Developing a tailored substance use intervention for youth exiting foster care

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Substance Use Disorders
• Adolescent Health

Background:

• Youth aging out of foster care encounter substantial obstacles in accessing substance use treatment.
• Mobile interventions show promise in addressing various health issues and may overcome these barriers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and assess the feasibility and acceptability of a mobile intervention (iHeLP) for substance use risk reduction among former foster youth.
• To modify the iHeLP program based on focus group feedback before an open trial.

Main Methods:

• Developed iHeLP: computerized screening and brief intervention (SBI) followed by 6 months of tailored text messages.
• Conducted focus groups (N=24) with 18-19 year olds recently aged out of foster care with moderate to severe substance use risk.
• Delivered iHeLP in an open trial (N=16) assessing feasibility, acceptability, and substance use outcomes at 3 and 6 months.

Main Results:

• Focus groups reported high acceptability of intervention components.
• Open trial showed good feasibility: 43% eligible, 74% of eligible enrolled.
• High participant ratings for SBI and text messaging satisfaction; 59% retention, with dropout linked to criminal justice involvement.

Conclusions:

• A computerized brief screening intervention combined with tailored text messaging is feasible and highly acceptable for youth aging out of foster care.
• The iHeLP program demonstrates potential for substance use risk reduction in this population.
• Addressing barriers through mobile health is a viable strategy for improving treatment access for vulnerable youth.