Parent program component analysis in a drug abuse prevention trial

Abstract

Purpose: The current study estimates the effects of the parent program component of an evidence-based multi-component drug abuse prevention program for adolescents, Project STAR.

Methods: A total of 351 parents of middle school students, who had been assigned by school to a program or comparison condition (n = 8 schools), completed self-report surveys at baseline and two years later. Analyses estimated effects of the overall parent program as well as its three key constituent activities (parent-school committee participation, parent skills training, and parent-child homework activities) on perceptions of parental influence over their children's substance use.

Results: Results demonstrate that parents who participated in the overall parent program demonstrated greater perceptions of influence over their children's substance use at two-year follow-up. Furthermore, parents who participated in parent-school committees and homework sessions demonstrated greater perceptions of influence over their children's substance use than those who did not.

Conclusions: The findings of this study suggest that parent interventions may increase self-efficacy in parent-child management and communication skills. Results may help inform the development of more cost-effective and immediate prevention strategies for parents.