Positive Choices: Evaluation of a national initiative to disseminate evidence-based alcohol and other drug prevention strategies (Preprint)

BACKGROUND To prevent adolescents from initiating alcohol and other drug (AOD) use, and reduce associated harms, effective strategies need to be implemented. Despite their availability, effective school-based programs and evidence informed parental guidelines are not consistently implemented. The Positive Choices drug prevention initiative and website was launched to address this research and practice gap. The intended end users were school staff, parents, and school students. An 8-month post-launch evaluation of the website showed that end users generally had positive feedback on the website’s usability, and following its use the majority would consider the evidence-base and effectiveness of drug education resources. The current study extends this initial evaluation by examining the effectiveness and impact of the Positive Choices initiative over a three-year period. OBJECTIVE Guided by the five dimensions of the RE-AIM framework i.e., reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance, the study assesses the impact and effectiveness of the Positive Choices initiative in increasing awareness and implementation of evidence-based drug prevention. METHODS Data was collected between 2017 and 2019 using online website evaluation and community awareness surveys. Data from the surveys was merged to examine reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance, via descriptive statistics. Google Analytics was used to further understand the reach of the website. The System Usability Scale was used to measure website usability. Additionally, inductive analysis was employed to assess participants’ feedback about Positive Choices. RESULTS Five years post-launch, the Positive Choices website has reached >2 million users. A national Australian campaign increased awareness from 8% to 14% post campaign among school staff, and from 15% to 22% among parents. Following a brief interaction with the website the majority of participants, who were not already following recommended strategies, reported an intention to shift towards evidence-based practices. The System Usability Scale score for the website was ‘good’, for both user groups. The participants intended to maintain their use of the Positive Choices website in the future. Both user groups reported a high level of confidence in communicating about AOD related topics. Participants’ suggestions for improvement informed a recent website update. CONCLUSIONS The Positive Choices website has the capacity to be an effective strategy for disseminating evidence-based drug prevention information and resources widely. The findings highlight the importance of investing in ongoing maintenance of, and promotion to enhance awareness of health websites. With the increased use and acceptability of health education websites, teams should ensure that websites are easy to navigate, engaging, use simple language, contain evidence-informed resources, and are supported by ongoing promotional activities.

Obstacles to the Nebras Drug Prevention Program: A Study of the Educational Environment Program: مُعوِّقات برنامج نبراس للوقاية من المُخدِّرات: دراسة لبرنامج البيئة التَّعليميَّة

To identify the nature of the programs offered through Nebras program for the educational environment, and the goals described for Nebras for the educational environment, to identify the external obstacles represented in the social and cultural obstacles and the internal obstacles related to the administrative and technical aspect related to beneficiaries and the environment in which the program is applied. Study population consisted of (15) in charge of the educational environment program in Nebras in Riyadh region. A sample of (370) female students selected from the offices of education: The Guard, Al Nahda education office and Al Rawabi education office. In addition to a sample of (12) female student guides who are in charge of the implementation of the educational environment program in these schools. The study utilized the descriptive analytical approach and used the questionnaire to collect data. The study found that the most prominent programs offered in the educational environment are the awareness programs for female students about how to use their leisure time to benefit them, the most important programs, from the viewpoint of the female students, were introductory bulletins programs of free call service at the National Center for Addiction Consultation, followed in importance by video presentation programs about the national project for drug prevention, the most important objectives described for Nebras for the educational environment were, to raise the level of awareness of female teachers and students about the danger of drugs and psychotropic substances then to enhance self- immunity of female students towards negative practices. The study recommended that the National Committee for Drug Control should pay attention to the necessity of bringing families and the community together in raising awareness of the importance of the educational environment program because they play a fundamental role in supporting the participation of female students in the program, and that the Ministry of Education should allocate specific times and quotas to participate in educational environment programs and empty female students and counselors to participate in these programs. The study also recommended that the school be concerned with activating the material and moral support for the female guides based on the program, and the participating students effectively and motivating them.

Investigating the Common and Specific Role of Emotional Factors in Current Cravings and Thoughts-Imagination of Consumption in Iranian Opioid Dependent Patients

Background: Craving has an important place in the structure of the literature on consumption disorders. Objectives: The present research investigates the relationship between emotional factors (such as positive and negative effects, emotion regulation, emotion regulation strategies, emotional processing, emotional stimulation, attention to emotional stimuli, emotional separation, and emotional response) with consumption craving. Patients and Methods: The statistical population of current descriptive-correlational research consisted of all opium-dependent patients living in medium-term accommodation centers (camps) in Zahedan, Iran, from 2018 to 2019. Among 21 allowed accommodation centers, 12 were randomly selected. A purposive sampling method was used to select 243 patients. For collecting data, multiple questionnaires were used. Data were analyzed using SPSS-16 software. Results: The results of stepwise regression analysis showed that among emotional factors, emotional excitement could only predict 0.020 of variations in instant craving, and other emotional factors did not have much explanatory power. However, to predict drug carvings and desires, more emotional variables (emotional arousal, emotional processing, affection, emotion regulation, and emotional separation) were entered into the equation, and the set could predict 0.156% of drug carving. Conclusions: Cultural factors play an important role in the discussion of emotion, and it is important to consider them in the field of drug prevention. Concurrent attention is needed to be paid to the biological, psychological, and social dimensions. In addition, concurrent treatment can lead to interdisciplinary collaboration.

ENVOLVIMENTO DAS IGREJAS NA PREVENÇÃO ÀS DROGAS

O uso e abuso de drogas tem se tornado uma séria ameaça à humanidade devido ao grau persistente e atrativo que exerce sobre a sociedade e sobre os jovens. Esta ameaça atinge a estabilidade social, cultural, econômica e política de toda a sociedade. Esta pesquisa propõe buscar subsídios para que a comunidade de fé invista na espiritualidade como prevenção e enfrentamento às drogas e suas consequências. Tem o potencial de incentivar e instrumentalizar pastores e líderes para atuarem no aconselhamento cristão sobre prevenção continuada. Acredita-se que toda comunidade se beneficiará com o projeto de prevenção e saberão lidar melhor com essa temática para cuidar das crianças e jovens. A pesquisa traz ainda o conceito sobre drogas seguindo um raciocínio lógico sobre as diferentes abordagens, moral, política e química. Aponta as consequências para a saúde e o relacionamento familiar do usuário e implicações legais, sociais e econômicas. Conclui-se que não somente os efeitos sintomáticos das drogas que são prejudiciais, mas, também, o comércio ilegal que movimenta fortunas com os lucros e arrasta multidão, não tem surtido efeito a tentativa de parar o seu avanço. Utilizou-se a pesquisa bibliográfica como metodologia. Como resultado esperado estão o estímulo do uso dos dons espirituais e os serviços práticos dos membros da igreja no processo de prevenção com a parceria do governo, da sociedade civil e da igreja, com investimento na prevenção, visando diminuir as tragédias familiares, o número de infectados pelas drogas, e uma família feliz sem drogas. PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Prevenção ás Drogas. Comunidade de fé. Família sem Drogas. Igreja. Drogadição. ABSTRACT Drug use and abuse has become a serious threat to humanity due to the persistent and attractive degree it exerts on society and young people. This threat affects the social, cultural, economic and political stability of the entire society. This research proposes to seek subsidies for the faith community to invest in spirituality as prevention and confrontation with drugs and their consequences. It has the potential to encourage and equip pastors and leaders to act in Christian counseling on continuing prevention. It is believed that the entire community will benefit from the prevention project and will know how to better deal with this issue to care for children and young people. The research also brings the concept of drugs following a logical reasoning about the different approaches, moral, political and chemical. It points out the consequences for the health and the family relationship of the user and legal, social and economic implications. It is concluded that not only the symptomatic effects of drugs that are harmful, but also the illegal trade that moves fortunes with profits and draws the crowd, has not had an effect trying to stop its advance. Bibliographic research was used as a methodology. As an expected result are the encouragement of the use of spiritual gifts and the practical services of church members in the prevention process in partnership with the government, civil society and the church, with investment in prevention, aiming to reduce family tragedies, the number of infected by drugs, and a happy family without drugs. KEYWORDS: Drug Prevention. Faith community. Family without drugs. Church. Drug addiction.