Developmental Alcohol-Specific Parenting Profiles in Adolescence and their Relationships with Adolescents’ Alcohol Use

Previous studies on general parenting have demonstrated the relevance of strict parenting within a supportive social context for a variety of adolescent behaviors, such as alcohol use. Yet, alcohol-specific parenting practices are generally examined as separate predictors of adolescents’ drinking behavior. The present study examined different developmental profiles of alcohol-specific parenting (rule-setting, quality and frequency of communication about alcohol use) and how these patterns relate to the initiation and growth of adolescents’ drinking. A longitudinal sample of 883 adolescents (47 % female) including four measurements (between ages 12 and 16) was used. Latent class growth analysis revealed that five classes of parenting could be distinguished. Communication about alcohol appeared to be fairly stable over time in all parenting classes, whereas the level of rule-setting declined in all subgroups of parents as adolescents grow older. Strict rule-setting in combination with a high quality and frequency of communication was associated with the lowest amount of drinking; parents scoring low on all these behaviors show to be related to the highest amount of drinking. This study showed that alcohol-specific rule-setting is most effective when it coincides with a good quality and frequency of communication about alcohol use. This indicates that alcohol-specific parenting behaviors should be taken into account as an alcohol-specific parenting context, rather than single parenting practices. Therefore, parent-based alcohol interventions should not only encourage strict rule setting, the way parents communicate with their child about alcohol is also of major importance

A randomized controlled trial of a brief motivational enhancement for non-treatment-seeking adolescent cannabis users

Evidence for negative effects of early-onset cannabis use has led to a need for effective interventions targeting adolescent cannabis users. A randomized controlled trial of an Australian two-session intervention based on motivational interviewing (the ACCU, or Weed-Check in Dutch) was replicated in a larger Dutch sample of 119 non-treatment-seeking adolescent cannabis users. Outcome measures at the 3-month follow-up were quantity and frequency of cannabis use, symptoms of dependence, stage of change, and psychosocial functioning. Changes in all measures were in the expected direction, yet not significant. In moderation analyses, heavier cannabis users at baseline receiving the Weed-Check had greater reductions in cannabis use than those in the control condition. These results suggest that the Weed-Check might be beneficial for heavier cannabis-using adolescents. Further research is needed to confirm these results in a sample of adolescent heavy cannabis users and to examine the relationship between MI skills of prevention workers and outcom

Results of the 'In control: No alcohol!' pilot study.

More than 50% of Dutch 12-year olds already started drinking. Since it is known that delaying the onset of alcohol use results in a lower risk of alcohol-related problems, the recently developed ‘In control: No alcohol!’ prevention program is targeted at elementary school children and their mothers. In this pilot study, the success of program implementation and impact of the program on quality of alcohol-specific communication, rules and monitoring were evaluated, using a randomized controlled design. A total of 108 children (11–12 years) and their mothers participated in the prevention program, while the control group consisted of 105 dyads. Families participating in the experimental condition showed an increase in frequency of alcohol-specific communication and 75% of the dyads reported that they took part in at least 3 of 5 magazines, suggesting implementation was successful. The program led to an increase in quality of communication but only for those dyads in which mothers’ alcohol use was above average. The program led parents to set up a non-drinking contract with their children and to monitor their children more closely. Results are promising but need to be replicated in a larger longitudinal study. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved

Mediation and Moderation Effects of an In-Home Family Intervention : the "In control: No alcohol!" Pilot Study

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of a theory-based in-home family intervention (In control: No alcohol!) on adolescent alcohol cognitions via its putative mediators using a randomized controlled design. In the South Holland region of the Netherlands, a total of 213 children (11-12 years) and their mothers were randomly assigned to the prevention program (108 dyads) and the control condition (105 dyads). Mediation effects were analyzed using pretest and two follow-up measurements (5 and 12 months after baseline). A path model was estimated (using Mplus) to examine the effect of the intervention on the putative mediators (frequency- and quality of mother-child communication, rules about alcohol, establishing a nondrinking agreement, and parental monitoring of the child's whereabouts). Outcomes were adolescents' perceived harmfulness of drinking and intention to drink. Multigroup analyses were performed to examine potential differences across gender. The program led to an increase in frequency of alcohol-specific communication, nondrinking agreements, and parental monitoring. Moreover, adolescents in the experimental condition perceived drinking to be more harmful and had less intention to drink compared to adolescents in the control condition. The effect of the program on adolescent alcohol cognitions was significantly mediated through having more frequent conversations about alcohol, yet only among boys. Although results on actual drinking need to be added, findings indicate that this relatively inexpensive, easy-to-administer home intervention is promising

Trends in alcohol-specific parenting practices and adolescent alcohol use between 2007 and 2011 in the Netherlands

Background: Following increased research and policy attention on the harmful effects of alcohol use among adolescents and the implementation of prevention programs aimed at reducing adolescent alcohol use, this study examined whether alcohol-specific parenting practices have become stricter and whether adolescent alcohol use has declined between 2007 and 2011 in the Netherlands. Methods: Data were derived from three nationally representative cross-sectional studies of 12 to 16-year old adolescents - the Dutch National School Survey on Substance Use (2007 and 2011) and the Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (2009). These data were obtained using self-report questionnaires in the classroom (adolescents, Mage=13.8 years, SD=.04) and at home (parents). Results: Between 2007 and 2011, Dutch parents increasingly adopted strict alcohol-specific practices, except for parents of 16-year old adolescents. Furthermore, adolescent reports of lifetime and last month alcohol use decreased, except for 16-year olds. The quantity of alcohol consumed by adolescents did not change between 2007 and 2011. Alcohol-specific parenting practices were associated with lower adolescent alcohol use. These associations were generally stable over time. Conclusion: Our findings are consistent with the recent increased awareness in research, policy and the media about the harmful effects of alcohol on young people. Specifically, they are consistent with the focus of recent prevention efforts aimed at parents to postpone the alcohol use of their child at least until the age of 16. Future prevention programs should also target older age groups (i.e., age 16 years and older) and address the quantity of alcohol consumed by adolescents when they drink