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Direct and Mediated Effects of a Social-Emotional and Character Development Program on Adolescent Substance Use
The International Journal of Emotional Education
|December 6, 2013
Summary
The Positive Action (PA) program effectively reduced adolescent substance use (SU) by improving social-emotional and character development (SECD) skills in urban youth. This school-based intervention demonstrated that enhanced SECD fully explains the reduction in SU.
Area of Science:
- Adolescent psychology
- Public health interventions
- Educational program evaluation
Background:
- Adolescent substance use (SU) is influenced by multiple factors, necessitating comprehensive prevention strategies.
- School-based programs are crucial for addressing the complex determinants of SU in youth.
- Evaluating program effectiveness and underlying mechanisms is essential for successful interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the effectiveness of the Positive Action (PA) school-based program in reducing SU among low-income, urban adolescents.
- To investigate social-emotional and character development (SECD) as a mediating mechanism for PA's impact on SU.
- To provide evidence-based insights for adolescent substance use prevention and SECD initiatives.
Main Methods:
- Longitudinal mediation analysis was employed to examine the study hypotheses.
- Comparison between students in PA intervention schools and control schools.
- Assessment of changes in SECD and SU over time within the study sample.
Main Results:
- The PA program significantly reduced substance use (SU) in the target adolescent population.
- Students participating in the PA program showed significant improvements in social-emotional and character development (SECD).
- The positive effects of the PA program on SU were completely mediated by improvements in SECD.
Conclusions:
- School-based social-emotional and character development (SECD) programs, like Positive Action (PA), can effectively reduce adolescent substance use (SU).
- Improvements in SECD are a key mechanism through which PA achieves its positive outcomes on SU.
- Findings support the integration of SECD programs into school curricula for adolescent substance use prevention.
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