title: Screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) for substance use in a school-based program: services and outcomes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Despite the advantages of using high schools for conducting school-based Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) programs for adolescent substance misuse, there have been very few studies of Brief Interventions (BIs) in these settings.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This multi-site, repeated measures study examined outcomes of adolescents who received SBIRT services and compared the extent of change in substance use based on the intensity of intervention received.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants consisted of 629 adolescents, ages 14-17, who received SBIRT services across 13 participating high schools in New Mexico. The level of service received and number of sessions were collected through administrative records, while the number of self-reported days in the past month of drinking; drinking to intoxication; and drug use were gathered at baseline and 6-month follow-up.
  
  
  RESULTS
  BI was provided to 85.1% of adolescents, while 14.9% received brief treatment or referral to treatment (BT/RT). Participants receiving any intervention reported significant reductions in frequency of drinking to intoxication (p < .05) and drug use (p < .001), but not alcohol use, from baseline to 6-month follow-up. The magnitude of these reductions did not differ based on service variables. Controlling for baseline frequency of use, a BT/RT service level was associated with more days of drinking at 6-month follow-up (p < .05), but was no longer significant when controlling for number of service sessions received.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings support school-based SBIRT for adolescents, but more research is needed on this promising approach.
authors.affiliation: Friends Research Institute, Inc., Baltimore, MD 21201, USA. smitchell@friendsresearch.org.
authors.forename: Shannon Gwin
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gryczynski
authors.forename: Arturo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gonzales
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moseley
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Peterson
authors.forename: Kevin E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: O'Grady
authors.forename: Robert P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Schwartz
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D019973:Alcohol-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D000435:Alcoholic Intoxication / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003376:Counseling / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012572:School Health Services; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome