EFFECTS OF A PREVENTIVE PARENT-TRAINING INTERVENTION ON OBSERVED FAMILY INTERACTIONS - PROXIMAL OUTCOMES FROM PREPARING FOR THE DRUG-FREE YEARS

Children are especially vulnerable to the initiation of substance use and other problem behaviors as they move from childhood into early ado lescence. This is true for children living in urban and rural areas al ike. A number of family-related factors have been identified that cont ribute to the risk for or protection against such problems. This artic le reports the results of an experimental test of the effects of Prepa ring for the Drug Free Years (PDFY) on targeted parental behaviors. PD FY is a parenting curriculum based theoretically on the social develop ment model; it seeks to reduce risks and enhance protection against ea rly substance use initiation by improving patterns of parental behavio r and family interaction predictive of childhood substance use. The st udy examined parental behavior targeted by specific intervention sessi ons, based on systematic observations of videotaped family interaction s. The sample consisted of economically stressed, rural Midwestern fam ilies. Consistent with hypotheses, the PDFY intervention was found to be effective in promoting proactive communication from parent to child and in improving the quality of parent-child relationships. PDFY also reduced mothers' negative interactions with their children in the stu dy. (C) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.