Acceptability and feasibility of Strong & Deadly Futures, a culturally-inclusive alcohol and drug prevention program for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander secondary students

Although there are effective alcohol and drug prevention programs available for Australian secondary schools, no effective culturally-inclusive programs exist for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students. To address this gap, we developed the Strong & Deadly Futures program for youn...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: K. Routledge, M. Snijder, N. Newton, J. Ward, M. Doyle, C. Chapman, K.E. Champion, B. Lees, S. Garlick Bock, Y. Wang, P.W. Olthuis, K.S.K. Lee, M. Teesson, L. Stapinski
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2022-12-01
Series:SSM - Mental Health
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666560322000135
Description
Summary:Although there are effective alcohol and drug prevention programs available for Australian secondary schools, no effective culturally-inclusive programs exist for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students. To address this gap, we developed the Strong & Deadly Futures program for young people aged 12–14 years. The web-based program was developed with Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous staff and students at four secondary schools (2 urban, 2 rural). This mixed-methods study reports on qualitative and quantitative feedback from students (n ​= ​235) and school staff (n ​= ​8) in a pilot trial to assess acceptability and feasibility of this curriculum-aligned program. Feedback indicated that students were highly engaged and motivated to learn as a result of the story-based mode of delivery, and teachers reported the ease of program implementation and adaptation. Implications for future school-based health program development are discussed. Overall, Strong & Deadly Futures appears to be an acceptable and feasible culturally-inclusive alcohol and drug prevention program. Further research will test the program's efficacy in a randomised controlled trial.
ISSN:2666-5603