One-year outcomes and mediators of a brief intervention for drug abusing adolescents Article

Winters, KC, Lee, S, Botzet, A et al. (2014). One-year outcomes and mediators of a brief intervention for drug abusing adolescents . PSYCHOLOGY OF ADDICTIVE BEHAVIORS, 28(2), 464-474. 10.1037/a0035041

cited authors

  • Winters, KC; Lee, S; Botzet, A; Fahnhorst, T; Nicholson, A

authors

abstract

  • Two manually guided brief interventions were evaluated with a randomized, controlled trial. Adolescents (aged 13-17 years) suspected of abusing alcohol and other drugs and their parent were randomly assigned to receive either a 2-session adolescent only (BI-A), 2-session adolescent and additional parent session (BI-AP), or assessment only control condition (CON). Adolescents were identified in a school setting, and the intervention was delivered by trained counselors. Outcome analyses (N = 284; 90% of those enrolled) of relative change (from intake to 12 months) and absolute status (at 12 months) revealed a general pattern of reductions in drug use behaviors, particularly with the cannabis outcome measures, in both active conditions (BI-A and BI-AP). Students in the control condition showed worse outcome compared with the BI-A and BI-AP groups. Among the 4 mediating variables measured at 6 months, use of additional services, motivation to change, and parenting practices had significant influences on 12-month outcome; problem-solving skills approached significance as a mediator. The potential value of a brief intervention for drug abusing adolescents is discussed. © 2014 American Psychological Association.

publication date

  • January 1, 2014

published in

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

start page

  • 464

end page

  • 474

volume

  • 28

issue

  • 2