Transcript presentation source - State of CT-DMHAS

PUTTING PREVENTION
RESEARCH TO PRACTICE
Prepared by:
DMHAS Prevention, Intervention & Training Unit, 9/27/96
Karen Ohrenberger, Director
Dianne Harnad, Prevention Program Supervisor
Carol Meredith, Primary Prevention Services Coordinator
Karen Charette, Health Program Assistant
PREVENTION
Prevention promotes constructive lifestyles that discourage drug
abuse and promotes development of social environments that
facilitate drug-free lifestyles.
Prevention is designed to prevent or delay the age of first use of
alcohol, tobacco and other drugs and fosters the involvement
among all segments of community and major societal
systems.
Prepared by Prevention, Intervention & Training Unit, 6/19/96
NIMH Prevention Continuum
Universal Interventions - designed for reception by all
segments of the population (PSA; school/parent curriculum;
community awareness; alternative activities; known as
primary prevention).
Selected Interventions - directed towards populations
characterized by epidemiologically established risk factors
(high risk youth, children of substance abusers, etc.; early
intervention).
Indicated Interventions - strategies designed to reverse, in
specific individuals, an already initiated pathogenic sequence
(secondary prevention or intervention).
Best Practices in Prevention
•Research & Conceptual Framework
•Accuracy, Efficacy & Credibility of Approach
•Needs Assessment
•State-of-the-Art
•Goals & Objectives
•Outcome & Process Evaluation
•Comprehensive Approach
•Integrates Overall Health Promotion
•Community Involvement & Ownership
•Long-Term Commitment
•Replicability
Prevention Research
Silver bullet, one size fits all, for prevention, does not
work!
Research indicates that drug use and abuse have multiple
causes, pathways, and correlates (Jones & Battjes 1985).
Risk factor research for drug use onset and progression
to abuse has provided a theoretical basis for designing
prevention programs.
Risk & Protective Factors
Research has identified
factors in each of these
domains that increase the
likelihood of someone
developing a disorder (risk
factors) as well as factors
that decrease the likelihood
(protective factors).
Risk Factors
FAMILY
•Family Management Problems
•Family history/drug use
SCHOOL
•Lack of student involvement
•Availability of drugs
COMMUNITY
•Lack of social networks
•Lack of youth involvement
PEERS
•Isolations
•Favorable attitudes toward drug
use
Protective Factors
FAMILY
•Close bond with child
•Clear expectations
SCHOOL
•Goal setting & mastery
•Parental involvement
COMMUNITY
•Laws supporting non-use
•Access to resources
PEERS
•Drug free activities
•Respect authority
Prevention Research Findings
•Effective programs target all forms of
drug use and are age appropriate and
culturally appropriate.
•Long-term, enduring programs have more
impact on those most at risk for drug use
and abuse.
•More intensive, and earlier, prevention
efforts must be used with the higher the
level of risk target group.
Prevention Research Findings (continued)
•Community programs that include media
campaigns and policy changes are
strengthened with parallel school and
family interventions.
•Communities need to assess and strengthen
social norms against drug use in any
interventions developed.
•School programs should include skills to
resist drug offers, social competency
skills (including communications and
assertiveness), and normative education
designed to correct students’
misperceptions about their peers’ drug use.
Prevention Research Findings (continued)
•Childrens’ programming should include
parents’ or caregivers’ component.
•Family focused prevention efforts have a
greater impact than parent-focused or
child-focused strategies.
•Schools offer opportunities to reach all
populations including children with
behavior problems or learning disabilities.
Seven Components of Effective Prevention Program
for High-Risk Youth
Early & Sustained Intervention Over Time
Individual Attention, Assuring Attachment of High-Risk Youth to a Responsible,
Caring Adult
Focus on the Acquisition of Basic Cognitive Skills
Provision of Social & Life Skills Training to Promote Social Competency &
Resistance to Peer Influence
Involvement of Youth in Decision Making & Exposure to the World of Community
& Work
Involvement of Parents through Home Visits, Provision of Services & Concern for
their Basic Needs
Staff Development for all Levels of Care Takers (teachers, social workers, case aides,
etc.) to Understand Child & Adolescent Development & Cultural Differences
Prevention Principles for Community
Programs
•A comprehensive prevention program includes components for the
individual, the family, the school, the media, community organizations,
and health providers.
•Media & Public Education strategies are used to increase public
awareness, attract community support, reinforce school-based
curriculum, and keep the public informed.
•Program components should be coordinated with other community
efforts to reinforce prevention messages.
•Interventions should be designed to reach different at-risk populations.
•Programs should follow a structured plan that progresses from needs
assessment through planning, implementation, and review.
•Objectives and activities should be specific, time-limited, feasible, and
integrated to work together across program components.