Evaluation of a preventive intervention for a self-selected subpopulation of children.
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.
Short
J L
JL
Department of Psychology, George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia 22030-4444, USA.
Roosa
M W
MW
Sandler
I N
IN
Ayers
T S
TS
Gensheimer
L K
LK
Braver
S L
SL
Tein
J Y
JY
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000293:Adolescent; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002652:Child Behavior; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D010287:Parent-Child Relations; D010290:Parents / Q000523:psychology*; D012574:Schools; D012649:Self Concept; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology