Authors: Dana Leidl, Louise Thornton, Cath Chapman, Ina Koning, Katrina Champion, Lexine Stapinski, Tim Slade, Maree Tesson, Nicola Newton
Year: 2017
Event: 2017 TheMHS Conference
Subject: Lifespan – Children, Youth, Adults, Older People,Technology, e-health,Promotion, Prevention, Early Intervention
Type of resource: Conference Presentations and Papers
Abstract: Early initiation of substance use significantly increases risk of subsequently developing substance dependence and mental disorder later in life. To interrupt this trajectory, effective prevention during the adolescent period is critical. Parents play a key role in preventing substance use and related harms among adolescents and parenting interventions have been identified as critical components of effective substance use prevention programs. Despite this, there is currently no Australian substance use prevention program targeting both students and parents, and no integrated model internationally that adopts online delivery to overcome barriers to implementation and sustainability. The Australian Government Department of Health recently funded a team at the Centre of Research Excellence in Mental Health and Substance Use to develop and test the first integrated, online substance use prevention program for students and parents, as part of the work of National Prevention Portal, Positive Choices (www.positivechoices.org.au). The parenting component for Climate Schools Plus is based on a successful Dutch program developed by Dr Ina Koning, and informed by consultation with parents, teachers and researchers. This paper will describe the program and its development including the results from a survey of over 240 Australian parents, and will outline plans for evaluation and implementation in 2017-2018.
Learning Objectives
Learning Objective 1:
- Increased awareness of the patterns of drug and alcohol use among young people in Australia;
- Increased understanding of the role parents can play in influencing their adolescents’ substance use;
- Increased knowledge about effective approaches for preventing drug and alcohol use harms among young people.
Learning Objective 2:
Early initiation of substance use significantly increases the risks of developing a substance dependence or other mental disorder later in life. Effective prevention in adolescence thus provides an opportunity to curb the substantial costs associated with substance use. The program to be showcased in this presentation is comprehensive, evidence-based, and could be implemented widely as part of a national strategy to significantly reduce the burden of disease, social costs, disability, and demand on mental health services associated with early substance use in young Australians.
References
Newton, N., Champion, K.E., Slade, T., Chapman, C., Stapinski, L., Koning I, et al. (In Press). A systematic review of integrated student- and parent-based programs to prevent
alcohol and other drug use among adolescents. Drug and Alcohol Review.
Koning, I. M., van den Eijnden, R. J., Verdurmen, J. E., Engels, R. C., & Vollebergh, W. A. (2011). Long-term effects of a parent and student intervention on alcohol use in adolescents: a cluster randomized controlled trial. American Journal of Preventative Medicine, 40(5), 541-547.
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