Preventing Prescription Drug Abuse in Middle School Students

 描述(由申请人提供)：这款SBIR快速通道应用程序旨在解决美国青少年中处方药滥用(PDA)的紧迫问题。作为严格设计的评估的一部分，缺乏针对PDA的初级预防计划来证明行为的改变。研究表明，大量滥用处方药的年轻人在青少年时期就开始使用处方药，而且PDA的发病年龄正在下降。虽然有许多针对中学生的药物滥用预防计划，但相对较少的计划侧重于预防PDA。此外，由于课堂时间的限制越来越大，需要新的循证预防方案，灵活地结合使用在线数字技术和课堂/小组组成部分。由于酒精、烟草和其他药物(ATOD)滥用通常与PDA并存，并具有相似的风险和保护因素，因此PDA的预防计划应针对ATOD，并纳入有效预防物质滥用的最佳实践。为了满足对中学生PDA问题有效的初级预防方法的需求，我们建议开发和测试一种被称为生活技能培训(LST)的循证药物滥用和暴力预防方法的改编。LST计划已经过广泛的测试，并在一系列随机对照试验中被发现有效地预防药物滥用、暴力和攻击行为，30多份同行评议的出版物报告了行为影响。拟议的针对中学PDA的预防干预将(1)利用在线数字和面对面干预模式来解决PDA和同时使用ATOD的问题；(2)积极改变社会规范，挑战有关PDA和ATOD使用的积极预期；(3)阻止处方药的转移；(4)通过互动学习和行为预演场景建立社会和自我调节技能，以增强保护因素；以及(5)纳入在线支持会议。在第一阶段，我们将与中学生、教师和学术管理人员一起进行焦点小组测试，以证明材料的可行性、相关性、可用性和吸引力。资料将根据焦点小组的反馈进行修订，然后我们将在第二阶段进行严格的全国随机试验。中学(N=36)将随机分为接受新干预的干预组和接受现有健康教育规划的照常治疗的对照组。在干预期结束时，在6个月和12个月的随访评估中，我们将比较两组关于PDA和ATOD使用的行为、规范、态度和知识的变化。这项研究提供了一种创新的、有效的、互动的和参与性的预防性干预措施，它利用在线数字技术和小组/课堂方法，可以减少PDA，被广泛传播，并最终减少PDA和ATOD的不良后果。

 DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This SBIR FAST-TRACK application is designed to address the urgent problem of prescription drug abuse (PDA) among adolescents in the U.S. There is a dearth of primary prevention programs for PDA that have demonstrated changes in behavior as part of a rigorously designed evaluation. Research shows that a substantial number of youth who misuse prescription drugs initiate use during their teen years and that the age of onset of PDA is decreasing. While there are a number of drug abuse prevention programs for middle school age youth, relatively few programs focus on preventing PDA. Furthermore, due to growing constraints on classroom time, new evidence-based prevention programs are needed that flexibly incorporate the use of online digital technology and classroom/small-group components. Because alcohol, tobacco, and other drug (ATOD) abuse typically co- occur with PDA and share similar risk and protective factors, prevention programs for PDA should address ATOD and incorporate best practices in effective substance abuse prevention. To meet the need for an effective primary prevention approach to the problem of PDA in middle school youth, we propose to develop and test an adaptation of the evidence-based substance abuse and violence prevention approach called Life Skills Training (LST). The LST program has been extensively tested and found to effectively prevent substance abuse, violence and aggression in a series of randomized controlled trials with behavioral effects reported in over 30 peer-reviewed publications. The proposed preventive intervention for middle school PDA will (1) utilize both online digital and face-to-face intervention modalities to address PDA and concurrent ATOD use; (2) positively change social norms and challenge positive expectancies regarding PDA and ATOD use; (3) discourage diversion of prescription medications; (4) enhance protective factors by building social and self-regulation skills through interactive learning and behavioral rehearsal scenarios; and (5) incorporate online booster sessions. In Phase I, we will focus group test the materials with middle school students, teachers, and academic administrators to demonstrate feasibility, relevance, usability, and appeal. Materials will be revised based on focus group feedback, and then we will conduct a rigorous national randomized trial of the prevention program in Phase II. Middle schools (N=36) will be randomized into either an intervention group that will receive the new intervention or a treatment-as-usual control group that will receive existing health education programming. At the end of the intervention period, and at 6- and 12-month follow-up assessments, we will compare both groups with respect to changes in behaviors, norms, attitudes, and knowledge regarding PDA and ATOD use. This research offers the potential to identify an innovative, effective, interactive, and engaging preventive intervention that utilizes both online digital technology and small-group/classroom methods and that can reduce PDA, be widely disseminated, and, ultimately, decrease the adverse consequences of PDA and ATOD use.