Trial of the university assistance program for alcohol use among mandated students.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a brief intervention for mandated students in the context of the University Assistance Program, a Student Assistance Program developed and modeled after workplace Employee Assistance Programs.


METHODS
Participants were 265 (196 males and 69 females) judicially mandated college students enrolled in a large, urban university in the northeast United States. All participants were sanctioned by the university's judicial office for an alcohol- or drug-related violation. Participants were randomized to one of two intervention conditions (the University Assistance Program or services as usual) and were assessed at baseline and 3 and 6 months after intervention.


RESULTS
Growth curve analyses showed that, relative to services as usual, the University Assistance Program was more efficacious in reducing past-90-day weekday alcohol consumption and the number of alcohol-related consequences while increasing past-90-day use of protective behaviors and coping skills. No significant differences in growth trajectories were found between the two intervention conditions on past-90-day blood alcohol concentration, total alcohol consumption, or weekend consumption.


CONCLUSIONS
The University Assistance Program may have a possible advantage over services as usual for mandated students.
Amaro
Hortensia
H
Institute on Urban Health Research, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA 02115, USA. h.amaro@neu.edu
Ahl
Marilyn
M
Matsumoto
Atsushi
A
Prado
Guillermo
G
Mulé
Christina
C
Kemmemer
Amaura
A
Larimer
Mary E
ME
Masi
Dale
D
Mantella
Philomena
P
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000097:blood / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000639:trends; D019973:Alcohol-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D037141:Mandatory Programs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016134:Organizational Policy; D015397:Program Evaluation; D013333:Student Health Services / Q000379:methods / Q000592:standards* / Q000639:trends; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014495:Universities / Q000592:standards*
D000431:Ethanol