Armitage, C.J., Rowe, R., Arden, M.A. et al. (1 more author) (2014) A Brief Psychological Intervention That Reduces Adolescent Alcohol Consumption. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 82 (3). pp. 546-550. ISSN 0022-006X
Abstract
Objective. Alcohol consumption in adolescence is associated with problem drinking in later life and there is a need to develop evidence-based interventions to reduce adolescent alcohol consumption. The aims of the present study were to test the ability of a very brief intervention based on self-affirmation theory to reduce alcohol consumption in a sample of adolescents and to examine potential mediators of the effects. Methods. 67 adolescents were randomly allocated either to form a self-affirming implementation intention or to complete a distracter task. All participants were exposed to a threatening message concerning the health risks of alcohol consumption. The main outcome measure was subsequent alcohol intake, but message processing (operationalized as perceived threat and message derogation), behavioral intention and self-efficacy were also measured as potential mediators. Results. The intervention produced a significant decrease in alcohol consumption: Participants in the self-affirming implementation intention condition consumed 2.48 fewer grams of pure alcohol per day at the end of the study than adolescents who completed the distracter task. The effect was not mediated by perceived threat, message derogation, behavioral intention or self-efficacy. Conclusions. The findings provide support for the efficacy of the self-affirming implementation intention for promoting health behavior change and extend previous research by testing an adolescent sample and observing longer-term effects. Further research is needed to find out what mediates the effects of self-affirming implementation intentions on health behavior change.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2014 American Psychological Association. This is an author produced version of a paper subsequently published in Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. Uploaded in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. |
Keywords: | adolescents; brief intervention; self-affirmation; alcohol; implementation intention |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Science (Sheffield) > Department of Psychology (Sheffield) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 19 Feb 2016 15:56 |
Last Modified: | 08 Mar 2016 23:29 |
Published Version: | https://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0035802 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | American Psychological Association |
Identification Number: | 10.1037/a0035802 |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:95404 |