[Impact of an indicated prevention program on risk behaviors among adolescents at psychosocial risk].

Background

Indicated prevention targeting adolescents at psychosocial risk is a public health priority, yet evidence on its effectiveness in Spain remains limited. This study evaluates the impact of a preventive program on personality traits, personal competencies, psychopathological symptoms, cannabis use, and other risk behaviors.

Methods

A quasi-experimental design with three assessment points (pre-intervention, post-intervention, and three-month follow-up) was used. Participants were adolescents recruited though the Suspertu Programme of Fundación Proyecto Hombre Navarra between March 2014 and June 2017. Validated instruments assessing personality, psychopathology, and risk behaviors were administered. Statistical analyses included repeated-measures general linear models, effect sizes were estimated using Cohen's d.

Results

The sample comprised 61 adolescents (44 males, 72.1%), with a mean age of 16.7 years (SD = 2.0). Statistically significant changes were observed in personality variables and improvements in personal competencies, including self-esteem, self-efficacy, planning, and decision-making. Significant improvements were also observed across all Symptom Checklist-90-Revised dimensions at both post-intervention and follow-up. Daily cannabis use decreased from 45.5% to 4.5% among males and from 37.5% to 18.8% among females. A general reduction in other risk behaviors was also observed.

Conclusions

These findings support the effectiveness of the Suspertu Programme as an indicated prevention intervention, with positive effects maintained at three-month follow-up. The findings also underscore the importance of considering sex as a potential differentiating factor when designing and implementation indicated prevention programs.