Marina Tolou-Shams1, Emily F Dauria2, Johanna Folk3, Martha Shumway4, Brandon D L Marshall5, Christie J Rizzo6, Nena Messina7, Stephanie Covington8, Lauren M Haack9, Tonya Chaffee10, Larry K Brown11. 1. University of California, San Francisco, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, 1001 Potrero Ave, San Francisco, CA, 94110, United States. Electronic address: marina.tolou-shams@ucsf.edu. 2. University of California, San Francisco, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, 1001 Potrero Ave, San Francisco, CA, 94110, United States. Electronic address: emily.dauria@ucsf.edu. 3. University of California, San Francisco, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, 1001 Potrero Ave, San Francisco, CA, 94110, United States. Electronic address: johanna.folk@ucsf.edu. 4. University of California, San Francisco, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, 1001 Potrero Ave, San Francisco, CA, 94110, United States. Electronic address: martha.shumway@ucsf.edu. 5. Brown University School of Public Health, Department of Epidemiology, 121 South Main Street, Providence, RI, 02912, United States. Electronic address: Brandon_Marshall@brown.edu. 6. Department of Applied Psychology, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Ave, Boston, MA, 02115, United States. Electronic address: c.rizzo@northeastern.edu. 7. UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse Programs, 11075 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 200, Los Angeles, CA, 90025, United States. Electronic address: nmessina@g.ucla.edu. 8. Center for Gender and Justice, La Jolla, CA, United States. Electronic address: sc@stephaniecovington.com. 9. University of California, San Francisco, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, 1001 Potrero Ave, San Francisco, CA, 94110, United States. 10. University of California, San Francisco, Department of Pediatrics, 1001 Potrero Ave, San Francisco, CA, 94110, United States. Electronic address: tonya.chaffee@ucsf.edu. 11. The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, 222 Richmond St, Providence, RI, 02903, United States. Electronic address: LKBrown@lifespan.org.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Girls have unique developmental pathways to substance use and justice system involvement, warranting gender-responsive intervention. We tested the efficacy of VOICES (a 12-session, weekly trauma-informed, gender-responsive substance use intervention) in reducing substance use and HIV/STI risk behaviors among justice- and school-referred girls. METHODS: Participants were 113 girls (Mage = 15.7 years, SD = 1.4; 12 % White, 19 % Black, 15 % multi-racial; 42 % Latinx) with a history of substance use referred from juvenile justice (29 %) and school systems (71 %). Study assessments were completed at baseline, 3-, 6- and 9-months follow-up. Primary outcomes included substance use and HIV/STI risk behaviors; secondary outcomes included psychiatric symptoms (including posttraumatic stress) and delinquent acts. We hypothesized that girls randomized to the VOICES (n = 51) versus GirlHealth (attention control; n = 62) condition would report reduced alcohol, cannabis and other substance use, HIV/STI risk behaviors, psychiatric symptoms, and delinquent acts. RESULTS: Girls randomized to VOICES reported significantly less cannabis use over 9-month follow-up relative to the control condition (time by intervention, p < .01), but there were no between group differences over time in HIV/STI risk behavior. Girls in both conditions reported fewer psychiatric symptoms and delinquent acts over time. CONCLUSIONS: Data support the use of a trauma-informed, gender-responsive intervention to reduce cannabis use among girls with a substance use history and legal involvement; reducing cannabis use in this population has implications for preventing future justice involvement and improving public health outcomes for girls and young women, who are at disproportionate health and legal risk relative to their male counterparts.
BACKGROUND: Girls have unique developmental pathways to substance use and justice system involvement, warranting gender-responsive intervention. We tested the efficacy of VOICES (a 12-session, weekly trauma-informed, gender-responsive substance use intervention) in reducing substance use and HIV/STI risk behaviors among justice- and school-referred girls. METHODS: Participants were 113 girls (Mage = 15.7 years, SD = 1.4; 12 % White, 19 % Black, 15 % multi-racial; 42 % Latinx) with a history of substance use referred from juvenile justice (29 %) and school systems (71 %). Study assessments were completed at baseline, 3-, 6- and 9-months follow-up. Primary outcomes included substance use and HIV/STI risk behaviors; secondary outcomes included psychiatric symptoms (including posttraumatic stress) and delinquent acts. We hypothesized that girls randomized to the VOICES (n = 51) versus GirlHealth (attention control; n = 62) condition would report reduced alcohol, cannabis and other substance use, HIV/STI risk behaviors, psychiatric symptoms, and delinquent acts. RESULTS: Girls randomized to VOICES reported significantly less cannabis use over 9-month follow-up relative to the control condition (time by intervention, p < .01), but there were no between group differences over time in HIV/STI risk behavior. Girls in both conditions reported fewer psychiatric symptoms and delinquent acts over time. CONCLUSIONS: Data support the use of a trauma-informed, gender-responsive intervention to reduce cannabis use among girls with a substance use history and legal involvement; reducing cannabis use in this population has implications for preventing future justice involvement and improving public health outcomes for girls and young women, who are at disproportionate health and legal risk relative to their male counterparts.
Authors: Michael G Vaughn; Millan AbiNader; Christopher P Salas-Wright; Katherine Holzer; Sehun Oh; Yeongjin Chang Journal: Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse Date: 2020-06-09 Impact factor: 3.829