Brief Individual and Parent Interventions for Marijuana Misuse in Truant Adolescents — HEAL Supplement

Anthony Spirito, PhD, ABPP
Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University

Co-Investigators:
Rani Elwy, PhD, Sarah Helseth, PhD, Sara Becker, PhD, Kathleen Kemp, PhD

Research Assistant: Gabriela Aisenberg, BA
Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, and Brown University School of Public Health '

Background

• 4 out of 5 youth in the juvenile justice (JJ) system show evidence of being under the influence during their offenses, and over half test positive for substances at the time of their arrest (Hockenberry &. Puzzanchera, 2014).
• There is an unmet need for effective prevention and intervention strategies for opioid misuse within JJ settings (Chassin, 2008).

Study aims

Aim One:

• Assess knowledge of opioids, perceptions of risk of opioid use, parental monitoring strategies, and use of adaptive skills among court involved, non-incarcerated (CINI) parent-adolescent dyads.

Aim Two:

• To conduct a small open trial of the preventive intervention with 10 CINI adolescents and their parents/guardians.

Research Strategy:

Setting: Teens and caregivers are recruited through the Rhode Island Family Court

Qualitative Methods:

• Interviews are guided by the Information Motivation Behavior (IMB) Model
• Iterative coding approach will examine:
  • Participant impressions of opioids, personal experiences, opioid use in the community
  • Inter and intrapersonal reasons to use or not use opioids
  • Behavioral skills such as communication, monitoring, and safety skills

Sample Quotes from Parents and Teens

PAR 708: “I’m assuming they’re uppers. No, downers. They’re downers. I don’t know, I guess...OxyContin, that’s an opioid, no? Opioids are not my thing.”

TEEN 704: “Wow that’s crazy. I didn’t know fentanyl is an opioid. Morphine, Percocet. I hear... in rap songs.”

PAR 701: “I’ve known people, a lot of people who have died from using it. My son’s father died from a heroin overdose.”

TEEN 703: “I know my uncle used to be addicted to it, and uh, I know it changed his life, but as far as like, what I know about it, I don't really know much.”

PAR704: “Um, on the news I heard {about Naloxone}, but I didn’t, like, you know, I knew they were sayin’ something—they had some kind of thing that saves your life or whatever.”

TEEN 709: We aren’t at risk because kids my age couldn’t get that type of stuff... I don’t do it, so it don’t matter to me.”

TEEN 702: “Depression... wouldn’t personally like take opioids for depression. I would just smoke marijuana, but that’s just personal...if that’s what helps you then that’s—you can do it. So I’m like against it, [but] at the same time, I’m not.”

Potential Intervention Content

• Information/Knowledge
• Perception of Risk/Expectancies
• Motivation Enhancement
• Skill Acquisition