based interventions. Intervention curricula will be completed for the various components to offer these prevention strategies to other community populations.
Showing the most recent 10 out of 61 publications
