Systematic review of universal family prevention programs: Analysis in terms of efficacy, retention and adherence.

Abstract

Adherence is an important aspect of the effectiveness of family interventions for universal drug prevention. Some approaches suggest adherence assessments should be improved because they are partial and do not take into account all dimensions. The objective of the study is to analyze adherence and retention measures used in family intervention programs for the prevention of substance use in young people aged 10-14 years. To this end, the literature was reviewed on universal programs which have obtained good preventive results. The information sources consulted are: PubMed, PsycINFO (EBSCO), PsycArticles (EBSCO), Social Work abstracts (EBSCO), CINAHL (EBSCO) SocIndex (EBSCO), Scopus, Academic Search Premier (EBSCO), SCIC-ISOC, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, ERIC, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, Project Cork, Researchgate, and consultation with experts. The search results show 21 studies belonging to 6 family programs: Strengthening Families Program 10-14, Parents Who Care, Family Check-Up, Linking Lives Health, Prevention of Alcohol use in Students, and Örebro Prevention Program. The studies analyzed provide little information on the different elements involved in adherence. Retention and differential attribution are the data that appear most frequently, while other aspects such as active participation do not appear in the studies. The results are discussed and recommendations are made to improve the evaluation of adherence and retention in family prevention programs.