Family-Based Interventions for the Prevention of Substance Abuse and Other Impulse Control Disorders in Girls

Abstract

Standardized family-based interventions are the most effective way of preventing or treating adolescent substance abuse and delinquency. This paper first reviews the incidence of adolescent substance abuse worldwide emphasizing gender and causes by etiological risk and protective factors. New epigenetic research is included suggesting that nurturing parenting significantly prevents the phenotypic expression of inherited genetic diseases including substance abuse. Evidence-based family interventions are reviewed including family change theories behind their success, principles and types of family-based interventions, research results, cultural adaptation steps for ethnic and international translation, and dissemination issues. The author's Strengthening Family Program is used as an example of how these principles of effective prevention and cultural adaptation can result in highly effective prevention programs not only for substance abuse, but for other impulse control disorders as well. The conclusions include recommendations for more use of computer technologies to cut the high cost of family interventions relative to youth-only prevention programs and increase the public health impact of evidence-based prevention programs. The paper recommends that to reduce health care costs these family-based approaches should be applied to the prevention and treatment of other impulse control disorders such as obesity and type 2 diabetes, sexually transmitted diseases, and delinquency.

Work It Out Together: Preliminary Efficacy of a Parent and Adolescent DVD and Workbook Intervention on Adolescent Sexual and Substance Use Attitudes and Parenting Behaviors

“…Notably, the outcomes of this intervention compare favorably to the Project STYLE program on which it was based [53], as well as other face-to-face family-based interventions targeting sexual and substance use risk reduction among adolescents [54]. Similar to prior family-based interventions, Work It Out Together improved HIV prevention self-efficacy and parental monitoring, but did not lead to a significant increase in the number of youth initiating sexual activity, with a small number of youth (n = 8; 5 % of the entire sample) beginning sexual intercourse in this period.…”

Género y cambio de actitudes ante el consumo de drogas. Los efectos del Programa de Competencia Familiar con adolescentes (12-14 años)

“…Kumpfer (2014) añade que las estrategias basadas en la familia (como es el caso del Programa de Competencia Familiar) son eficaces generalmente para ambos, mientras que los programas basados en la comunidad y los basados en la escuela, a menudo no son tan eficaces para las chicas.…”

“…Además, en la línea de lo manifestado por Kumpfer (2014) y la UNODC (2016), el Programa de Competencia Familiar puede ser una buena opción para trabajar las actitudes hacia el consumo teniendo en cuenta las diferencias de género, puesto que se trabaja, de forma transversal, actitudes y/ estereotipos de género en la crianza de hijos, factor clave relacionado con el consumo (Becoña, 2002 …”

“…Siguiendo el modelo de ecología social sobre el consumo de drogas por género (Kumpfer, 2014;Kumpfer, Smith, & Summerhays, 2008), el vínculo familiar y la supervisión de los padres tienen un impacto ligeramente mayor en las chicas en la elección de amigos que consumen o no consumen sustancias, de aquí la importancia para ellas de los programas de prevención familiar. Estos autores afirman que el autocontrol conductual y emocional tiene un papel un poco más grande en el consumo de drogas más adelante en los chicos, posiblemente porque los chicos parecen ser más propensos a las dificultades en esta área.…”

“…Como sugiere Kumpfer (2014), solo se evalúa una minoría de las estrategias de prevención de drogas, y de estas solo una pequeña parte ha llevado a cabo un análisis de su eficacia teniendo en cuenta las diferencias de género.…”