Differential typologies of current substance use among Black and White high-school adolescents: A latent class analysis

Black and White adolescents demonstrate different prototypical profiles (i.e., typologies) of substance use, with Blacks demonstrating lower risk for concurrent use of two or more substances. Despite knowledge of these differences, typologies of adolescent substance use identified by person-centered methods, such as latent class analysis, have not characterized profiles by racial group. The current study examined typologies of substance use among Black and White youth separately using person-centered methods to identify common patterns of substance use among subjects. Data were drawn from a 5-year parent study examining adolescent health outcomes. The current study examined high-school aged White (n = 7271, 45.4% male) and Black youth (n = 1301, 40.1% male) who reported past-30-day frequency of cigarette, alcohol, marijuana, inhalant, and other drug use. Latent class analysis was used to examine substance use typologies among each group adjusting for grade and sex. Black and White youth demonstrated different typologies such that four typologies emerged among Blacks: Non-Use (87.8%), Alcohol and Marijuana Use (6.3%), Alcohol, Marijuana, and Cigarette Use (3.8%), and Frequent Polysubstance Use (2.0%). Conversely, five typologies emerged among Whites: Non-Use (73.4%), Predominant Alcohol Use (13.9%), Alcohol, Marijuana, and Cigarette Use (9.4%), Moderate Polysubstance Use (1.6%), and Frequent Polysubstance Use (1.7%). Findings suggest that Black and White youth engage in similar rates of concurrent substance use. Given that Black youth face greater risk for adverse consequences from substance use, prevention efforts are needed to prevent related health disparities related to concurrent substance use

Implementation of a Brief Dialectical Behavioral Therapy Skills Group in High Schools for At-Risk Youth: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Study

BackgroundAdolescence is a developmental period marked by engagement in risk-taking behaviors, especially among impulsive or emotionally dysregulated youth. Thus, interventions that teach skills to reduce the risk of negative outcomes associated with emotional dysregulation are required. Social and emotional learning (SEL) programs have been developed to address both adolescent emotional dysregulation and risk-taking behaviors; however, current programs have mostly been implemented among younger youth and are used as a tier 1 universal intervention rather than a targeted tier 2 intervention for youth identified with emotional regulation difficulties. ObjectiveThis study aimed to address the need for SEL programming that can be delivered in schools, particularly for older youth who have difficulties with emotional or behavioral dysregulation, to reduce the risk of health-risk behaviors among this population. MethodsHere, we outline the implementation of an SEL intervention titled Going 4 Goals, a 9-session adaptation of the Dialectical Behavioral Therapy for Adolescents (DBT-A) program delivered to at-risk high school students in a school setting. The primary objectives of the study are to test whether participating in the skills group intervention produces significant increases in the core DBT-A skills of mindfulness, emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness, while also producing significant decreases in substance use and risky behaviors. These primary outcomes are based on changes in participant scores between baseline and after the intervention and follow-ups at 1, 3, and 6 months compared with a control group of youth participating in the school’s health curriculum at the same time points. Qualitative interviews will also be conducted with intervention participants and school staff to examine acceptability and facilitators of and barriers to the intervention. ResultsA total of 171 participants across 13 groups had been enrolled in the intervention, with data collection ending December 2021. Data analysis will begin in the spring of 2022, with expected results to be published in the spring of 2023. ConclusionsThis paper describes the protocol of the 9-session school-based adaptation of the DBT-A intervention and discusses the strengths and limitations of the study and future directions. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/3249