Brief interventions targeting personality risk factors for adolescent substance misuse reduce depression, panic and risk-taking behaviours

Abstract

Background: Personality-targeted cognitive-behavioural interventions have been proven to be effective in reducing alcohol-related behaviours in adolescents.

Aims: As these interventions target personality traits linked to risk for non-addictive psychopathology, the aim of this study is to examine the extent to which this approach can also prevent the onset or reduce relevant psychological problems in youth.

Method: Participants aged 13 – 16 years (n = 423) were randomly assigned to either a personality matched cognitive-behavioural intervention or a no-intervention control. The personality matched interventions targeted four personality risk factors: negative thinking (NT), anxiety sensitivity (AS), impulsivity (IMP), and sensation seeking (SS).

Results: Baseline and follow-up data were obtained on depression scores, panic attacks, and reckless behaviour. Results showed a moderate effect of the NT intervention on depression scores, and a similar effect of the AS intervention on panic attack and truancy (i.e., school avoidance). A small but significant intervention effect was found for shoplifting for the entire sample, as well as a moderate intervention effect on this outcome for the IMP intervention group.

Conclusions: These intervention effects indicate that personality-targeted interventions designed to prevent alcohol misuse, can concurrently reduce other relevant psychological problems in youth.

Keywords:

• Adolescents
• cognitive behavioural interventions
• prevention
• personality
• panic attacks
• depression
• reckless behaviour
• truancy
• substance abuse