What works in prevention: Principles of effective prevention programs.
Abstract
The high prevalence of drug abuse, delinquency, youth violence, and other youth problems creates a need to identify and disseminate effective prevention strategies. General principles gleaned from effective interventions may help prevention practitioners select, modify, or create more effective programs. Using a review-of-reviews approach across 4 areas (substance abuse, risky sexual behavior, school failure, and juvenile delinquency and violence), the authors identified 9 characteristics that were consistently associated with effective prevention programs: Programs were comprehensive, included varied teaching methods, provided sufficient dosage, were theory driven, provided opportunities for positive relationships, were appropriately timed, were socioculturally relevant, included outcome evaluation, and involved well-trained staff. This synthesis can inform the planning and implementation of problem-specific prevention interventions, provide a rationale for multi-problem prevention programs, and serve as a basis for further research.
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Research indicates that sustained, multi-year programming may be necessary to affect long-term behavioral trajectories among adolescents.
“Research indicates that sustained, multi-year programming may be necessary to affect long-term behavioral trajectories among adolescents [6,26,27], as evidenced by consistent positive program effects of the 3-year MS-LST curriculum.”
From Effectiveness of the Botvin High School LifeSkills Training Intervention on Adolescent Substance Use: A Cluster Randomized Trial (2026) · cites this paper as [27]
Some trials find effects several months after a single brief intervention, but many preventive interventions lose effect over time.
“While some trials show effects at several months after one brief intervention (see, for instance, WHO Brief Intervention Study Group, 1996, which showed effects at 9 months post-intervention), many preventive interventions show a drop-off of effect over time (Nation et al., 2003).”
From Screening and Brief Intervention for Substance Misuse: Does It Reduce Aggression and HIV-Related Risk Behaviours? (2015) · cites this paper as Nation et al., 2003
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- Authors
- Nation, M., Crusto, C., Wandersman, A., Kumpfer, K. L., Seybolt, D., Morrissey-Kane, E., & Davino, K.
- Affiliations
- Vanderbilt University (US)
- Yale University (US)
- University of South Carolina (US)
- University of Maryland, Baltimore (US)
- Venue
- American Psychologist
- Published
- 2003-06
- Volume
- 58
- Issue
- 6-7
- Pages
- 449-456
- ISSN
- 0003-066X (ISSN-L)
- 1935-990X
- OpenAlex
- W2016317357
- Cited by
- 1,189
- References
- 3
- Citations by year
- 2026: 33 · 2025: 27 · 2024: 40 · 2023: 50 · 2022: 59 · 2021: 52 · 2020: 78 · 2019: 52 · 2018: 95 · 2017: 50 · 2016: 66 · 2015: 88 · 2014: 71 · 2013: 62 · 2012: 68
- FWCI
- 3.75
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- American Psychologist (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Crime Patterns and Interventions
- Social Sciences › Safety Research › Youth Development and Social Support
- Keywords
- prevention programs, substance use prevention, sexual risk behavior, school failure, juvenile delinquency, youth violence, program dosage, theory-based intervention, positive relationships, outcome measurement, employee training, umbrella review
- MeSH terms
- Adolescent, Child, Community Mental Health Services, Cross-Sectional Studies, Humans, Juvenile Delinquency, Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care, Patient Care Team, Preventive Health Services, Social Problems, United States, Violence, Substance-Related Disorders
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