Developmental Hazards Among Young Alcohol Intoxicated Patients

Risky Sexual Behaviour and Sexual Victimization among Young People with Risky Substance Use in Europe-Perspectives from Belgium, Sweden, the Czech Republic, and Germany

BACKGROUND

Research indicates that among the risks associated with young people's alcohol and illicit drug use are sexual risks. However, insights into co-occurrence of substance use and sexual risks in adolescent samples and possible differences across countries are limited.

METHODS

A sample of 1449 adolescents from Belgium, Sweden, the Czech Republic, and Germany screened positive for risky alcohol/illicit drug use in a web-based intervention against alcohol and illicit drug use. They also reported incidents of sex while being drunk and/or high on drugs, condomless sex on these occasions, and sexualized touching and sexual victimization while being drunk or high on drugs.

RESULTS

In the sample, 21.5% of the participants reported sexualized touching, 9.9% being victim to sexual assault, and 49.8% having had sex while being drunk and/or high on drugs; of the latter, 48.3% had condomless sex. Reports on having had sex while being drunk and/or high on drugs were associated with higher levels of past 30-day binge drinking. Being a victim of sexual assault was associated with past 30-day binge drinking only in young men.

CONCLUSION

When devising preventive interventions against risky substance use in adolescents, an additional focus should be set on integrating steps against sexual risks.

[The alcohol prevention program "HaLT-Hart am LimiT" : Conceptual development in connection with funding from the German Prevention Act]

„HaLT – Hart am LimiT“ ist ein bundesweites kommunales Alkoholpräventionsprogramm für Kinder und Jugendliche, das reaktiv Sofortinterventionen bei schädlichem Alkoholkonsum durchführt (reaktiver Baustein) und auf kommunaler Ebene proaktiv strategische Präventionsnetzwerke aufbaut (proaktiver Baustein). Es wurde 2003 von der Villa Schöpflin gGmbH initiiert. HaLT ist eines der ersten etablierten Programme, die über das im Jahr 2015 in Kraft getretene Präventionsgesetz (PrävG) gefördert werden. Seit März 2018 wird es weiterentwickelt, die Neuerungen sind in der „HaLT-Rahmenkonzeption“ dargestellt. In diesem Beitrag werden das Programm, das Netzwerk und die Weiterentwicklung beschrieben.

Es gibt 152 HaLT-Standorte in Deutschland; die betreuten Regionen sind vorwiegend (Land‑)Kreise und kreisfreie Städte. Im Zuge der Weiterentwicklung sollen die Präventionsmaßnahmen des HaLT-Programms für die Förderung modularisiert und ein spezifisches Qualitätsmanagement-(QM‑)Konzept implementiert werden. Zudem erfolgt eine Weiterentwicklung hinsichtlich neuer Themen und Zielgruppen, u. a. junge Menschen mit Mischkonsum und junge Erwachsene von 18–21 Jahren. Ein Klassenworkshop an weiterführenden Schulen adressiert z. B. die Prävention der fetalen Alkoholspektrumstörung.

Im Juli 2019 startete die Förderphase I für die Maßnahmen im reaktiven Baustein von HaLT. Im Januar 2020 begann die Förderphase II, in der Fördergelder für Maßnahmen des QM und für kommunale Maßnahmen der Alkoholprävention beantragt werden können. Die neue Rahmenkonzeption findet bereits Anwendung in der Praxis, u. a. durch die Qualifizierung von HaLT-Fachkräften im bundesweiten HaLT-Netzwerk und durch Präventionsmaßnahmen für 18- bis 21-Jährige im reaktiven wie im proaktiven Baustein.

Cross-sectional relationship of perceived familial protective factors with depressive symptoms in vulnerable youth

BACKGROUND

There are multiple negative consequences associated with heavy episodic drinking and close associations between substance abuse and depression, alcohol-intoxicated adolescents (AIA) represent a vulnerable group. We aim to add to the current literature by investigating the cross-sectional relationship of perceived familial protective factors with depressive symptoms in AIA in hospitals, with respect to sex. Depression is among the 10 leading causes of disabilities during childhood and adolescence, with girls being more vulnerable than boys. Considerable evidence reveals a strong association between depression and alcohol abuse. The family provides the possibility to positively influence depressive symptoms.

METHODS

We present cross-sectional data of a German multisite, epidemiological cohort study on AIA. By using youth's self-reports, we assessed sociodemographic data, as well as data on perceived familial protective factors and depressive symptoms using items of the Communities that Care Youth Survey instrument. We performed descriptive and multigroup analyses to evaluate the measurement invariance of the used instruments. Moreover, to investigate the relationships between the constructs, we used structural equation modelling.

RESULTS

The study sample comprised 342 AIA, with a mean age of 15.5 years (SD = 1.2; 48.1% girls). The final structural equation model achieved an acceptable model fit of χ2 (69, 342) = 110.056; p = .001; TLI = 0.97; CFI = 0.98; RMSEA = 0.046; SRMR = 0.042, and the rewards for prosocial involvement in the family context correlated significantly negatively with present depressive symptoms, (ß = - 0.540, p <  0.001). The effects were stronger in boys (ß = - 0.576, p <  0.001) than in girls (ß = - 0.519, p <  0.001).

CONCLUSION

In vulnerable youth in Germany, depressive symptoms are correlated to good experiences within the family. Future research should assess whether interventions that enhance parental support reduce the risk of depressive symptoms in AIA. Our findings highlight the need for family-based prevention programmes, particularly for AIA with an increased risk of depression.