Adolescent Problem Behavior, Alcohol Abuse, Marijuana Abuse, Substance Abuse, Truancy; Socialized, Truancy; Unsocialized
Conditions
Keywords
Brief intervention, Behavioral intervention, Juvenile justice, Motivational enhancement
Brief summary
This study evaluates a brief motivation-building intervention for parents and teens to reduce truancy and substance use. It is hypothesized that the motivational intervention will result in better outcomes compared to an education-only intervention.
Detailed description
Adolescents who use marijuana and are truant from school are a high-risk population with increased likelihood of substance use disorders, criminal justice involvement, and long-term impairments in vocational, family, and peer domains. This study will test a theory-driven intervention for early adolescent marijuana using, truant youth identified through Rhode Island Truancy and Family Courts. Adolescents will be randomly assigned to one of the 2 conditions: a motivational interview versus psychoeducation.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALMotivational + Family Check-up (MET+FCU)
In the MET session, motivational strategies of individualized normative feedback, examining decisional balance, and providing information/advice will be used to support goals for behavior change and to examine barriers to changes. There are four specific phases of the FCU session: (1) Self-assessment: Parents are asked if they learned anything about their family from participating in the assessment. (2) Support and clarification: The interviewer supports the parent's self-assessment efforts, assesses their level of understanding, and clarifies issues within the family. (3) Feedback: A summary form of the assessment is reviewed. (4) Action Plan: Throughout the session, the counselor works with the parent to develop a brief, written Action Plan about communication and monitoring.
OTHERPsychoeducation
Psychoeducation about substances is provided to teens and parents.
Sponsors
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Brown University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE (Subject, Outcomes Assessor)
Masking description
Participants will not be informed about which intervention arm they receive. Assessors will have the condition of the participant masked.
Intervention model description
Two-arm randomized controlled trial
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
12 Years to 18 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* the target child is in 6th-10th grade at the start of the project and living at home with at least one parent/guardian, * the teen must report 6 or more incidences of marijuana use in the last 90 days (an approximation of biweekly use) * by law, the teen must have at least 20 unexcused absences in an academic year to be in truancy court, and (4) parental consent and teen assent are obtained.
Exclusion criteria
* the family is not able to speak and understand English or Spanish well enough to complete study procedures * developmental delay, as determined by school placements outside the regular classroom, that would affect comprehension of the intervention.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in Frequency of Marijuana Use | Last 90 days at baseline, and 3, 6, and 12 months | Total number of marijuana use days . |
| Change in Quantity of Marijuana Use per Occasion of Use | Last 90 days at baseline and 3, 6, and 12 months | Average quantity of marijuana use per day |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in Days truant from school | Last 90 days at baseline, and 3, 6, and 12 months | School attendance based on objective school records |
| Change in Days truant from school, self-report | Last 90 days at baseline, and 3, 6, and 12 months | School attendance based on self-report |
Countries
United States
Outcome results
None listed