Preventing Prescription Drug Abuse in Middle School Students

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 peer reviewed publications The proposed preventive intervention for middle school PDA will utilize both online digital and face to face intervention modalities to address PDA and concurrent ATOD use positively change social norms and challenge positive expectancies regarding PDA and ATOD use discourage diversion of prescription medications enhance protective factors by building social and self regulation skills through interactive learning and behavioral rehearsal scenarios and 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 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 and 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 PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE This SBIR FAST TRACK application is designed to address the critical need to reduce prescription drug abuse PDA among youth The project is designed to develop and test for effectiveness a universal prevention approach for PDA that uses a combination of online digital technology and classroom small group intervention methods This research offers the potential to identify an innovative effective interactive and engaging preventive intervention capable of reducing PDA and alcohol tobacco and other drug ATOD use that can be widely disseminated throughout the country and ultimately decrease the adverse consequences of PDA and other related forms of substance abuse