There are few scientifically proven effective programs focused on """"""""higher at risk"""""""" youth, few focused on the family as the site of delivery, and few that are school-based and curriculum-driven focused on elementary school age youth that meet minimal criteria of effectiveness. Programs that combine an integrated effort to influence the school and family contexts are rare, especially ones that include boosters for both school and family interventions. The proposed study is a prospective, multiple informant (students, teachers, parents, school-based records) longitudinal study that begins when students are in the 2nd grade and follows them through the 6th grade. The study will be conducted in 9 of the 11 elementary schools in a predominantly rural and poor county with the highest African-American population in the state. Condition 1. 5 schools, All Stars, Jr. in 4th grade. Condition 2. 4 schools, camp GUTS + All Stars, Jr. Condition 3. 2 of 4 schools in Condition 2: camp GUTS + Duke Family Coping Power + All Stars, Jr. We are expecting that there will be a dose-response pattern to the results. Condition 3 interventions will have the most influence on the mediating variables (academic achievement, school bonding, parental involvement, social competence, self-regulation) and thus produce the most profound reduction in the initial relationship between sensation seeking and ultimate drug use. Condition 2 will have the next strongest effect on reducing the relationship and Condition 1 the least effect. The camp GUTS program will be offered in the summers between grades 2-3, 3-4, 4-5 with academic emphasis on reading/language, mathematics, neuroscience & drug abuse research in respective summers. Between grades 4-5 there will also be a 2-week residential experiential education camp. Boosters will be provided in each subsequent fall semester. The family program will be offered in 24 sessions over 3 years. All elements of the protocol have been pilot tested with encouraging results. In keeping with the theme of our Center, we will determine how much of the relationship of sensation seeking and drug use is a main effect or mediated by the variables targeted by the interventions. HLM and latent growth curve modeling will be used to examine these relationships. Statistical power is adequate.
Specific Aim 1. To understand how sensation seeking and the proposed mediating variables are related in a developmental framework during middle childhood, between 2nd and 6th grade.
Specific Aim 2. To evaluate the efficacy of comprehensive and integrated selected interventions delivered to higher risk students in the summer (with boosters in the subsequent fall semester) plus a universal, school-based and curriculum-driven program, compared to a treatment as usual universal school-based and curriculum-driven program delivered in the 4th grade.
Specific Aim 3. To assess the impact of these comprehensive and universal prevention programs for high sensation seeking adolescents, who have been shown to be at greater risk for substance use in later adolescence.
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