Personality-targeted Interventions for Adolescent Alcohol Misuse

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Personality targeted cognitive behavioural interventions have been shown to be effective in reducing alcohol and drug misuse in adult substance abusers (Conrod et al., 2000) and adolescent drinkers (Conrod et al, in press). As these interventions target personality traits linked to risk for addictive and non-addictive mental disorders, the aim of this study is to examine the extent to which this approach can prevent and/or reduce alcohol and drug misuse as well as have an impact on the onset or severity of emotional and behavioural problems in young people.

Detailed Description
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Personality targeted cognitive behavioural interventions have been shown to be effective in reducing alcohol and drug misuse in adult substance abusers (Conrod et al., 2000) and adolescent drinkers (Conrod et al, in press). As these interventions target personality traits linked to risk for addictive and non-addictive psychopathology, the aim of this study is to examine the extent to which this approach is effective in preventing and/or reduce alcohol and drug misuse and concurrent psychiatric symptoms in young people. Method: 875 Participants aged 13-16 years will be screened for personality risk in school-wide self-report assessments. Participants will be randomly assigned to a personality matched cognitive-behavioural intervention or a no-intervention control. The personality matched interventions will target four personality risk factors: negative thinking (NT), anxiety sensitivity (AS), impulsivity (IMP) and sensation seeking (SS). Outcome evaluation will occur 6, 12, 18 and 24 months post intervention. Primary outcomes will be time to onset and severity of alcohol and illicit substance use and misuse. Secondary outcome variables will include depressive symptoms, panic attack rates, reckless and antisocial behaviour. Secondary analyses involving genetic, cognitive and coping skills measures will examine moderators of treatment effects. Hypotheses: It is expected that personality-targeted interventions will have personality-specific effects on aspects of addictive and non-addictive psychopathology to which each personality risk group is most susceptible.

Official Title
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A New School-based Drug Prevention Programme for Teenagers: Interventions That Target Personality Risk for Substance Abuse and Mental Illness

Conditions
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Alcohol Abuse, Drug Abuse, Depression, Panic Disorder, Conduct Disorder

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: PRE-Venture: Personality Risk Education


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: secondary school student scoring one standard deviation above the school mean on one of 4 personality dimensions. Able to provide consent from parent/guardian for participation in the study Exclusion Criteria: None

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 13 Years
Maximum Age: 16 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Prevention
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Factorial Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: learning to cope with your impulsivity<br>cognitive behavioural intervention teaching high impulsive youth how to manage their impulsive thinking and behaviours | Behavioral: PRE-Venture: Personality Risk Education<br>* Motivational and Cognitive-Behavioural interventions targeting four personality risk factors for substance misuse. Two, 90-minute group sessions conducted at school with personality-matched peers and trained psychologists/councellors and co-facilitators.<br>|
| Experimental: learning to cope with your sensation seeking<br>cognitive-behavioural intervention teaching high sensation seeking youth how to manage their need for stimulation and excitement | Behavioral: PRE-Venture: Personality Risk Education<br>* Motivational and Cognitive-Behavioural interventions targeting four personality risk factors for substance misuse. Two, 90-minute group sessions conducted at school with personality-matched peers and trained psychologists/councellors and co-facilitators.<br>|
| Experimental: learning to cope with your anxiety sensitivity<br>cognitive behavioural intervention targeting catastrophic thinking in high anxiety sensitive youth | Behavioral: PRE-Venture: Personality Risk Education<br>* Motivational and Cognitive-Behavioural interventions targeting four personality risk factors for substance misuse. Two, 90-minute group sessions conducted at school with personality-matched peers and trained psychologists/councellors and co-facilitators.<br>|
| Experimental: learning to manage your negative thinking<br>cognitive behavioural intervention targeting pessimistic and negative thinking in hopeless youth | Behavioral: PRE-Venture: Personality Risk Education<br>* Motivational and Cognitive-Behavioural interventions targeting four personality risk factors for substance misuse. Two, 90-minute group sessions conducted at school with personality-matched peers and trained psychologists/councellors and co-facilitators.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Time to onset and severity of drug use | time to illicit drug use events, assessed using the Reckless Behaviour Questionnaire | 2 years | 
| Frequency and Quantity of Drinking |  | 2 years | 
| Problem drinking symptoms | Assessed using an abbreviated version of the Rutger's Alcohol Problem Index | 2 years | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Psychiatric symptoms (depression, panic anxiety, antisocial behaviours), coping skills, motives for drinking | Assessed using the Brief Symptom Inventory, the Reckless Behaviour Questionnaire, and the Drinking Motives Questionnaire. | 2 years | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Prevention, Addiction, Personality, Adolescents, Binge Drinking, Alcohol Abuse, Comorbidity, Depression, Anxiety, Antisocial Behaviour