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What works in prevention. Principles of effective prevention programs
Maury Nation1, Cindy Crusto, Abraham Wandersman
1Department of Human and Organizational Development, Vanderbilt University, Peabody College, #90, Nashville, TN 37203, USA. maury.nation@vanderbilt.edu
The American Psychologist
|September 16, 2003
Summary
Effective youth prevention programs share nine key characteristics, including comprehensive approaches, varied teaching methods, and sufficient dosage. These principles guide the development of successful interventions for issues like substance abuse and violence.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Developmental Psychology
- Criminology
Background:
- High prevalence of youth problems like drug abuse, delinquency, and violence necessitates effective prevention strategies.
- General principles from successful interventions can guide practitioners in program development and modification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify common characteristics of effective prevention programs across multiple problem areas.
- To synthesize findings from a review-of-reviews to inform prevention practitioners.
Main Methods:
- A review-of-reviews approach was employed.
- Analyzed interventions across four key areas: substance abuse, risky sexual behavior, school failure, and juvenile delinquency/violence.
Main Results:
- Identified nine consistent characteristics of effective prevention programs.
- Key characteristics include: comprehensive nature, varied teaching methods, sufficient dosage, theory-driven approach, positive relationships, appropriate timing, sociocultural relevance, outcome evaluation, and well-trained staff.
Conclusions:
- The identified characteristics provide a framework for planning and implementing effective, problem-specific prevention interventions.
- This synthesis supports the development of multi-problem prevention programs and suggests directions for future research.