Alcohol Misuse clinical trials

Family and Social Intervention for Young People

Research evidence shows that there is a high prevalence of substance use among young people in the UK. Early onset and high levels of use are associated with a range of negative outcomes, including increased risk of later problematic use and dependence. A growing body of research has identified family interventions to be effective in treating young people's substance use problems. However, despite this evidence, takeup of family based approaches, at least in the UK, has been low. A key factor appears to be the resource intensive nature of many family interventions, making them difficult to implement and deliver in many service settings, especially in the context of substantial cuts to drug and alcohol services for young people (1). Another potential barrier may be the cultural adaptation of approaches developed in the USA to a UK setting. There is growing awareness of the need to adapt evidence-based treatments to different cultural groups and settings in order to ensure successful implementation (2,3,4). Following on from developmental and adaptation work, this study aims to demonstrate the feasibility of recruiting young people to specifically developed family and network based intervention. In addition the feasibility of training staff from existing young people addiction services to deliver this intervention will be explored and treatment retention will be assessed. Qualitative interviews will elicit the participants' views on the acceptability of the intervention and their experiences of both it and the study process.