The objective of the current research is to reduce alcohol use and related negative health, social, and legal consequences in high-risk populations of college students. Interventions designed to counter peer and normative influences on alcohol use, in conjunction with expectancy challenge, risk-reduction, and motivational enhancement have shown evidence of efficacy of college populations. Less is known about the efficacy of different implementation strategies, including web- or self-help journal formats, group or individual administration, the impact of mandatory attendance on effectiveness, nor the efficacy of these interventions in comparison to existing commercially-available educational interventions which have been widely implemented on campuses. The current research is designed to address these gaps, in response to identified needs of high-risk groups and individuals on the partnered campus.
The specific aims of the application are: 1) Pilot test the efficacy of the Choices journal-based intervention in comparison to peer-delivered alcohol skills-training (ASTP) group and no-treatment controls, in reducing alcohol use and consequences of high-risk freshmen; 2) Pilot test the efficacy of the Alcohol EDU web-based educational intervention in comparison to web-delivered motivational feedback and assessment-only, in reducing alcohol use and consequences of high-risk freshmen; 3) Test the longer-term efficacy of interventions supported in the pilot study, with members of fraternities and sororities randomized to peer-delivered individual BASICS, or one or more alternative interventions supported by the pilot studies; 4) Test the effectiveness of peer-delivered BASICS compared to one or more comparison interventions identified in pilots 1 & 2 with students mandated to participate through campus sanctioning processes compared to volunteers; 5) Evaluate baseline drinking, family history of alcohol problems, self-determination, readiness to change, and resistance to intervention as moderators of intervention efficacy; and 6) Evaluate descriptive norms, injunctive norms, alcohol outcome expectancies, and readiness to change as mediators of intervention efficacy.
Showing the most recent 10 out of 24 publications
