Secondary prevention with college drinkers: Evaluation of an alcohol skills training program.

This study evaluated secondary prevention approaches for young adults (N?=?36, mean age 23 yrs) at risk for alcohol problems. Ss were randomly assigned to cognitive-behavioral alcohol skills training, a didactic alcohol information program, or assessment only. The skills program included training in blood alcohol level estimation, limit setting, and relapse prevention skills. All Ss maintained daily drinking records during the 8-wk intervention and for 1 wk at each follow-up. Repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) found a significant reduction over 1-yr follow-up in self-reported alcohol consumption for the total sample. For all drinking measures, the directional findings consistently favored skills training. Despite overall reductions, most Ss continued to report occasional heavy drinking. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social competence promotion with inner-city and suburban young adolescents: Effects on social adjustment and alcohol use.

Assessed the impact of school-based social competence training on skills, social adjustment, and self-reported substance use of 282 6th and 7th graders. Training emphasized broad-based competence promotion in conjunction with domain-specific application to substance abuse prevention. The 20-session program comprised 6 units: stress management, self-esteem, problem solving, substances and health information, assertiveness, and social networks. Findings indicated positive training effects on Ss' skills in handling interpersonal problems and coping with anxiety. Teacher ratings revealed improvements in Ss' constructive conflict resolution with peers, impulse control, and popularity. Self-report ratings indicated gains in problem-solving efficacy. Results suggest some preventive impact on self-reported substance use intentions and excessive alcohol use. In general, the program was found to be beneficial for both inner-city and suburban students. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effectiveness of culturally focused and generic skills training approaches to alcohol and drug abuse prevention among minority adolescents: Two-year follow-up results.

Two-year follow-up data (from inner-city, minority adolescents) were collected to test the effectiveness of 2 skills-based substance abuse prevention programs and were compared both with a control condition and with each other. Students were originally recruited from 6 New York City public schools while in 7th grade. Schools were matched and assigned to receive a generic skills training prevention approach, a culturally focused prevention approach, or an information-only control. Students in both prevention approaches had less current alcohol use and had lower intentions to engage in future alcohol use relative to students in the control group. Students in the culturally focused group also engaged less in current alcohol behavior and had lower intentions to drink beer or wine than those in the generic skills group. Both prevention programs influenced several mediating variables in a direction consistent with nondrug use, and these variables also mediated alcohol use. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Brief coping skills treatment for cocaine abuse: 12-month substance use outcomes.

Patients (N?=?108) in a study of cocaine-specific coping skills training (CST), which was found to reduce cocaine use during a 3-month follow-up, were followed for an additional 9 months. CST involved coping skills training in the context of high-risk situations. Control treatment used meditation-relaxation. Both were added to comprehensive private substance abuse treatment. Patients in CST who relapsed had significantly fewer cocaine use days than did the control group during the first 6 months, then both conditions did equally well. Patients in CST also drank alcohol more frequently in the last 6 months than did contrast patients but did not differ in heavy drinking days. For cocaine use outcomes, no interaction of treatment was found with gender, education, route of administration, drug use severity, sociopathy, or depression. Implications include the need to investigate different lengths and combinations of treatment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Dimensions of assertiveness: Differential relationships to substance use in early adolescence.

We tested a multidimensioanl formulation of assertiveness and substance (tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana) use in 3 metropolitan-area school samples of adolescents aged 12-14 yrs. Three studies (N?=?675, N?=?1,430, and N?=?5,545) included inner-city and suburban settings and included White, Black, and Hispanic students. Factor analysis of versions of the Gambrill-Richey Assertion Inventory indicated five indepenedent dimensions of assertive behavior. Multiple regression analyses indicated that a dimension of Substance-specific Assertiveness was inversely associated with substance use, whereas dimensions of Social Assertiveness and Dating Assertiveness was positively associated with substance use. A dimension of General Assertiveness was unrelated to substance use. Interaction effects indicated that relations were stronger for girls for Substance and Social Assertiveness and for boys for Dating Assertiveness. Implications of the findings for models of assertive behavior and for design of primary prevention programs are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Measuring effects of a skills training intervention for drug abusers.

Examined the effectiveness of a supplemental skills training and social-network-development aftercare program with 130 drug abusers (aged 15–55 yrs) from 4 residential therapeutic communities. The program included training in assertiveness, problem-solving, stress management, and giving and receiving praise; training techniques included group discussion, modeling, role playing and feedback. Pre- and posttesting with a problem situation inventory showed that the intervention produced positive effects on Ss' performance at the conclusion of treatment. Performance improved in situations involving avoidance of drug use, coping with drug relapse, social interaction, interpersonal problem solving, and coping with stress. It is concluded that as a reentry strategy, the supplemental intervention is an effective adjunct to residential treatment. (19 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Phonological awareness and early reading: A meta-analysis of experimental training studies.

In a quantitative meta-analysis, the effects of phonological awareness training on reading were shown. In a homogeneous set of U.S. studies with a randomized or matched design, the combined effect sizes for phonological awareness and reading were d?=?0.73 (r?=?.34, N?=?739) and d?=?0.70 (r?=?.33, N?=?745), respectively. Thus, experimentally manipulated phonological awareness explains about 12% of the variance in word-identification skills. The combined effect size for long-term studies of the influence of phonological awareness training on reading was much smaller, d?=?0.16 (r?=?.08, N?=?1,180). Programs combining a phonological and a letter training were more effective than a purely phonological training. Furthermore, training effects were stronger with posttests assessing simple decoding skills than with real-word-identification tests. In sum, phonological awareness is an important but not a sufficient condition for early reading. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The Strong African American Families Program: A cluster-randomized prevention trial of long-term effects and a mediational model.

The Strong African American Families Program, a universal preventive intervention to deter alcohol use among rural African American adolescents, was evaluated in a cluster-randomized prevention trial. This 7-week family skills training program is based on a contextual model in which intervention effects on youth protective factors lead to changes in alcohol use. African American 11-year-olds and their primary caregivers from 9 rural communities (N = 332 families) were randomly selected for study participation. Communities were randomized to prevention and control conditions. Intent-to-treat analyses indicated that fewer prevention than control adolescents initiated alcohol use; those who did evinced slower increases in use over time. Intervention-induced changes in youth protective factors mediated the effect of group assignment on long-term changes in use. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Preventing binge drinking during early adolescence: One- and two- year follow-up of a school-based preventive intervention.

Examined the effectiveness of a school-based prevention program on reducing binge drinking in a sample of minority, inner-city, middle-school students. Rates of binge drinking were compared among 1,713 youths who received the program beginning in the 7th grade 9n?=?1,713) and acontrol group (n?=?1,328) that did not. The prevention program had protective effects in terms of binge drinking at the 1-year (8th grade) and 2-year (9th grade) follow-up assessments. The proportion of binge drinkers was over 50% lower in the intervention group relative to the control group at the follow-up assessments. There were also several significant program effects on proximal drinking variables, including drinking knowledge, pro-drinking attitudes, and peer drinking norms. These findings indicate that a school-based drug abuse prevention approach previously found to be effective among White youth significantly reduced binge drinking among urban minority youth. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Cue exposure with coping skills treatment for male alcoholics: A preliminary investigation.

Although early investigations were promising, no controlled follow-up studies have investigated the effectiveness of cue exposure treatment for alcoholics. In this study, inpatient alcoholics received either cue exposure integrated with urge coping skills training (CET; n?=?22) or a contrast condition (CC) involving daily contact with assessment only (n?=?18) in addition to standard treatment. Comprehensive assessment measures were used to investigate change in process and outcome variables. In the 2nd 3 mo after treatment, the CET group included more patients who were completely abstinent, had a higher percentage of abstinent days, and tended to report fewer drinks per day than did patients in the contrast condition. The significantly greater use of coping skills during follow-up by the CET group and the significant relationship of these coping skills to decreased drinking suggest that treatment effects were due, at least in part, to the coping skills training, consistent with recent formulations. Theoretical and treatment implications are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Efficacy of brief coping skills interventions that match different personality profiles of female substance abusers.

Female substance abusers recruited from the community were randomly assigned to receive 1 of 3 brief interventions that differentially targeted their personality and reasons for drug use. The 90-min interventions were: (a) a motivation-matched intervention involving personality-specific motivational and coping skills training, (b) a motivational control intervention involving a motivational film and a supportive discussion with a therapist, and (c) a motivation-mismatched intervention targeting a theoretically different personality profile. Assessment 6 months later (N?=?198) indicated that only the matched intervention proved to be more effective than the motivational control intervention in reducing frequency and severity of problematic alcohol and drug use and preventing use of multiple medical services. These findings indicate promise for a client-treatment matching strategy that focuses on personality-specific motives for substance abuse. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The effects of an intensive training and feedback program on police and social workers' investigative interviews of children.

In the present study, we assessed the effectiveness of an extensive training and feedback program with investigative interviewers of child victims of alleged abuse and neglect in a large Canadian city. Twelve investigative interviewers participated in a joint training initiative that lasted 8 months and involved classroom components and extensive weekly verbal and written feedback. Interviewers were significantly more likely to use open-ended prompts and elicited more information from children with open-ended prompts following training. These differences were especially prominent following a subsequent “refresher” training session. No negative effects of training were observed. Clear evidence was found of the benefits of an intensive training and feedback program across a wide variety of investigative interviews with children. Although previous research has found benefits of training with interviewers of child sexual assault victims, the current study extends these findings to a wide range of allegations and maltreatment contexts. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparison of education versus behavioral skills training interventions in lowering sexual HIV-risk behavior of substance-dependent adolescents.

Substance-dependent adolescents (N?=?34) in a residential drug treatment facility received either a 6-session behavior skills training HIV-risk reduction intervention or standard HIV education. After the intervention, adolescents who received behavior skills training exhibited increased knowledge about HIV-AIDS, more favorable attitudes toward prevention and condom use, more internal locus of control, increased self-efficacy, increased recognition of HIV risk and decreases in high-risk sexual activity. Self-report data were corroborated by records for the treatment of sexually transmitted diseases. The results from this pilot demonstration effort suggest that skills training based on cognitive–behavioral principles may be effective in lowering high-risk adolescents' vulnerability to HIV infection and warrant evaluation in a controlled comparison with a larger sample. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Training in substance use disorders assessment and intervention: Design and implementation of a model within a traditional mental health clinic.

This article describes the rationale, design, and implementation of a training experience for psychology interns, doctoral program graduate students, and trainees from psychiatry and social work. The nature of the experience involved the development of assessment and triage skills as well as awareness of treatment strategies for substance use disorders within a traditional outpatient mental health clinic. The impact of a substance use disorder tracking system and the new training experience on clinical and educational processes is presented. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Inhibition by gonadotropins of interleukin-1 production by rabbit granulosa and theca cells: effects on gonadotropin-induced progesterone production

BACKGROUND: School-based drug prevention programs have been criticized on methodologic grounds because the unit of analysis is often not the unit of randomization, thus increasing the likelihood of Type I errors. Application of multilevel analytic strategies appropriately corrects this biasing tendency. This study demonstrates the practical use of such analysis. METHODS: Data from 2,370 seventh-grade students participating in a substance use prevention trial were analyzed using a multilevel strategy. We examined the effectiveness of a social pressure resistance training and a normative education (NORM) intervention against an information-only control group. RESULTS: The NORM condition revealed 1-year program effects for cigarette and marijuana use with individuals as the unit of analysis and only marginal effects with classroom as the unit of analysis. No program effects were found using school as the analysis unit. A multilevel strategy revealed program effects for cigarettes and marijuana with both class and school as grouping levels. The effect for alcohol use was significant at the 2-year follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Interventions establishing conservative drug use norms in classrooms may be an effective strategy in reducing substance use onset among adolescents. Utilization of appropriate analytic strategies is important in the analysis and interpretation of data containing nested structures.     

Competency-Based Behavior Consultation Training: An Evaluation of Consultant Outcomes, Treatment Effects, and Consumer Satisfaction.

Assessments of consultants, clients, and consumer satisfaction were used to examine the effects of a competency-based consultation training program conducted over 4 years. Using a multiple-baseline framework to assess training effects on consultants and single-case study designs to evaluate changes in client behavior, a number of significant results were found. As predicted, consultants (N=24) significantly increased their consultation skills and knowledge, but with no change in attitudes toward behavioral intervention techniques. Supervised consultation with preschool teachers and parents resulted in a range of behavior change in clients (N=39), with an overall effect size of 0.51. Consumers reported a high level of satisfaction with training and consultation services. Results of a long-term follow-up with consultants indicated positive views and use of consultation. The discussion focuses on these results, and implications for consultation training and future research directions. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Coping strategy use following computerized cognitive-behavioral therapy for substance use disorders.

Coping strategies are emerging as a predictor of treatment outcome for substance users and may be particularly important among computerized and self-change approaches. We used data from a randomized clinical trial of a computer-based version of cognitive–behavioral therapy (CBT4CBT) to: (1) examine the association between observer ratings of coping skills and self-reported coping strategies; (2) evaluate whether participants assigned to the CBT4CBT program reported greater use of coping strategies compared with those not exposed to the program; and (3) examine the differential effect of coping strategies by treatment group on drug-related outcomes. Individuals (N = 77) seeking treatment for substance dependence at a community-based outpatient substance abuse treatment facility were recruited and randomized to receive treatment-as-usual (TAU), or TAU plus CBT4CBT, with the Coping Strategies Scale administered at baseline and posttreatment. Self-reported coping strategy use was strongly correlated with observer ratings on a role-play assessment of coping skills. Although no significant group differences were found across time for coping strategy use, results suggested that as coping strategy use increased, drug use decreased, and this relationship was stronger for participants who received CBT4CBT. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

An effectiveness trial of a selected dissonance-based eating disorder prevention program for female high school students: Long-term effects.

Objective: Efficacy trials found that a dissonance-based eating disorder prevention program in which female high school and college students with body image concerns critique the thin ideal reduced eating disorder risk factors, eating disorder symptoms, and future eating disorder onset. The present effectiveness trial tested whether this program produces effects through long-term follow-up when high school clinicians recruit students and deliver the intervention under real-world conditions. Method: Female high school students with body image concerns (N = 306; M age = 15.7 years, SD = 1.1) were randomized to the dissonance intervention or an educational brochure control condition and completed assessments through 3-year follow-up. Results: Dissonance participants showed significantly greater decreases in body dissatisfaction at 2-year follow-up and eating disorder symptoms at 3-year follow-up than controls; effects on other risk factors, risk for eating disorder onset, and other outcomes (e.g., body mass) were marginal or nonsignificant. Conclusions: Although it was encouraging that some key effects persisted over long-term follow-up, effects were on average smaller in this effectiveness trial than previous efficacy trials, which could be due to (a) facilitator selection, training, and supervision; (b) the lower risk status of participants; or (c) the use of a control condition that produces some effects. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Prevention of marital distress: A longitudinal investigation.

This study examines the impact of an intervention designed to prevent divorce and marital distress. Both short- and long-term effects of a cognitive-behavioral marital distress prevention program were assessed. Forty-two couples planning marriage were matched and randomly assigned to intervention (n?=?21) and control (n?=?21) conditions. Couples participated in pre- and postintervention assessment sessions and in similar assessment sessions 1? years and 3 years later. The intervention emphasized communication and problem-solving skills, clarifying and sharing expectations, and sensual/sexual enhancement. Although postintervention results indicated that couples learned the skills taught in the program, no group differences emerged on self-report measures of relationship quality. At 1? years, intervention couples showed higher levels of relationship satisfaction than control couples. At 3 years, intervention couples showed higher levels of both relationship satisfaction and sexual satisfaction and lower levels of problem intensity. These data support cost-effective prevention programs for attacking the major social problem of divorce. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Eleven components of effective drug abuse prevention curricula

A review of school-based drug abuse prevention programs was conducted for 1989-1994. In addition to a comprehensive literature review, interviews were conducted with a panel of 15 leading experts in prevention research. Key elements of promising prevention curricula were identified. Effective prevention programs were found to be based on a sound theoretical or research foundation. They included developmentally appropriate information about drugs, social resistance skills training, and normative education. Broader based personal and social skills training appeared to enhance program effects. Effective programs used interactive teaching techniques and teacher training, and provided adequate coverage and sufficient follow-up. Cultural sensitivity to the target population was found to be critical to program success. Additional program components were expected to enhance curriculum effectiveness. Finally, experts agreed that adequate evaluation of prevention curricula was critical. Unfortunately, despite information about the types of curricula that are effective, the most promising prevention curricula are not widely disseminated. Reasons for under-utilization are explored, and recommendations made for correcting the situation.