NCJ Number
226053
Journal
Journal of Child and Adolescent Substance Abuse Volume: 18 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2009 Pages: 16-23
Date Published
January 2009
Length
8 pages
Annotation
This study investigated the impact of a school-based education and counseling program, Life Skills Training (LST) Program, on adolescents’ perceptions of substance abuse.
Abstract
Findings revealed that the acquired information for LST would likely be a beneficial resource to participants in terms of prevention, relapse maintenance, general socialization skills, and decisionmaking. Results provide further support for the LST program and provide the relevant literature with a different ethnic and regional sample for comparison. By investigating “Don’t Know” responses separately from incorrect responses, the research revealed a more detailed account of baseline views and more accurate effects of the LST program. Reported findings strongly suggest that the LST program is efficacious in altering adolescents’ views of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs (ATOD) use. Although changes were observed and likely due to LST, definitive conclusions cannot be drawn due to the absence of a control group for comparison. Similarly, maturation effects cannot be ruled out as catalysts of change. Data were collected from 338 elementary or middle-school students ranging in age from 7 to 12 years old. Tables and references