Substance Use Interventions for Truant Adolescents

Brief Individual and Parent Interventions for Substance Use in Truant Adolescents

This study evaluates a brief motivation-building intervention for parents and teens to reduce truancy and substance use. It is hypothesized that the motivational intervention will result in better outcomes compared to an education-only intervention.

Adolescents who use marijuana and are truant from school are a high-risk population with increased likelihood of substance use disorders, criminal justice involvement, and long-term impairments in vocational, family, and peer domains.

This study will test a theory-driven intervention for early adolescent marijuana using, truant youth identified through Rhode Island Truancy and Family Courts. Adolescents will be randomly assigned to one of the 2 conditions: a motivational interview versus psychoeducation.

Inclusion Criteria:

• the target child is in 6th-10th grade at the start of the project and living at home with at least one parent/guardian,
• the teen must report 6 or more incidences of marijuana use in the last 90 days (an approximation of biweekly use)
• by law, the teen must have at least 20 unexcused absences in an academic year to be in truancy court, and (4) parental consent and teen assent are obtained.

Exclusion Criteria:

• the family is not able to speak and understand English or Spanish well enough to complete study procedures
• developmental delay, as determined by school placements outside the regular classroom, that would affect comprehension of the intervention.