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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2009 Jul:(16):45-56.
doi: 10.15288/jsads.2009.s16.45.

Trial of the university assistance program for alcohol use among mandated students

Hortensia Amaro  1 , Marilyn Ahl, Atsushi Matsumoto, Guillermo Prado, Christina Mulé, Amaura Kemmemer, Mary E Larimer, Dale Masi, Philomena Mantella
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Trial of the university assistance program for alcohol use among mandated students

Hortensia Amaro et al. J Stud Alcohol Drugs Suppl. 2009 Jul.

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a brief intervention for mandated students in the context of the University Assistance Program, a Student Assistance Program developed and modeled after workplace Employee Assistance Programs.

Method: Participants were 265 (196 males and 69 females) judicially mandated college students enrolled in a large, urban university in the northeast United States. All participants were sanctioned by the university's judicial office for an alcohol- or drug-related violation. Participants were randomized to one of two intervention conditions (the University Assistance Program or services as usual) and were assessed at baseline and 3 and 6 months after intervention.

Results: Growth curve analyses showed that, relative to services as usual, the University Assistance Program was more efficacious in reducing past-90-day weekday alcohol consumption and the number of alcohol-related consequences while increasing past-90-day use of protective behaviors and coping skills. No significant differences in growth trajectories were found between the two intervention conditions on past-90-day blood alcohol concentration, total alcohol consumption, or weekend consumption.

Conclusions: The University Assistance Program may have a possible advantage over services as usual for mandated students.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Flow of study participants. UAP = University Assistance Program. *As of October 15, 2008. Students who did not complete the 3-month follow-up survey within a 30-day “completion window” following the date on which they were scheduled to complete it were considered “lost to follow-up.” A total of 265 participants were eligible for the 3-month follow-up assessment at the time of the analyses; of these, 223 completed it, resulting in a completion rate of 84.2%. A total of 249 participants were eligible for the 6-month follow-up at the time of the analyses; of these, 207 completed it, resulting in a completion rate of 83.1%.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Changes in percentages of students consuming alcohol on weekdays (Sunday-Wednesday) from baseline to 6 months; UAP = University Assistance Program; SAU = services as usual
Figure 3
Figure 3
Changes in alcohol-related consequences from baseline to 6 months; UAP = University Assistance Program; SAU = services as usual
Figure 4
Figure 4
Changes in coping skills from baseline to 6 months; UAP = University Assistance Program; SAU = services as usual
Figure 5
Figure 5
Changes in use of protective behaviors from to 6 months; UAP = University Assistance Program; SAU = services as usual
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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