A systematic review explored the creation and maintenance of community coalitions as effective for alcohol and other drug (AOD) prevention in adolescence. Community coalitions influence the implementation of effective and sustainable community-based prevention via infrastructure supporting development, delivery, and assessment of human service…

This study identified the preliminary curriculum components for the preparation of graduate-level addiction counselors. A review of the related literature revealed no agreed upon standards for post baccalaureate instruction of addiction counseling. The Delphi method was used to establish curriculum items from a list of 198 previously identified…

Drug abuse, or substance abuse, is a substantial public health problem in the United States, particularly among high school students. The purpose of this article was to review school-based programs implemented in high schools for substance abuse prevention and to suggest recommendations for future interventions. Included were English language…

Objectives: Resident physicians report insufficient experience caring for patients with substance use disorders (SUDs). Resident training in Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) has been recommended. We describe the development of a standardized patient (SP) assessment to measure SBIRT skills, resident perceptions of…

Examines the importance of peer influence and personal attitudes in relation to self-reported use of alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana for 213 younger adolescents and 219 older adolescents. Friends' use was significantly related to substance use for both age groups, both sexes, and all substances examined. Resistance self- efficacy was…

Identifies and analyzes several variables important in predicting the likelihood of abstinence among substance abuse clients. Data was collected from 1,350 clients treated for alcohol or drug abuse in residential, halfway house, or outpatient facilities. Analyzing 22 variables as possible treatment outcome predictors, results found one…

Self-report drug use data were collected from 282 female alternative school students. Logistic regression analyses indicated that sexual abuse history was significantly associated with lifetime use. While the relationships tested in this study are exploratory, they provide evidence for an important connection between sexual abuse and substance use…

The drug-using behaviors of 14,520 college students were examined with data collected through the 1997 College Alcohol Study. Prevalence estimates of ecstasy use were generated and associations between ecstasy use, demographic characteristics, and alcohol and other drug use were explored. Implications for these findings are discussed. (Contains 24…

Reports findings from a national longitudinal cross-site evaluation of high-risk youth to clarify the relationships between risk and protective factors and substance use. Findings suggest that multi-dimensional prevention programming stressing the fostering of conventional anti-substance use attitudes among parents and peers and development of…

Examines the individual and neighborhood variation in perceived risk along dimensions of substance abuse and usage patterns. Risk perceptions were found to be more closely tied to one's direct experience with drugs rather than a general constellation of beliefs. Illustrates the complex links between individual and contextual factors in the…

Explores the relationship between college students' self-reports of adolescent substance use and scores on indices tapping different aspects of guilt. Results suggest that a stronger internalization of societal standards, as reflected by higher scores on Standards and Situational Guilt, may prove a useful tool in the prevention of substance use.…

Faced with the absence of a conceptual framework and the terminology for establishing evaluation criteria in the substance abuse prevention services field, this special issue is devoted to exploring the topics of accountability and performance measures. It discusses the requisite components (i.e., theory, methodology, convention on terms, data)…

Study tests two models to compare the effects of risk and resiliency across gender and ethnicity. Results support the model in which risk and resiliency are discrete sets of factors and demonstrate that overall resiliency factors play a larger role than risk factors in substance use and drug resistance processes. Gender proved to be an important…

Presents program evaluation data from school and community application of a physical fitness drug prevention program. Results reveal significant increases in physical activity and physical fitness. Youth self-report data indicates significant decreases in risk factors such as low self-concept, poor school attendance, anxiety, depression, and…

Substance abuse following recidivism is high for both men and women. Studies conducted at DePaul University suggest one type of recovery home for alcohol abuse recovery has potential. Within this self-help communal living setting, recovering alcoholics were able to maintain employment, thus increasing personal responsibility and possibly impacting…