School-based alcohol-prevention programs that help teenagers understand their personality strengths and weaknesses can reduce teenagers’ drinking problems, according to a study in JAMA Psychiatry.
Researchers tracked 2,410 9th graders. Half participated in Advance, which uses student surveys to identify alcohol-risk profiles, including “anxiety-sensitivity,” “hopelessness,” “impulsivity,” or “sensation-seeking.” Students of similar profiles meet to discuss ways to respond to drinking-related situations. Two years later, Advance students were less likely than peers to have started drinking, drank less overall, and were less likely to binge drink.
