Mechanisms of Influence on Youth Substance Use for a Social-Emotional and Character Development Program: A...

Area of Science:

• Adolescent Health
• Developmental Psychology
• Public Health Interventions

Background:

• The Theory of Triadic Influence (TTI) offers a framework for adolescent substance use.
• Social-emotional and character development programs aim to influence adolescent behaviors.
• Understanding the mechanisms of these programs is crucial for effective prevention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine how the Positive Action (PA) program, guided by TTI, influences adolescent substance use.
• To assess the mediating roles of self-control, deviant peer affiliation, and school attachment in the PA program's effects.
• To analyze longitudinal data from a diverse cohort of students across a six-year period.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal matched-pairs cluster-randomized control trial involving approximately 1,200 students (grades 3-8).
• Data collected at eight time points using validated scales for substance use, self-control, peer affiliation, and school attachment.
• Latent growth modeling used to test mediation effects aligned with TTI's three streams.

Main Results:

• Students in PA schools reported significantly lower substance use, including drinking and getting drunk.
• Significant indirect effects of the PA program on substance use were mediated by longitudinal changes in self-control.
• No significant mediation effects were found for deviant peer affiliation or school attachment.

Conclusions:

• Findings support the TTI framework and highlight the critical role of self-control in reducing adolescent substance use.
• The Positive Action program demonstrates effectiveness in mitigating substance use through enhanced self-control.
• Future research should explore program implementation in diverse settings and incorporate additional theory-based measures.