ALCOHOL SKILLS TRAINING PROGRAM

Guide to Effective Programs
for Children and Youth

ALCOHOL SKILLS TRAINING PROGRAM

OVERVIEW

The eight-session Alcohol Skills Training Program provides information to young adults about alcohol use and addiction, and teaches skills for avoiding, resisting, and setting limits on alcohol use. The program has been found to decrease participants' peak blood alcohol level (BAL), and the amount of alcohol consumed by participants per week, per month, and in heavy drinking situations. The program has been implemented in several sites around the nation.

DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM

Target population: College students are targeted; however, the program can be used in social service settings or community-based organizations. The program has only been evaluated with college students. The program is designed for youths considered to be at high risk of alcohol-related problems, but it can be used for any youths.

Component	Provided by	Duration	Description
Lectures	Skilled alcohol educators, clinical psychologists, or advanced graduate students in clinical psychology	Throughout the program	The program is implemented in eight sessions: Session 1: Basic information about alcohol; Session 2: Drinking moderation skills; Session 3: Relaxation training; Session 4: Exercise; Session 5: Antecedents of heavy drinking; Session 6: Assertiveness training; Session 7: Role playing in a simulated tavern; Session 8: Relapse prevention
Group Discussion	Same as above	Throughout the program	Group discussion is used to facilitate the teaching of skills.
Role Play	Same as above	Throughout the program	Role playing, such as interaction in a simulated tavern, and assertiveness exercises allow participants to practice skills and prompt discussions.

Program objectives/goals:
The program is presented in eight 90-minute sessions but can be adjusted.
The program focuses on skill and knowledge development.
The program has several goals:
· Provide information about the physiology of alcohol addiction
· Instruct students on how to perform a self estimate of their blood alcohol level
· Teach students relaxation strategies without using alcohol
· Teach alcohol resistance skills and limit setting
· Assist students in identifying and avoiding situations in which alcohol use is likely

Costs:
· User's guide: $15.00
· Program package: $175.00

EVALUATION(S) OF PROGRAM

Kivlahan, D.R., Marlatt, G.A., Fromme, K., Coppel, D.B., and Williams, E. (1990). Secondary prevention with college drinkers: Evaluation of an alcohol skills training program. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 58(6), 805-810.

Evaluated population: 43 college students recruited from the University of Washington (25 male, 18 female). The average age of participants was 23.1 years. The majority of the population was white (90.7 percent). Fifteen students were randomly assigned to an experimental group (ST); 13 students were randomly assigned to a control group that received an alcohol information class (AI), and 15 students were randomly assigned to a control group without any intervention (AO). The experimental group received the complete Alcohol Skills Training Program intervention. The AI group received a program used in Washington for first-time DWI offenders.

Objective:
To evaluate the effectiveness of the Alcohol Skills Training Program as a secondary prevention program for college students. Specifically, the objective is to determine whether the program reduces alcohol consumption and moderates the pattern of consumption.
Measurement instrument:
A personal and family history questionnaire covering demographic data, drug use information, lifestyle behaviors, and alcohol use by family and friends; daily record of alcohol consumption completed by participants; Calahan's Drinking Habits Questionnaire (DHQ); Daily Drinking Questionnaire (DDQ); an alcohol knowledge test; course evaluation questionnaire. Follow-up was conducted periodically for 12 months after the program.
Evaluation:
Type: Experimental
Statistical techniques: MANOVA, ANCOVA, post-hoc (Scheffe) tests
Significance level: p = .10
Outcome:
Self-monitored drinking:
The intervention reduced the number of drinks students consumed per week. Students in the experimental group experienced a 38.5 percent reduction, while the alcohol information group experienced a 21.6 percent reduction and the students in the control group experienced a 16 percent reduction. The intervention also reduced the peak blood alcohol level (BAL) reported by participants. Participants were taught how to estimate their own BAL over a one-week period and how to report their peak BAL. Students in the experimental group reported a 47.3 percent reduction in peak BAL from baseline to post-treatment measurement, the alcohol information group reported a 21.5 percent reduction, and students in the control group reported a 1.7 percent reduction.Many students reported heavy drinking during the follow-up: 40 percent of experimental students, 58.3 percent of the alcohol information group, and 63.6 percent of students in the control group.

Retrospective self-report of drinking:
At the 12-month follow-up, all participants reported fewer drinks per week, as measured by the DDQ: the experimental group reported an average of 7.6 drinks per week, the alcohol information group reported 16.8 drinks per week, and the control group reported 15.4 drinks per week.

Similarly, participants reported fewer drinks per month, as measured by the DHQ: students in the experimental group reported an average of 32.6 drinks per month, the alcohol information group reported 45.2 drinks per month, and the control group reported 68.7 drinks per month.

Baer, J.S., Marlatt, A., Kivlahan, D.R., Fromme, K., Larimer, M.E., and Williams, E. (1992). An experimental test of three methods of alcohol risk reduction with young adults. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 60(6), 974-979.

Evaluated population: 134 student volunteers (70 female, 64 male) were randomly assigned, by sex, to one of three groups. The average age of the sample was 21.2 years. Approximately 45 students were in each group. One group received the Alcohol Skills Training Program (ASTP), another group received an individualized feedback and advice intervention, and a third group was given a self-help correspondence intervention.

Objective:
This study sought to replicate the effects of the Alcohol Skills Training Program and examine its impacts as a secondary intervention. The study also examined the effects of variations in program administration (i.e., using a classroom format and a self-help format).
Measurement instrument:
Brief Drinker Profile (BDP), Calahan's Drinking Habits Questionnaire (DHQ), Symptoms Distress Checklist, self-monitoring of drinking, program evaluation questionnaire. Follow-up was conducted periodically for 24 months after the intervention.
Evaluation:
Type: Experimental, although the study did not have a control group
Statistical techniques: MANOVA, regression analysisSignificance level: p = .10
Outcome:
Reactions to program:
The ASTP group reported higher satisfaction ratings than individualized feedback group (mean scores of 5.16 and 3.86, respectively, on a 7-point scale).The ASTP group also reported being more likely to recommend the program to others than the individualized feedback group (6.00 and 4.68, respectively, on a 7-point scale).

Alcohol consumption:
The ASTP and individualized feedback groups reduced drinking behavior. Overall, drinks consumed per week fell from 13.2 before the intervention to 8.7 at the end of the intervention. Similarly, peak BAL per week declined from .15 percent to .10 percent. The number of drinks consumed per month also declined, from 49.9 to 41.1.There were no significant differences between the ASTP group and the individualized feedback group on measures of alcohol consumption.
Other information:
While most participants completed the program, complete follow-up data were not gathered for a large number of participants. In the individualized feedback group, 28 out of 29 students completed the program; in the ASTP group, 18 out of 25 completed the program; and in the self-help group, 11 out of 30 completed the program. Complete 2-year follow-up data were gathered for 75 of the original 134 participants. Too few participants in the self-help group completed the intervention for analyses to be done.

SOURCES FOR MORE INFORMATION

Link to program curriculum: http://www.socio.com/srch/summary/ysappa/ysa02.htm

References:
Baer, J.S., Marlatt, A., Kivlahan, D.R., Fromme, K., Larimer, M.E., and Williams, E. (1992). An experimental test of three methods of alcohol risk reduction with young adults. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 60(6), 974-979.

Kivlahan, D.R., Marlatt, G.A., Fromme, K., Coppel, D.B., and Williams, E. (1990). Secondary prevention with college drinkers: Evaluation of an alcohol skills training program. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 58(6), 805-810.

Program also discussed in the following Child Trends publication(s):

Hair, E., Ling, T., & Cochran, S. W. (2003). Youth development programs serving educationally disadvantaged youth: A synthesis of experimental evaluations. Washington, DC: Child Trends.

SUMMARY & CATEGORIZATION

Program categorized in this guide according to the following:

Evaluated participant ages: College students / Program age ranges in the Guide: 15-21, 22-25

Program components: Clinic/provider-based

Measured outcomes: Behavioral problems

Program information last updated 3/15/07