Researchers from the Institute of Psychiatry (IoP), King’s College London, have found that a school-based, personalised intervention programme delivered by school staff can significantly decrease teenage drinking and binge drinking.

A trial showed a 40 per cent reduction in teenage drinking rates in a group of pupils who took part in the intervention programme, and a 55 per cent reduction in binge drinking rates, relative to a control group.

In the past ten years alcohol consumption in 12-17 years-olds has doubled. In a 2009 survey, 17.42 per cent of 11-15 year-olds in England reported to have drunk alcohol in the previous week. To give teenagers the skills to manage personality traits that are associated with risk for addiction, a drug and alcohol prevention programme named ‘Preventure’ was developed which has had significant results in reducing the uptake of alcohol and drugs when delivered by health professionals. The research published this week aimed to determine whether the programme was effective at reducing drinking and binge drinking rates when delivered by school staff, in a study named ‘Adventure’.

First, the researchers evaluated 2,506 adolescents, with a mean age of 13.7, using the Substance Use Risk Profile scale, a 23-item questionnaire that assesses personality risk for substance abuse along four dimensions including sensation-seeking, impulsivity, anxiety-sensitivity, and hopelessness.

Of the 1159 students identified by researchers as being at high risk for substance abuse, 624 then received intervention as part of the Adventure trial. A matched high risk group of 384 received no intervention. School-based interventions consisted of two 90-minute group sessions conducted by a trained educational professional. In order to adequately evaluate the students, the teachers attended a three-day rigorous workshop, followed by a four-hour supervision and feedback session. An 18-point checklist was used to determine whether the teachers demonstrated a good understanding of the aims and components of the programmes.

Although the trial was designed to evaluate mental health symptoms, academic achievement and substance use uptake over a two-year period, the authors have focused their findings on the six-month outcomes of drinking and binge drinking rates, quantity by frequency of alcohol use, and drinking-related problems. The results show that the interventions were extremely successful and significantly decreased the likelihood of the teenagers drinking, or binge drinking.

A sustainable prevention programme

Principal Investigator Dr Patricia Conrod commented: ‘The findings at six months suggest that this approach may provide a sustainable school-based prevention programme for youth at risk for substance abuse. In-house, personality-targeted interventions allow schools to implement early prevention strategies with youth most at risk for developing future alcohol-related problems and provide the potential for follow-up of the neediest individuals.’

Nick Barton, Chief Executive of Action on Addiction, who commissioned the trials, said: ‘Large numbers of those we treat for addiction say that their relationship with substances began in their school years. So the development of a programme for young people that may help them reduce their chances of developing an addiction in the future is exciting.’

Trisha Jaffe, Headteacher, Kidbrooke School, who took part in the trials said: ‘The work with King’s College London has been a powerful addition to the work we have been doing with students to support them to be successful. It helps to identify young people at risk of impetuous or destructive behaviours. Having done so, we can work with them to support them to manage life and their choices more effectively. We have been really grateful for the support that King’s has given us and to the skills it has added to our staff who have now taken over the running of both the assessment and the interventions. This is an approach that can make a difference.’

O’Leary-Barrett M, Mackie CJ, Castellanos-Ryan N, Al-Khudhairy N, Conrod PJ. Personality-targeted interventions delay uptake of drinking and decrease risk of alcohol-related problems when delivered by teachers. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry, 2010;49(9):954 –963 can be viewed online at Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry - http://www.jaacap.com/article/S0890-8567(10)00452-1/abstract

Intervention lowers teenage drinking rates

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