Anneke Bühler, IFT München: Expertise Suchtprävention Effectiveness of substance abuse prevention Dr. Anneke Bühler IFT Institut für Therapieforschung, München, Germany Pompidou Group Conference „Families, lifestyles and drugs – reaching families in prevention“, Porto, Portugal November 2007

Anneke Bühler, IFT München: Expertise Suchtprävention Report on prevention of substance abuse (Bühler & Kröger, 2006)* Aim: up-to-date record of research results on substance abuse prevention Method: Systematic search and analysis of 49 high- quality reviews and meta-analyses Results: Evidence-based conclusions about effectiveness of preventive measures (avoidance, delay, or reduction of substance use behaviour) –status quo, mean, mainly US research *in cooperation and with financial support of the BZgA

Anneke Bühler, IFT München: Expertise Suchtprävention Strength of evidence rating Conclusion is based on... °°°°°meta-analyses including high-quality studies (M) °°°°systematic review including high-quality studies (S) °°°meta-analyses or systematic review including all types of studies °°unsystematic review (U), expert interview (E) or best practice survey(BP) °generalized empirical result which does not directly inform about or test the assumption -contradictory body of evidence

Anneke Bühler, IFT München: Expertise Suchtprävention Family Comprehensive family-oriented approaches (training with parents, children and whole families) have preventive effects on consumption behaviour (in relation to alcohol). °°° Measures to involve hard-to-reach families are successful. °° Preventive measures for pre-school children (aged 3-5 years) should be family orientated. ° M S3 U1 E1

Anneke Bühler, IFT München: Expertise Suchtprävention School Interactive school-based programmes have preventive effects on consumption behaviour (for tobacco, alcohol, cannabis and other illegal drugs). °°°°° –Social influence model and life skills approach Non-interactive programmes are not effective: Information giving alone, affective education alone, value clarification and decision-making alone. °°°°° M6 S5 U4 E1

Anneke Bühler, IFT München: Expertise Suchtprävention Peers/Leisure time No aggregated information available in report For selective approach –Springer et al., 2004 : National Cross-Site Evaluation of High-Risk Youth Programs with 48 programs with over youths at high risk –Behavioral life skills and recreation focused programs are effective.( °°°°°) M S U2 E

Anneke Bühler, IFT München: Expertise Suchtprävention Media campaigns Mass-media campaigns in combination with other components (school-based, community-based and national programmes) have preventive effects on consumption behaviour (in relation to tobacco). °°° Isolated mass-media campaigns have no preventive effects on consumption (of tobacco). °°°° M S3 U2 E

Anneke Bühler, IFT München: Expertise Suchtprävention Community Collaboration –Capacity building –Integrating services –Influencing policy Collaborative initiatives aimed at getting policies or regulations introduced are effective because of the effectiveness of policy measures.°° M S1 U E

Anneke Bühler, IFT München: Expertise Suchtprävention Community Multi-level approach –Measures in different settings (school, media, family, community) Inconclusive: Multi-level projects have preventive effects on consumption behaviour. (pro: °°°°°; inconclusive: °°°°) M1 S2 U1 E1

Anneke Bühler, IFT München: Expertise Suchtprävention Policy and regulations Higher tobacco prices reduce the prevalence and quantity of tobacco consumption. °°° Isolated measures to prevent the sale of tobacco to young people under the legal age do not reduce consumption. °°° M S6 U2 E1

Anneke Bühler, IFT München: Expertise Suchtprävention Policy and regulations Raising the minimum legal drinking age reduces alcohol consumption. °°°° Higher ´full‘ alcohol prices (including indirect costs) have effects on alcohol consumption.°°

Anneke Bühler, IFT München: Expertise Suchtprävention Selective prevention Selective prevention measures have preventive effects on consumption behaviour if they are implemented in the form of –school-based social-skills programmes or –mentoring programmes.°°°°° –Behavioral life skills and recreation focused programs are effective.( °°°°°) –Characteristics of effectiveness: Life skills development content Intense contact (>3h per week) Connection-Building methods Instrospection methods Coherence of program theory

Anneke Bühler, IFT München: Expertise Suchtprävention What can be learnt so far... Personal and environmental measures can be effective. Certain measures are ineffective. Effective measures –are based on a coherent program theory –include general and specific content –use interactive measures –have a certain intensity

Anneke Bühler, IFT München: Expertise Suchtprävention Thank you!