Scientific Evidence for the SFP 10-14

The SFP10-14 has been tested in a high quality scientific research study in Iowa in the United States . This study, and the SFP10-14, have been highlighted in an International Cochrane Collaboration systematic evidence review funded by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the U.K. Alcohol Education and Research Council (AERC). This evidence review was presented at the EU / WHO Ministerial Conference held in Stockholm 2001 which led to the Stockholm Declaration on "Young People and Alcohol".

A summary of this evidence review is available as an AERC Alcohol Insight PDF; and further details of a recent AERC Conference on Family Approaches to Alcohol Problems can be found on the AERC website. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) have also highlighted the potential of the SFP10-14 in their reports on alcohol misuse prevention and cancer prevention. In 2006, another Cochrane review pointed to the potential of the SFP10-14 for prevention drug misuse amongst young people. Both Cochrane reviews highlighted the importance of other scientific studies to replicate the findings from the Iowa study.

Description of the SFP10-14 Major Longitudinal Study

  • Evaluated through Project Family at the Institute for Social and Behavioral Research at Iowa State University.
  • Tested with 446 families who live in areas with a high percentage of economically-stressed families
  • Participants were randomly assigned and comparisons were made between program participants and control families
  • The study has followed the youth and their parents from 6th through 12th grade.

Results

  • Young people attending the programme had significantly lower rates of alcohol, tobacco and marijuana use compared to young people who did not attend the programme (the control group).
  • The differences between programme and control young people actually increased over time, indicating that skills learned and strong parent-child relationships continue to have greater and greater influence.
  • Young people attending the programme had significantly fewer conduct problems in school than young people in the control group.
  • Parents showed gains in specific parenting skills including setting appropriate limits and building a positive relationship with their child.
  • Parents showed an increase in positive feelings towards their child.
  • Parents showed gains on general child management including setting rules and following through with consequences.
  • Parents increased their skills in General Child Management such as effectively monitoring their child and having appropriate and consistent discipline.

Selected published articles:

Gates S, McCambridge J, Smith LA, Foxcroft DR. (2006) Interventions for prevention of drug use by young people delivered in non-school settings. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2006 (Issue 1).

Foxcroft DR, Ireland D, Lister-Sharp DJ, Lowe G, Breen R (2003) Longer-term primary prevention for alcohol misuse in young people: a systematic review. Addiction 98, 397-411.

Foxcroft DR, Lister Sharp D, Lowe G, Sizer R, Ireland D (2002) Primary prevention of Alcohol Misuse by Young People. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2006 (Issue 1)

Spoth, R., Guyll, M., Trudeau, L., & Goldberg-Lillehoj, C. (2002). Two studies of proximal outcomes and implementation quality of universal preventive interventions in a community-university collaboration context. Journal of Community Psychology, 30(5), 499-518.

Spoth, R., Redmond, C., Trudeau, L, and Shin, C. (in press). Longitudinal Substance Initiation Outcomes for A Universal Preventive Intervention Combining Family and School Program. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 16(2), 129-134.

Molgaard, V., & Spoth, R. (2001). Strengthening Families Program for young adolescents: Overview and outcomes.  S. Pfeiffer & L. Reddy  (Eds.), Innovative Mental Health Programs for Children. Binghamton , NY : Haworth Press. 15-29.

Molgaard, V. M., Spoth, R., & Redmond, C. (2000). Competency training: The Strengthening Families Program for Parents and Youth 10-14. OJJDP Juvenile Justice Bulletin (NCJ 182208). Washington , DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. 

Spoth, R., Redmond , C., & Shin, C. (2000) Reducing adolescents' aggressive and hostile behaviors: Randomized trial effects of a brief family intervention four years past baseline. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine 154 , 1248-1257

Spoth, R., Goldberg, C., & Redmond, C. (1999). Engaging families in longitudinal preventive intervention research: Discrete-time survival analysis of socioeconomic and social-emotional risk factors. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 67(1), 157-163.

Spoth, R., Redmond, C., & Lepper, H. (1999). Alcohol initiation outcomes of universal family-focused preventive interventions: One- and two-year follow-ups of a controlled study. Journal of Studies on Alcohol, 13, 103-111.

Spoth, R.L., Redmond , C. & Shin, C. (2001). Randomized trial of brief family interventions for general populations: Adolescent substance use outcomes 4 years following baseline. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology , 69(4), 627-642.

Spoth, R., Reyes, M. L., Redmond , C., & Shin, C. (1999). Assessing a public health approach to delay onset and progression of adolescent substance use: Latent transition and loglinear analyses of longitudinal family preventive intervention outcomes. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 67(5), 619-630.

Redmond , C., Spoth, R., Shin, C., & Lepper, H. (1999). Modeling long-term parent outcomes of two universal family-focused preventive interventions: One year follow-up results. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 67(6), 975-984.

Spoth, R., Redmond , C., & Shin, C. (1998). Direct and indirect latent variable parenting outcomes of two universal family-focused preventive interventions: Extending a public health-oriented research base. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 66 (2), 385-399.