ABSTRACT
We aimed to examine the impact of a school-based Motivational Interviewing (MI) intervention, Project READY, on reducing adolescent substance use. We randomly assigned students (N = 244) to receive the intervention immediately (READY First) or to be in a waitlist control group (WLC). Those in WLC received the intervention once those in READY First had completed the intervention. Our hypotheses were: (1) adolescents in READY First would make greater initial reductions in their alcohol and marijuana use compared to adolescents assigned to WLC, (2) adolescents in READY First would make greater initial reductions in their alcohol and marijuana-related consequences compared to adolescents assigned to WLC, and (3) upon completing treatment, adolescents assigned to WLC would yield substance-related outcomes comparable to their peers in the READY First group. We found that those in READY First made greater initial decreases in their marijuana use and substance-related consequences upon completing treatment than participants in WLC, during the first phase of the study. Once both groups had completed the active intervention, those in the WLC had comparable marijuana use to those in READY First. At enrollment, daily marijuana users were equally represented in both groups. Post-treatment, significantly fewer participants reported daily marijuana use in the READY First group, prior to treatment initiation for WLC. Comparable reductions were observed once WLC began treatment. Those in WLC were observed to make reductions in their alcohol use at the same rate as those in READY First, prior to treatment initiation. Participants were not observed to make differential reductions in alcohol use based on group assignment. The findings from this study support the effectiveness of school-based MI interventions for adolescent marijuana use and provide evidence that MI is a critical and effective component within such interventions.
Subject(s)
Motivational Interviewing/methods , Outcome Assessment, Health Care , School Health Services , Substance-Related Disorders/therapy , Adolescent , Female , Humans , MaleABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Nonmedical prescription stimulant (NPS) use is an important problem among university students. The present studies applied the prototype-willingness model (Gibbons, Gerrard & Lane, 2003) to academic-based NPS use and examined the impact of academic versus health information on university students' NPS use cognitions. DESIGN AND METHODS: Study 1 used the prototype-willingness model to examine cognitions associated with academic-based willingness to use NPS. In Study 2, participants were randomly assigned to a control condition or to read information on the negative academic or negative health effects of NPS use. Beliefs, willingness, and expectation of engaging in future NPS use, prototypes of users, and perceived vulnerability were assessed. RESULTS: Students without a prescription for stimulants or a diagnosis of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) participated in each study (Ns = 555; 166). Twenty to thirty per cent reported NPS use, primarily for academic reasons. Controlling for past NPS, alcohol, and marijuana use: friends' NPS use, prototypes, perceived vulnerability, and negative health and positive academic beliefs were associated with willingness to use NPS in Study 1. Study 2 demonstrated that participants in the academic-information condition reported the lowest willingness and expectations as well as the least favourable prototypes of NPS users. Participants in the health-information condition reported the highest perceived vulnerability. CONCLUSIONS: These studies highlight: the utility of using a health model framework to examine NPS cognitions, the importance of examining beliefs about the behaviour, and the potential for academic and health information to reduce risky NPS use cognitions.
