# Presentation: 892332

## Prevention Research

**The Substance Abuse Prevention Specialist Training**

**Prevention Research**

## Prevention Research

**Why study prevention research?**
**“****Evidence-based” prevention is the standard of accountability in the field**
**Prevention theory assists in identifying what contributes to substance abuse and how it can be prevented**
**Results depend on the quality of the research that guides prevention**

## What is “Evidence-based” Prevention?

**Based upon research meeting commonly agreed-upon criteria of rigor**
**Guided by credible and substantiated research evaluation**
**Principles, strategies and programs that are theory-driven, well implemented, and shown to have an effect on specific behaviors, or on specific risk factors that have been linked to them**
**	****(SAMHSA’s Prevention Platform online glossary and CSAP’s Southwest CAPT Community Mobilization for Prevention online course glossary)**

## Why All the Concern Over Evidence-based Prevention?

**To use the most effective programs and strategies**
**To improve existing programs**
**To use limited resources wisely**
**To ensure public accountability**
**To meet requirements of federal and state agencies and private funders**

## What Should a Good Theory Do?

**Identify the factors that predict substance abuse**
**Explain the mechanisms through which they operate**
**Identify the internal and external variables that influence these mechanisms, including cultural factors**
**Predict points to interrupt the course leading to substance abuse**
**Specify the interventions to prevent onset of substance abuse**

## Activity

## Similar to public health model of disease prevention:  focus on decreasing risk and increasing protection
Risk factors predict substance abuse and protective factors can buffer risk factors
To prevent substance abuse, reduce risk factors and increase protective factors throughout an individual’s life

**Risk factors predict substance abuse and protective factors can buffer risk factors**
**To prevent substance abuse, reduce risk factors and increase protective factors throughout an individual’s life**

**Risk & Protective Factors Theory**

## Risk and protective factors:
Can be influenced by individual, family, school, and environmental change strategies
Have a cumulative effect
Occur in communities, families, schools, and individuals and are subject to change

**Can be influenced by individual, family, school, and environmental change strategies**
**Have a cumulative effect**
**Occur in communities, families, schools, and individuals and are subject to change**

**Risk & Protective Factors Theory**

## Different adolescent health and behavior problems share common risk factors
Substance Abuse
Delinquency
Teen Pregnancy
School Drop-out
Violence
Depression & Anxiety

**Substance Abuse**
**Delinquency**
**Teen Pregnancy**
**School Drop-out**
**Violence**
**Depression & Anxiety**

**Risk & Protective Factors Theory**

## Multiple studies
Longitudinal
Predictive

**Longitudinal**
**Predictive**

**Criteria for Inclusion ****as a Risk Factor**

## Community Risk Factors

**Community Risk Factors**

**Availability of alcohol/other drugs**
**Community laws and norms ****favorable toward drug use**
**Transitions and mobility**
**Low neighborhood attachment and community disorganization**
**Extreme economic deprivation**

|  | Risk Factors | AdolescentProblem Behaviors |  |  |  |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Do-main |  | Substance 
Abuse | Depression 
& Anxiety | Delin-
quency | Teen Preg. | School Dropout | Violence |
| C
O
M
M
U
N
I
T
Y | Availability of alcohol/other drugs |  |  |  |  |  | 
 |
|  | Community laws and norms favorable to drug use |       |  |  |  |  | 

 |
|  | Transitions and mobility |  |       |  |  |     |  |
|  | Low neighborhood attachment and community disorganization  |   |  |  |  |  |     |
|  | Extreme economic deprivation |  |  |  |   |     |  |
|  |  |      |  |      |    |      |  |
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |

## Family Risk Factors

**Family Risk Factors**

**Family history of substance abuse**
**Family management problems**
**Family conflict**
**Parental attitudes and ****involvement in drug use**

|  | Risk Factors | AdolescentProblem Behaviors |  |  |  |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Do-main |  | Substance 
Abuse | Depression 
& Anxiety | Delin-
quency | Teen Preg. | School Dropout | Violence |
| F
A
M
I
L
Y | Family history of the problem behavior |  |        
        |     |   |     | 
 |
|  | Family management problems |       | 
 |  |   |     | 

 |
|  | Family conflict |  |       |  |  |     |  |
|  | Favorable parental attitudes and involvement in problem behaviors  |   |  |  |  |  |     |
|  |  |  |  |  |   |     |  |
|  |  |      |  |      |    |      |  |
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |

## School Risk Factors

**School Risk Factors**

**Academic failure beginning in elementary school**
**Lack of commitment to school**

|  | Risk Factors | AdolescentProblem Behaviors |  |  |  |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Do-main |  | Substance 
Abuse | Depression 
& Anxiety | Delin-
quency | Teen Preg. | School Dropout | Violence |
| S
C
H
O
O
L | Academic failure beginning n late elementary school |  |        
       |     |   |     | 

 |
|  | Lack of commitment to school |       | 
 |  |   |     | 

 |
|  |  |  |       |  |  |     |  |
|  |  |   |  |  |  |  |     |
|  |  |  |  |  |   |     |  |
|  |  |      |  |      |    |      |  |
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |

## Individual/Peer Risk Factors

**Individual/Peer ****Risk Factors**

**Early and persistent antisocial behavior**
**Rebelliousness**
**Friends who use drugs**
**Favorable attitudes toward drugs**
**Early initiation of drug use**
**Gang involvement**
**Constitutional factors**

|  | Risk Factors | AdolescentProblem Behaviors |  |  |  |  |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Do-main |  | Substance 
Abuse | Depression 
& Anxiety | Delin-
quency | Teen Preg. | School Dropout | Violence |
| I
N
D
I
V
I
D
U
A
L

 | Early and persistent antisocial behavior |  |        
        |     |   |     | 
 |
|  | Rebelliousness |       | 
 |  |   |     | 

 |
|  | Friends who engage in the problem behavior |  |   |  |  |   |  |
|  | Favorable attitudes toward the problem behavior |   |  |  |  |  |     |
|  | Gang involvement |  |  |  |   |     |  |
|  | Constitutional factors |      |       |      |    |      |  |
|  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |

## Protective Factors

**Protective Factors**
**(community, family, school, peer)**

**Individual characteristics**
**Resilient temperament**
**Positive social orientation**
**Bonding**
**Opportunities **
**Skills**
**Recognition**
**Healthy beliefs and clear standards**

## The Social Development Strategy

- Healthy Beliefs
- &
- Clear Standards

- Bonding
-  Attachment
-  Commitment

- Healthy Behaviors

- Opportunities

- Skills

- Recognition

- Individual
- Characteristics

## ActivityRisk and Protective Factor Sculpture

## Resiliency Approach

**Focuses on how children “bounce back” in the face ****of adversity**
**Is based largely on the work of Emmy Werner**
**Includes several factors which foster resilience in kids**
**Is a “promising” approach**

## Developmental Assets

**Developmental Assets**
**Framework**

**Emphasizes strengths in people**
**Focuses on youth as resources, not problems**
**Focuses on increasing the number of assets present in youths’ lives**
**Is a “promising” framework**

## Community

_**Community**_

_**Family**_

_**School**_

_**Individual/Peer**_

**Other Adult Relationships**
**Service to Others**
**Creative Activities**
**Youth Programs**
**Youth as Resources**
**Time at Home**
**Parental Involvement**
**Reading for Pleasure**
**Homework **

**Personal Power**
**Cultural Competence**
**Family Boundaries**
**Interpersonal Competence**
**Peaceful Conflict Resolution**
**Planning & Decision Making**
**Resistance Skills**

**Community Values Youth**
**Youth Given Useful Roles**
**Caring School Climate**
**High Expectations**

**Neighborhood Boundaries**
**Equality & Social Justice**
**School Boundaries**
**Integrity**

**Honesty ****Responsibility**
**Sense of Purpose**
**Positive View of ****Personal Future**

**Delays Gratification**
**Overcomes Adversity**
**Exhibits Leadership**
**Resists Danger**

**Succeeds in School**
**Helps Others**
**Values Diversity**
**Maintains Good Health**

**Caring Neighborhood**
**Religious Community**
**Adult Role Models**
**Safety**

**Family Support**
**Positive Family ****Communication**

**Bonding to School**
**School Engagement**
**Achievement Motivation**

**Positive Peer Influence**

**Personal Control Self-Esteem**
**Restraint**

**Skills**

**Opportunities**

**Healthy Behaviors**

**Healthy Beliefs &**
**Clear Standards**

**Individual Characteristics**

**Recognition**

**Bonding**

## Three Case Studies in Prevention

**Select a facilitator, a timekeeper, and a recorder**
**Read the case study assigned to your group**
**Determine which risk factors and protective factors are at work in your case**
**Report back to whole group**

## Case Studies

**Is there consensus on which risk factors were identified?**
**Is there consensus on which protective factors were identified?**
**How might our values and culture influence which factors we see present?**

## Caution!

**Purpose of this case study activity:**
**To begin using the risk factor and protective factor language**
**To see what risk and protective factors might look like in a community**
**Risk and Protective Factors are identified in communities using a formal assessment**** **
**Section 3 presents a process for assessing the levels of risk and protective factors in communities**
**Data collection and analysis drives the process**

## QUESTIONS and DISCUSSION

**QUESTIONS and DISCUSSION**