Inhibitory Control, Emotional Regulation, and Peer Pressure: Neurophysiological and Psychological Effects of a Life Skills Intervention to Reduce Substance Use Intention in Institutionalized Children a Randomized Clinical Trial.
试验速览
- 阶段
- 不适用
- 状态
- 尚未招募
- 发起方
- 入组人数
- 20
- 试验地点
- 1
- 主要终点
- Change in Substance Use Intention Score
研究概览
简要总结
Objective: evaluate the impact of a Life Skills Training (LST) intervention on substance use intention by analyzing changes in neuropsychological organization and psychological regulation processes in adolescents living in social assistance institutions.Methodology Design: Parallel-group randomized controlled trial with a 1:1 allocation ratio. Participants: 20 adolescents aged 12 to 17 with a minimum of 3 months of residence in foster care homes in Mexicali, Baja California.Intervention: The experimental group will undergo 8 sessions (60 minutes each) of LST, while the control group will receive a traditional psychoeducational intervention of the same duration.Key Measures: Electroencephalography (EEG) will be used to monitor cortical maturation (Alpha/Theta power) and frontal asymmetry. Clinical scales including DERS, DUSI, BANFE-2, and substance use intention questionnaires will also be administered.RationaleIn Mexico, the average age of onset for substance use has dropped to 12-13 years. Institutionalized adolescents face heightened vulnerability due to histories of trauma, neglect, and environmental exposure to high-lethality substances such as fentanyl and methamphetamines in the border region
详细描述
Adolescence is a vital stage characterized by biopsychosocial changes, marking the transition from childhood to adulthood. Recent decades have shown demographic and epidemiological shifts associated with morbidity and mortality in this group. Health problems in this age range are often determined by risk behaviors such as substance use, sedentary lifestyles, poor nutrition, and risky sexual behaviors.During this stage, impulsivity, sensation-seeking, and exposure to social pressure increase the likelihood of engaging in risk behaviors. Studies based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (Ajzen, 1991) suggest that substance use intention-a cognitive, emotional, and social predisposition-is a key predictor of early consumption. This is particularly critical in adolescents due to the incomplete development of the prefrontal cortex, which limits inhibitory control and the ability to evaluate future consequences.Scientific evidence indicates that preventive programs based on life skills (LS)-such as self-regulation, decision-making, and peer pressure resistance-can effectively delay and reduce drug use. For example, Italian adaptations of LS training showed significant reductions in alcohol and tobacco use.Context in Mexico and Baja CaliforniaNational Level: The average age of drug use onset dropped from 20.7 years (2002) to 15.3 years (2023) among those receiving treatment. Common starter substances include alcohol (38.6%), tobacco (31.4%), and marijuana (16.8%). Methamphetamine use has increased by 218% between 2013 and 2022.Regional Level (Baja California): Methamphetamine is the primary health threat, representing 56.5% of specialized treatment demands. Fentanyl cases tripled from 3.8% in 2022 to 10.9% in 2024.Mexicali: 48.1% of the population identifies "street drug use" as the most frequent criminal behavior in their environment. Institutionalized adolescents in this region face high environmental availability of substances, increasing the risk of early use.
Problem Statement Research Question What are the psychological and neuropsychological effects of a life-skills-based intervention in institutionalized adolescents?
Specific Questions What is the effect of a Life Skills (LS) intervention on brain function organization?
What is the effect of an LS-based intervention on social skills?
What is the effect of a Life Skills intervention on inhibitory control?
研究设计
- 研究类型
- Interventional
- 分配方式
- Randomized
- 干预模型
- Parallel
- 主要目的
- Prevention
- 盲法
- Single (Outcomes Assessor)
入排标准
- 年龄范围
- 12 Years 至 17 Years（Child）
- 性别
- All
- 接受健康志愿者
- 是
入选标准
- •Adolescents aged 12 to 17 who have lived in the participating children's home.
- •Ability to understand and respond to the tests and questionnaires administered during the study.
- •Approval and signature of the director or legal guardians of the social welfare institutions on the informed consent form.
- •Informed consent of the adolescent.
排除标准
- •Adolescents diagnosed with externalizing disorders, intellectual disabilities, or severe or serious psychiatric disorders that prevent them from understanding the intervention protocol.
- •Adolescents who are undergoing administrative processes such as family reintegration or imminent relocation that make it difficult to complete the assessments.
- •Participation in other studies that interfere with the application of the assessment instruments.
- •Situations of acute emotional, medical, or behavioral crisis observed by the administrative staff of social welfare institutions.
结局指标
主要结局
Change in Substance Use Intention Score
时间窗: Baseline (Week 0) and post-intervention (Week 8)
Evaluated using the Substance Use Intention Questionnaire (Cuestionario de Intención de Consumo). This scale measures the psychological predisposition toward using alcohol, tobacco, or illicit drugs. Metric: Change from baseline in the total score of the scale (higher scores indicate higher intention to consume) .Low Intention (Normal): Scores between 12 and 24 points, indicating a clear rejection of future substance use.Moderate Intention: Scores between 25 and 36 points.High Intention (Risk): Scores $\> 36$ points. This cut-off represents the theoretical median of the scale and is used as an indicator of high vulnerability and positive predisposition toward consumption.
Inhibitory Control Performance
时间窗: Baseline (Pre-intervention) and 8 weeks (Post-intervention)
Iowa Gambling Test, will be measured by calculating EF quotients from the standardized test BANFE-2 (Flores Lázaro, J. C., Ostrosky Shejet, F., \& Lozano Gutiérrez, A) using risk cards percentage, final total score. Total score is transformed to normalized points 0-19 (with a mean of 10 ±3 SD, 4-6 low, 14-19 high performance).
Substance Use and pshycosocial risk level
时间窗: Baseline (Week 0) and post-intervention (Week 8)
Drug Use Screening Inventory (DUSI-R). This is a 149-item self-report questionnaire with dichotomous (Yes/No) responses that screens for severity in 10 functional domains, including substance use, behavior, family system, and social competency. The index is calculated as the percentage of "Yes" responses, where a higher percentage indicates a Validated cut-off points for the Mexican adolescent population are used. In research terms, a Severity Index \> 20% in specific areas or in the overall score usually indicates a risk requiring immediate clinical attention.higher level of dysfunction or severity in the adolescent's life.
次要结局
- Absolute and relative power in Alpha and Theta bands(Baseline (Pre-intervention) and 8 weeks (Post-intervention))
- Change in Emotional Dysregulation Level(Baseline (Week 0) and Week 8 (post-intervention))
- Life Skills Development(Baseline (Week 0) and post-intervention (Week 8))
研究者
Gilberto Galindo
Full time Research
Universidad Autonoma de Baja California