Project AIM: Preventing Illicit Substance Use Among Middle School Children

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Illicit substance use among youth continues to be a serious public health concern, particularly the vast numbers of youth in middle school and lower grades who use alcohol and drugs. Also, whereas substance use appears to be declining among high school students, no such decline is evident among middle schoolers. School-based prevention programs are the most widely used prevention method for adolescents, and such programs can be effective in delaying initiation and reducing frequency of substance use. But such programs are more difficult to implement in our era of accountability for academic achievement. There is a clear need for continued development of brief school-based programs that address substance use and other problem behaviors while enhancing academic achievement and promoting positive development. The overall aim of the proposed research is to test an innovative, theory-driven adaptation of a middle-school-based prevention program, Project AIM (Adult Identity Mentoring), that shows promise for preventing or delaying early initiation of substance use, curtailing other problem behaviors, enhancing academic achievement, and teaching skills for identifying and pursuing life goals. We propose a prospective nonrandomized quasi-experimental comparison group study of the efficacy of the AIM curriculum within four middle schools with high percentages of students who are at risk for substance use, related behavioral problems, and academic difficulties. Cohorts of sixth graders at each school will either receive the AIM curriculum as part of their year-long Health course or will receive the standard Health course alone. This application is consistent with PA-06-317, Drug Abuse Prevention Intervention Research: R21, in that it proposes a theory-based, developmentally informed program of research that applies current knowledge regarding social cognition and individual differences to the prevention of substance use and other problematic behavioral outcomes. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: There is a clear need for continued development of brief school-based prevention programs that address substance use and other problem behaviors while enhancing academic achievement and promoting positive development. The proposed research will test an innovative, theory- driven middle-school-based prevention program, Project AIM (Adult Identity Mentoring), that shows promise for preventing or delaying early initiation of substance use, curtailing other problem behaviors, and teaching skills for identifying and pursuing life goals. This application is consistent with the goals of PA-06-317, Drug Abuse Prevention Intervention Research (R21), in that it proposes a theory-based, developmentally informed program of research that applies current knowledge regarding social cognition and individual differences to the prevention of substance use and other problematic behavioral outcomes.