Good Practices
Selective prevention programme: Personal Growth Class
Name of Programme:
Personal Growth ClassTarget Population:
Selective; high school youth (grades 9 - 12) who are actual or potential dropouts.Setting:
School.Theoretic Basis:
? social network support theories;
? social control, strain and learning theories.
Programme Description:
The original Personal Growth Class was designed to reduce adolescent drug involvement and to increase school performance and emotional well-being in high-risk youth who have either dropped out of school or have the potential to do so. In later applications, the programme was refined to address underestimated levels of depression and related mental health problems and to ensure that core components were emphasized consistently.
Based on the theory that adolescent behaviours are shaped and reinforced within a network of social relations, the base programme focused on two areas: social support and life-skills training. The peer group was the context for the support component, which consists of group support, friendship development and school bonding through student/teacher relationships and teacher modeling.
There are four skills training units: self-esteem, decision-making, personal control and interpersonal communication. Each unit follows a logical transition from introduction, skills development, application and transfer and relapse prevention. Each skill is applied to problems brought out in the group, itself, as well as in the context of the programme goals of reduced substance use, improved school performance and mood management.
The programme concentrates on individual skill development first and then moves to interpersonal and interactional skills in order to parallel the group development processes. A positive peer culture is promoted through support and caring, meeting the needs of the group and individuals, monitoring behaviour, motivating youth to change and setting personal and group goals.
The revised version of the programme is based on lessons from the original application: the programme needed to be more consistently delivered and needed to address the high levels of depression and suicidal ideation that emerged. As a result, the skills training component was enhanced to include managing depression, anger and suicidal behaviours. Also, the units were reorganized and re-sequenced to add more personal control content and remove the career development unit.
Contact Time:
? one semester, five month elective course;? within the context of the regular high school curriculum;
? daily for 55 minutes for 90 days.
Leader Type and Training Provided:
Experienced and skilled teachers (12:1 ratio) were selected and intensely trained prior to programme implementation. The training consisted of a three-day workshop by the investigators as well as biweekly meetings to discuss topics identified and provide ongoing support and peer consultation. Half-day planning and evaluation sessions were held at the beginning and end of the semester. The teachers were monitored weekly by a school counsellor and programme director in order to determine the fidelity of the programme implementation.
Results:
In the original version of the programme, participants showed reduced drug use and drug control problems as well as increased school performance. The participants also showed improvements in self-esteem and enhanced school bonding. Once the programme ended, the effects were less consistently sustained. The programme was more effective in decreasing drug use behaviours than in reversing the progression of actual drug use.
The refined version did not improve on these results, however, there was reduced frequency of hard drug use and reduced levels of depression, anger, stress and increased levels of self-esteem. The curriculum enhancements that integrated skills training applied to drug involvement throughout the programme decreased hard drug use, thus helping to stem the progression from legal to illicit drugs.
Specific skills training within the context of a multifaceted intervention worked because it met the specific needs of high-risk youth.
Author's Comments:
? need to refine our knowledge of what works for specific adolescent behaviours;
? anger and depression management skills have beneficial effects;
? participants responded well to the emotional well-being content.
Reviewer's Comments:
Noteworthy programme because it addressed the needs of a group who were at the "edge of the cliff". This was the last chance for the system to make a difference for them. The programme was carefully and specifically designed to meet their needs. Substance abuse reduction was in some degree a secondary benefit of the other goals of the programme, which had to do with the many risk factors for substance abuse. The emotional state of the students was taken into account and addressed.
In terms of prevention principles emphasized, this programme, especially the refined version, was based on clear data about the needs of the specific population being served. The goals were very clear and took into account the many complex factors that lead to substance abuse in terms of school bonding and performance, lack of peer and social support systems and the presence of depression and uncontrolled anger without the appropriate coping skills.
The selective target group was well defined and carefully selected based on a number of criteria. The programme was geared to the specific needs of the target group and was therefore intensive, being offered every day for a whole semester. It was important that the course was integrated into the regular course offerings and that the students received credit. The teachers were specially selected for their skills and were trained and monitored to ensure consistent programme implementation.
Associated Studies:
Preventing Adolescent Drug Abuse and High School Dropout through an Intensive School-Based Social Network Development Programme. (1994); Eggert, Thompson, Herting, Nicholas, Dicker
Enhancing Outcomes in an Indicated Drug Prevention Programme for High-Risk Youth. (1997); Thompson, Horn, Herting, Eggert
Programme Sponsors:
Staff:
Reconnecting At-Risk Youth Research Programmes at the:
? University of Washington, Seattle;
? Stanford University, Stanford;
? Bellevue Public Schools, Bellevue, Washington.
Funding:
? grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse;
? grant from the National Institute of Mental Health.
Contact:
Elaine Thompson
Department of Psychosocial and Community Health
School of Nursing
University of Washington
Seattle, WA 98195-7263
Leona Eggert
Psychosocial Nursing Department
SC 76
University of Washington
Seattle, WA 98195
Source:
G. Roberts, et al., (2001). Preventing Substance Use Problems: A Compendium of Best Practices. Health Canada.