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Evaluation of a preventive intervention for a self‐selected subpopulation of children
Author(s) -
Short Jerome L.,
Roosa Mark W.,
Sandler Irwin N.,
Ayers Tim S.,
Gensheimer Leah K.,
Braver Sanford L.,
Tein Jenn-Yun
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
american journal of community psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.113
H-Index - 112
eISSN - 1573-2770
pISSN - 0091-0562
DOI - 10.1007/bf02506937
Subject(s) - health psychology , psychology , clinical psychology , mental health , coping (psychology) , public health , competence (human resources) , medicine , psychiatry , social psychology , nursing
Abstract Evaluated an experimental preventive intervention developed for children who perceived their parents as problem drinkers. The 8‐session program was designed to improve children's coping, self‐esteem, and social competence, and modify alcohol expectancies which were specified as mediators of the effects of parental alcohol abuse on child mental health. Participants were 271 self‐selected 4th‐, 5th‐, and 6th‐grade students in 13 schools. The children were randomly assigned to treatment or delayed treatment conditions and the program was given to three successive cohorts of students. A meta‐analysis across three different cohorts indicated significant program effects to improve knowledge of the program content and the use of support‐ and emotion‐focused coping behaviors for the full sample. A slightly stronger range of effects was found for a high‐risk subsample.