Full metadata
Title
Investigating adverse effects of adolescent group interventions
Description
This study examined an adverse effect of an adolescent group intervention. Group interventions represent one of the most economical, convenient, and common solution to adolescent behavior problems, although prior findings from program evaluation studies have suggested that these groups can unexpectedly increase the externalizing behaviors that they were designed to reduce or prevent. The current study used data from a longitudinal, randomized controlled trial of the Bridges to High School / Puentes a La Secundaria Program, a multicomponent prevention program designed to reduce risk during the middle school transition, which has demonstrated positive effects across an array of outcomes. Data were collected at the beginning of 7th grade, with follow-up data collected at the end of the 7th, 8th, 9th, and 12th grade from a sample of Mexican American adolescents and their mothers. Analyses evaluated long-term effects on externalizing outcomes, trajectories of externalizing behaviors across adolescence, and potential mediators of observed effects. Results showed that the adverse effect that was originally observed based on adolescent self-report of externalizing symptoms at 1-year posttest among youth with high pretest externalizing symptoms was not maintained over time and was not reflected in changes in adolescents' trajectories of externalizing behaviors. Moreover, neither of the peer mediators that theory suggests would explain adverse effects were found to mediate the relationship between intervention status and externalizing symptoms at 1-year posttest. Finally, only beneficial effects were found on externalizing symptoms based on mother report. Together, these findings suggest that the Bridges intervention did not adversely affect adolescent problem behaviors and that future studies should use caution when interpreting unexpected adverse effects.
Date Created
2015
Contributors
- Wong, Jessie Jong-Chee (Author)
- Gonzales, Nancy A. (Thesis advisor)
- West, Stephen G. (Thesis advisor)
- Chassin, Laurie (Committee member)
- Dishion, Thomas (Committee member)
- Arizona State University (Publisher)
Topical Subject
Resource Type
Extent
v, 85 pages : illustrations (some color)
Language
Copyright Statement
In Copyright
Primary Member of
Peer-reviewed
No
Open Access
No
Handle
https://hdl.handle.net/2286/R.I.38354
Statement of Responsibility
by Jessie Jong-Chee Wong
Description Source
Viewed on September 19, 2016
Level of coding
full
Note
Partial requirement for: Ph. D., Arizona State University, 2015
Note type
thesis
Includes bibliographical references (pages 45-53)
Note type
bibliography
Field of study: Psychology
System Created
- 2016-06-01 08:00:19
System Modified
- 2021-08-30 01:25:06
- 2 years 8 months ago
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