Grant: Catalyst Grant: Prevention and Treatment of Illicit Substance Use

Marijuana use is a major problem among youth. Such use is linked to a host of negative outcomes and risky behaviours, including academic problems, dropping out of school, increased mental health problems, risky sexual activity, unsafe driving practices, and progression to other illicit drug use. Despite the best intentions, universal prevention programs designed to address this problem in the general population reach only a small number of at risk adolescents effectively. Research suggests that this lack of success occurs because programs fail to address important individual differences. These differences mean that many interventions are misdirected and can even produce in some an increased risk for marijuana use. The present research explores a new way to target differential risk factors for transitions to initiation and escalation of marijuana use in early adolescence. The approach uses an Ask, Assess, and Advise approach. The program first asks about a number of critical social, environmental, and cognitive risk factors. These include past alcohol and tobacco use, cognitive associations with marijuana use, experience with violence and neglect, peer and parent use, and personality traits. The assessment consists of a novel computer-based coding of responses and classification of risk levels against established risk profiles. Finally, individual advice targets the specific risk factor and is linked with the assessment. This program will explore the feasibility of implementing and testing this prevention approach in school-based prevention.