Take it personal! Development and modelling study of an indicated prevention programme for substance use in adolescents and young adults with mild intellectual disabilities and borderline intellectual functioning.
Esmée P Schijven, Joanneke E L VanDerNagel, Roy Otten and 2 others
PMID 32990417WHAT IT FOUND
In six adolescents with mild intellectual disabilities, a tailored prevention programme was feasible and well-liked.
Reported substance use decreased after the intervention, but the study was too small to confirm the programme caused this change.
Key findings
01All six participants completed the intervention, and trainers reported it connected well with the target group.
02Participants rated their satisfaction with the intervention and its components as high on a 4-point scale.
03Self-reported use of alcohol and drugs was lower at post-test than at pre-test, but effectiveness could not be established.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The study included only six participants, which is too small to draw any conclusions about effectiveness. There was no control group, so it is impossible to know if the reported decrease in substance use was due to the intervention or other factors like natural fluctuation or regression to the mean. Feasibility and user-friendliness were measured using bespoke questionnaires that had not been validated for reliability or accuracy. All outcome data, including substance use and satisfaction, relied on self-report, which can be unreliable in this population. The participants were all in residential care with severe behavioural problems, so results may not apply to those living in the community.
Declared interests
The study was funded by Fonds NutsOhra, a foundation dedicated to reducing the negative consequences of alcohol and gambling. The authors declared no competing interests.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the drop in reported substance use as proof that this programme works. The study had only six participants and no control group, so the authors themselves state they could not establish whether the change was associated with the intervention.