Pilot Study of Sibling Prevention Program

描述(由申请人提供)：我们建议试行一项普遍计划，旨在小学接近尾声时加强家庭保护因素，从而缓冲儿童在青春期早期即将出现的药物使用风险上升和相关问题。拟议中的计划旨在通过关注兄弟姐妹关系来加强家庭关系，并将在小学向兄弟姐妹二人组传授，从哥哥姐姐上五年级，弟弟妹妹小一到三岁(美国兄弟姐妹的典型年龄间隔是两到三岁)开始。这一创新方案将家庭干预的力量与小学的普遍背景以及关注兄弟姐妹关系的非耻辱性家庭结合在一起。试点将在农村和半农村学区进行，因为农村青年的物质使用水平与其他青年相同或更高，而关于农村物质使用的研究落后于其他背景下的研究。此外，考虑到相对缺乏其他机会和地理距离，农村地区的兄弟姐妹可能对彼此产生特别重要的影响。公共卫生相关性：该项目旨在测试以家庭为重点的创新干预措施，重点放在兄弟姐妹关系以及父母对兄弟姐妹关系的管理上。兄弟姐妹在很大程度上影响着彼此的物质使用和其他问题行为。该计划将改善兄弟姐妹关系，以减少负面和强制性行为的发展，这些行为会导致与反社会同龄人的联系。开发和传播新的、有效的预防方案，如提议的方案，将对个人、家庭和社会产生重大的公共健康益处。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): We propose to pilot test a universal program developed to enhance family protective factors near the end of elementary school, thereby buffering children from the elevated risks of substance use and associated problems that will soon emerge in early adolescence. The proposed program is designed to strengthen family relationships through a focus on the sibling relationship and will be delivered in elementary schools to groups of sibling dyads beginning when the older sibling is in fifth grade and the younger sibling is one to three years younger (the modal age spacing for siblings in the U.S. is two to three years). This innovative program combines the power of family intervention with the universal context of the elementary school and a non-stigmatizing family focus on sibling relationships. The pilot will be conducted in rural and semi-rural school districts because rural youth have equal or higher levels of substance use compared to other youth, and research on rural substance use has lagged behind that in other contexts. Moreover, given the relative lack of other opportunities and geographic distances, siblings in rural areas can be especially important influences on each other. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: This project seeks to test an innovative family-focused intervention focused on sibling relationships, as well as parent management of sibling relations. Siblings influence each other's substance use and other problem behaviors to a substantial degree. The program would improve sibling relationships in order to decrease the development of negative and coercive behaviors, which then lead to association with antisocial peers. Developing and disseminating new, effective preventive programs such as the one proposed would have substantial public health benefits for individuals, families, and society.