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CTH Projects

• Applying Web Technology to Buprenorphine Treatment
• Comparative Effectiveness of Web-based vs. Traditional Adolescent HIV Prevention
• Computer-Assisted HIV Prevention for Young Drug Users
• Computer-based Prescription Opioid Abuse Prevention for Adolescents
• Computer-delivered psychosocial intervention for adolescent substance use disorders
• Computer Delivery of Effective Psychosocial Interventions in Methadone Treatment
• Expanding Computer-Based Drug Abuse Prevention
• Feasibility of online parent training to promote parent-adolescent communication about drugs
• Internet-based group contingency management to promote smoking abstinence
• Mobile Psychosocial Treatment for Clients in Methadone Maintenance
• Science-Based Treatment for Opioid-Dependent Adolescents
• Technological Innovations in a Behavioral Treatment for Cigarette Smoking

• CTH Senior Staff

• Lisa A. Marsch, PhD (Director)
• Jesse Dallery, PhD
• Sarah Lord, PhD
• Bethany R. Raiff, PhD
• Michelle Acosta, PhD

Computer-based Prescription Opioid Abuse
Prevention for Adolescents

Title: Computer-based Prescription Opioid Abuse Prevention for Adolescents
Funding Period: 2008-2009
Principal Investigator: Lisa A. Marsch, Ph.D.
Other Project Staff: Sarah Moore, Ph.D.

Recreational use of prescription opioids among adolescents is a significant and growing public health concern and has been referred to as an emerging epidemic in the U.S. Abuse of prescription opioids among adolescents has been estimated to have increased approximately 542% in the past decade, making prescription opioids the second most commonly abused illicit drug among adolescents in the U.S. Although a number of science-based, interactive, drug abuse prevention programs exist focused on preventing use of non-prescription drugs in youth, to our knowledge, no science-based, interactive program focused on the prevention of prescription opioid abuse among youth exists. Given that adolescents' views about the recreational use of prescription opioids differ in systematic ways from use of illegal drugs, developing an effective prevention program for youth targeted specifically at prescription opioid abuse is critical.

In this project, we are developing an interactive, computer program focused on the prevention of prescription opioid abuse among high school-aged adolescents. This program will be grounded in a scientific understanding of risk factors for prescription opioid abuse among youth, employ informational technologies which are effective in promoting relevant knowledge and skills, and present program content using strategies shown to be highly appealing to adolescents. During this Phase I project, we plan to demonstrate the scientific, technical and commercial merit and feasibility of the proposed project. In Phase II, we plan to complete development of all components of the system and integrate all the completed, computerized program modules into a cohesive multimedia system and evaluate the effectiveness of the computer-based prevention program.