BACKGROUND: Adolescent substance use is associated with both earlier childhood behavioural problems and serious lifetime addiction problems later in life. AIMS: To examine whether, and through which mechanisms, targeting risk factors in early childhood prevents substance use across adolescence. METHOD: Disruptive kindergarten boys (n = 172) living in Montreal were randomly allocated to a preventive intervention and a control condition. The intervention was delivered over 2 years (7-9 years of age) with two main components: (a) social and problem-solving skills training for the boys; and (b) training for parents on effective child-rearing skills. RESULTS: Adolescent substance use, up to 8 years post-intervention, was reduced in those who received the intervention (d = 0.48-0.70). Of most interest, the intervention effects were explained partly by reductions in impulsivity, antisocial behaviour and affiliation with less deviant peers during pre-adolescence (11-13 years). CONCLUSIONS: Adolescent substance use may be indirectly prevented by selectively targeting childhood risk factors that disrupt the developmental cascade of adolescent risk factors for substance use.
RCT Entities:
BACKGROUND: Adolescent substance use is associated with both earlier childhood behavioural problems and serious lifetime addiction problems later in life. AIMS: To examine whether, and through which mechanisms, targeting risk factors in early childhood prevents substance use across adolescence. METHOD: Disruptive kindergarten boys (n = 172) living in Montreal were randomly allocated to a preventive intervention and a control condition. The intervention was delivered over 2 years (7-9 years of age) with two main components: (a) social and problem-solving skills training for the boys; and (b) training for parents on effective child-rearing skills. RESULTS: Adolescent substance use, up to 8 years post-intervention, was reduced in those who received the intervention (d = 0.48-0.70). Of most interest, the intervention effects were explained partly by reductions in impulsivity, antisocial behaviour and affiliation with less deviant peers during pre-adolescence (11-13 years). CONCLUSIONS: Adolescent substance use may be indirectly prevented by selectively targeting childhood risk factors that disrupt the developmental cascade of adolescent risk factors for substance use.
Authors: Ralph E Tarter; Levent Kirisci; Ada Mezzich; Jack R Cornelius; Kathleen Pajer; Michael Vanyukov; William Gardner; Timothy Blackson; Duncan Clark Journal: Am J Psychiatry Date: 2003-06 Impact factor: 18.112
Authors: Natalie Castellanos-Ryan; Jean-Baptiste Pingault; Sophie Parent; Frank Vitaro; Richard E Tremblay; Jean R Séguin Journal: Dev Psychopathol Date: 2016-12-29
Authors: Charlie Rioux; Natalie Castellanos-Ryan; Sophie Parent; Frank Vitaro; Richard E Tremblay; Jean R Séguin Journal: Dev Psychopathol Date: 2015-06-01
Authors: Frances M Cronin; Ricardo Segurado; Fionnuala M McAuliffe; Cecily C Kelleher; Richard E Tremblay Journal: Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry Date: 2016-05-31 Impact factor: 4.785
Authors: Francis Vergunst; Nicholas Chadi; Massimiliano Orri; Camille Brousseau-Paradis; Natalie Castellanos-Ryan; Jean R Séguin; Frank Vitaro; Daniel Nagin; Richard E Tremblay; Sylvana M Côté Journal: Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry Date: 2021-05-31 Impact factor: 4.785
Authors: Charlie Rioux; Natalie Castellanos-Ryan; Sophie Parent; Frank Vitaro; Richard Ernest Tremblay; Jean Richard Séguin Journal: Can J Psychiatry Date: 2018-04-22 Impact factor: 4.356
Authors: Francis Vergunst; Richard E Tremblay; Daniel Nagin; Yann Algan; Elizabeth Beasley; Jungwee Park; Cedric Galera; Frank Vitaro; Sylvana M Côté Journal: JAMA Psychiatry Date: 2019-10-01 Impact factor: 21.596