Substance Abuse Prevention (Child & Adolescent) Programs

Substance Abuse Prevention (Child & Adolescent) Programs is defined by the CEBC as 1) primary or universal prevention programs which are designed to prevent substance use, including alcohol, marijuana, and/or other drugs from occurring for the first time in children and adolescents, or 2) secondary or selective prevention programs targeted at individuals or families who are at high risk for substance use and abuse, with a goal of either preventing substance use from occurring or delaying onset of substance use. Programs may target youth directly as well as their parents and other family members, teachers, and other members of a youth's ecosystem. Substance Abuse Prevention (Child & Adolescent) Programs differ in terms of timing, and may target early, middle, or late adolescents. These programs may occur in a variety of settings, including schools, homes, other community settings, and health care settings. Many universal and selective substance abuse prevention programs are delivered in group settings, but may also be self-administered via an instruction manual, online delivery, or an app. Programs targeted at substance abuse prevention aim to reduce risk factors and enhance or promote protective factors. Known risk factors for adolescent substance use include poor parent-child communication, low parental monitoring, family stress, negative peer influences, low academic achievement, poor sense of belonging at school, mental health difficulties, and poor self-regulation and inhibitory control. Known protective factors include family relationships characterized by warmth, acceptance, and support; open parent-child communication; clear rules and expectations about substance use; and individual resiliency. In addition, school-based prevention programs often aim to address school and peer norms around substance use and to improve school climate related to substance use. While there are many programs targeting high-risk families that may be effective in preventing substance use long-term, this definition only includes those programs for which substance use prevention is explicitly stated to be a goal of the program. In addition to preventing, reducing or stopping actual substance use, outcomes targeted by substance use prevention programs may include knowledge of substance use, school and peer norms around substance use, social and refusal skills, future intentions to use, and perceptions of risk associated with substance use.

• Target population: School-age children and adolescents , including those at higher risk for substance use, and their families
• Services/types that fit: School-, family-, and community-based programs, educational efforts (including parent education programs and universal efforts to educate children on substance use), support groups, and family support and strengthening programs
• Delivered by: Educators, social services providers, mental health professionals, trained paraprofessionals, and peer or family partners. Some programs are self-administered via an instruction manual, online delivery, or an app.
• In order to be included: Program must specifically target preventing child and adolescent substance use and/or abuse as a goal (may be a primary or secondary program goal).
• In order to be rated: There must be research evidence (as specified by the Scientific Rating Scale) that examines at least one of the following: 1) changes in child and/or adolescent substance use knowledge, attitudes, and intentions; and/or 2) changes in child and/or adolescent substance use behaviors, such as lower levels of use or decreased/delayed use.

Downloadable Topic Area Summary

The Substance Abuse Prevention (Child & Adolescent) Programs topic area was added in 2019. Sarah Dauber, PhD was the topic expert and was involved in identifying and rating any of the programs with an original load date in 2019 (as found on the bottom of the program's page on the CEBC) or others loaded earlier and added to this topic area when it launched. The topic area has grown over the years and any programs added since 2019 were identified by CEBC staff, the Scientific Panel, and/or the Advisory Committee. For these programs, Dr. Dauber was not involved in identifying or rating them.