title: A cluster randomised trial of a school-based resilience intervention to decrease tobacco, alcohol and illicit drug use in secondary school students: study protocol.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Whilst schools provide a potentially appropriate setting for preventing substance use among young people, systematic review evidence suggests that past interventions in this setting have demonstrated limited effectiveness in preventing tobacco, alcohol and other drug use. Interventions that adopt a mental wellbeing approach to prevent substance use offer considerable promise and resilience theory provides one method to impact on adolescent mental well-being. The aim of the proposed study is to examine the efficacy of a resilience intervention in decreasing the tobacco, alcohol and illicit drug use of adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cluster randomised controlled trial with schools as the unit of randomisation will be undertaken. Thirty two schools in disadvantaged areas will be allocated to either an intervention or a control group. A comprehensive resilience intervention will be implemented, inclusive of explicit program adoption strategies. Baseline surveys will be conducted with students in Grade 7 in both groups and again three years later when the student cohort is in Grade 10. The primary outcome measures will include self-reported tobacco, alcohol, marijuana and other illicit drug use. Comparisons will be made post-test between Grade 10 students in intervention and control schools to determine intervention effectiveness across all measures.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To the authors' knowledge this is the first randomised controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of a comprehensive school-based resilience intervention, inclusive of explicit adoption strategies, in decreasing tobacco, alcohol and illicit drug use of adolescents attending disadvantaged secondary schools.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  ACTRN12611000606987.
authors.affiliation: Hunter New England Population Health, Hunter New England Local Health District, Locked Bag 10, Wallsend, NSW 2287, Australia.
authors.forename: Rebecca K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Hodder
authors.forename: Megan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Freund
authors.forename: Jenny
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bowman
authors.forename: Luke
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wolfenden
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wye
authors.forename: Trevor
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hazell
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Gillham
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wiggers
mesh_terms: D000288:Administrative Personnel; D000293:Adolescent; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002648:Child; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D004059:Diffusion of Innovation; D005260:Female; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D013287:Illicit Drugs; D007857:Leadership; D008297:Male; D009517:New South Wales; D018579:Patient Selection; D011613:Psychotherapy / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D055500:Resilience, Psychological; D012572:School Health Services / Q000592:standards; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015813:Substance Abuse Detection; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000078329:Workforce
chemical_list: D013287:Illicit Drugs