Testing a Multilevel Preventive Intervention in Youth Courts

NCT02764099 | Completed DMC

• 1 other identifier: R34DA034888
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 423
• Locations: 0 countries
• Sites: N/A

Brief Summary

The proposed research is designed to adapt and test an evidence-based drug abuse prevention approach for use in youth courts among first-time, non-violent, adolescent offenders. The ultimate goal is to reduce the adverse health, legal, and social consequences of youth drug abuse, violence, and delinquency. Planned project activities include conducting: 1) key informant interviews of youth court directors regarding logistical and intervention features of effective youth court programming; and, 2) a randomized controlled efficacy trial of an adapted version of Life Skills Training, an evidence-based drug and violence prevention program. It is anticipated that the findings will provide critical information on implementing evidence-based prevention programs for new populations and settings and will support preparations for a large-scale effectiveness trial in youth peer courts.

Conditions

Drug Abuse

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

• Substance Use Behavior, Intentions, Attitudes and Perceived Norms at Baseline

  Substance Use Behavior and Intentions: For 13 substance-related items (e.g., alcohol, tobacco, cocaine, methamphetamines, steroids), participants will be asked to indicate frequency of use. Drug Attitudes: Sixteen items will be used to assess participants' attitudes about drug use, perceived characteristics of drug users and the perceived social benefits of drug use. Drug Norms \& Knowledge: Normative expectations related to drug use will be assessed including perceived prevalence of drug use among peers and among adults. Friends' and adult substance use will be measured. Drug Refusal Skills will be assessed using five items that measure the ability to resist peer pressure to engage in substance use.

  Pre-test (prior to participating in the first session of the intervention)

• Change in Baseline Substance Use Behavior, Intentions, Attitudes and Perceived Norms at Post-Intervention

  Substance Use Behavior and Intentions: For 13 substance-related items (e.g., alcohol, tobacco, cocaine, methamphetamines, steroids), participants will be asked to indicate frequency of use. Drug Attitudes: Sixteen items will be used to assess participants' attitudes about drug use, perceived characteristics of drug users and the perceived social benefits of drug use. Drug Norms \& Knowledge: Normative expectations related to drug use will be assessed including perceived prevalence of drug use among peers and among adults. Friends' and adult substance use will be measured. Drug Refusal Skills will be assessed using five items that measure the ability to resist peer pressure to engage in substance use.

  Post-test (within 2 weeks of completing final session of the intervention)

• Change in Baseline Substance Use Behavior, Intentions, Attitudes and Perceived Norms at 6-months

  Substance Use Behavior and Intentions: For 13 substance-related items (e.g., alcohol, tobacco, cocaine, methamphetamines, steroids), participants will be asked to indicate frequency of use. Drug Attitudes: Sixteen items will be used to assess participants' attitudes about drug use, perceived characteristics of drug users and the perceived social benefits of drug use. Drug Norms \& Knowledge: Normative expectations related to drug use will be assessed including perceived prevalence of drug use among peers and among adults. Friends' and adult substance use will be measured. Drug Refusal Skills will be assessed using five items that measure the ability to resist peer pressure to engage in substance use.

  6-month followup (within 6-7 months of completing final session of intervention)

Secondary Outcomes (3)

• Aggressive, Violent, and Delinquent Behavior at Baseline

  Pre-test (prior to participating in the first session of the intervention)

• Change in Baseline Aggressive, Violent, and Delinquent Behavior at Post-Intervention

  Post-test (within 2 weeks of completing final session of the intervention)

• Change in Baseline Aggressive, Violent, and Delinquent Behavior at 6-months

  6-month followup (within 6-7 months of completing final session of intervention)

Study Arms (1)

Life Skills Training

EXPERIMENTAL

All youth who consent to participate in the proposed study will 1) complete the youth peer court sanction delivered by the jury of peers (e.g., apologies or essays, restitution, curfew and travel restrictions, counseling, etc.), which will constitute "treatment as usual"; and 2) complete pre, post, and six-month follow-up surveys. Those randomized to the intervention condition (n=280) will participate in the LST program concurrently during the weeks when they serve as peer court jurors.

Behavioral: Life Skills Training

Interventions

Life Skills Training BEHAVIORAL

The Life Skills Training (LST) program is a comprehensive competence enhancement prevention approach that teaches resistance skills while also emphasizing generic personal and social skills training. The LST program content and skills training is delivered to youth participants by trained providers through instruction, demonstration, behavioral rehearsal with feedback and social reinforcement, extended practice through homework assignments, and didactic teaching methods.

Also known as: LST

Life Skills Training

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 13 Years - 17 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may not qualify if:

• Any previous experience with the intervention program will also exclude adolescents from participating

Sponsors & Collaborators

• National Health Promotion Associates, Inc.: lead

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Substance-Related Disorders

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Chemically-Induced Disorders; Mental Disorders

Study Officials

• Christopher Williams, Ph.D.

  National Health Promotion Associates

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: INDUSTRY
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Senior Vice President

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: September 29, 2015
• First Posted: May 6, 2016
• Study Start: May 1, 2016
• Primary Completion: July 1, 2018
• Study Completion: August 1, 2018
• Last Updated: January 14, 2019

Record last verified: 2019-01

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share