School-based brief counseling for teenage drinkers

Abstract

Brief intervention, involving a single session, holds promise as a feasible and effective approach to school-based intervention with adolescent drinkers. In this paper, we report results from a randomized clinical trial evaluating the effectiveness of a single session of school-based brief counseling. We worked with a sample of 40 teenagers, who were randomly assigned into two groups: treatment (n = 23) or waiting-list control (n = 17). In order to evaluate the effectiveness of the program, longitudinal group analyses of consumption patterns and high-risk drinking behaviors were conducted. Brief counseling was effective in lowering alcohol consumption and alcohol among treatment participants. Significant differences between treatment and control groups were observed at both 3- and 6-months post-treatment. Results support the feasibility of conducting brief counseling for adolescent drinking in school environments.