Pilot Study of Sibling Prevention Program

描述（由申请人提供）：我们提议对一项普遍计划进行试点测试，该计划旨在提高小学毕业时的家庭保护因素，从而缓冲儿童在青少年早期即将出现的物质使用和相关问题的高风险。该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提供，从哥哥姐姐上五年级，弟弟妹妹小一到三岁开始（美国兄弟姐妹的模态年龄间隔为两到三岁）。这个创新的项目将家庭干预的力量与小学的普遍背景和对兄弟姐妹关系的非污名化家庭的关注结合起来。该试点将在农村和半农村学区进行，因为农村青年的药物使用水平与其他地区的青年相同或更高，而关于农村药物使用的研究落后于其他地区。此外，由于相对缺乏其他机会和地理距离，农村地区的兄弟姐妹可以对彼此产生特别重要的影响。公共卫生相关性：该项目旨在测试一种创新的以家庭为重点的干预措施，其重点是兄弟姐妹关系以及父母对兄弟姐妹关系的管理。兄弟姐妹在很大程度上影响彼此的物质使用和其他问题行为。该项目将改善兄弟姐妹关系，以减少消极和强制性行为的发展，从而导致与反社会的同龄人交往。制定和传播新的、有效的预防方案，如所提议的方案，将对个人、家庭和社会的公共卫生产生实质性的好处。

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.