Youth Substance Use Prevention – A Focus on Protective Factors

Youth Substance Use Prevention – A Focus on Protective Factors Laurie L. Meschke, Ph.D. Joän M. Patterson, Ph.D. Division of Epidemiology University of Minnesota

Resilience • The process by which successful developmental or adaptive outcomes occur within a high-risk environment and/or stressful circumstances • Requires: • Risk factors • Protective factors

Individual Resilience Processes • Protective Processes: • Self-perceived competence • Academic competence • Healthy interactions with adults • Religion and prayer • Anti-alcohol norms • Social skills

Family Resilience Processes • Marital harmony • Parents abstain • Family management • Psychologically healthy parents

Family Resilience Processes (cont.) • Family hardiness • Parental support • Family bonding • Family connectedness • Healthy parent-adolescent communication

Community Resilience Processes • Student autonomy and influences • School norms • School connectedness • School sense of community

Community Resilience Processes (cont.) • No tolerance approach • Local law enforcement • Higher alcohol prices

Conclusions • Prevention opportunities exist at the individual, family, and community levels • Prevention can enhance protective factors in addition to or instead of decreasing risk factors

Youth Substance Use Prevention – A Focus on Protective Factors