Intervention for marijuana using, court-involved non-incarcerated youth

Justice-involved youth (JIY) are at elevated risk for substance use and for substance use-related harm compared to non-JIY. Marijuana use is of significant concern in this population, as it is tied to reoffending. Motivational enhancement therapy (MET) and electronic interventions show promise in reducing youth substance use; the degree to which these findings extend to JIY requires additional research attention. Thus, the purpose of this study was to test the preliminary feasibility and effectiveness of a combined brief electronic parenting intervention plus a brief MET-based electronic intervention for JIY adolescents, followed by feedback and development of a change plan with a court worker, on marijuana use.

Participants were 83 parent-youth dyads recruited from a diversionary family court program who screened positive for past-year marijuana use. At baseline and 3- and 6-month follow-ups, youth self-reported on their substance use, parental monitoring, peer substance use, and dyads completed a discussion task querying parental monitoring, limit setting, and substance use. The study randomized dyads to psychoeducation or the experimental intervention condition post-baseline. The MET-based intervention involved the self-administered e-TOKE (an electronic, marijuana-specific assessment and feedback tool) and a brief follow-up meeting with court staff counselors to review feedback and create a marijuana use change plan. Caregivers completed a computer program aimed at improving parenting and communication with their adolescents. The study administered feasibility and acceptability measures for both conditions.

Feasibility of study procedures was demonstrated through recruitment and retention (∼75 % success). Acceptability ratings from youth, parents, and court staff were high and positive. While levels of parental monitoring, as assessed by an observational task, improved over the course of the study, the intervention did not result in a significant change in any of the outcomes tested.

Despite high acceptability and feasibility ratings for the use of an electronic plus in-person MET intervention, reduction of marijuana and other substances was limited for most youth. This suggests that a more intensive intervention, such as stepped care, may be necessary for JIY who are not specifically referred for court proceedings due to marijuana use or those with already well-established use patterns.