Family-based Interventions of Preventing Substance Use Among Immigrant Youth: A Scoping Review

Abstract

Introduction: Immigrant youth face heightened risks of substance use due to the stress associated with immigration and acculturation. While parental intervention can have a preventative impact on substance use, parents need to be well-informed about substance use and effective interventions that can prevent substance use among immigrant youth. Such interventions ought to be culturally sensitive, family-based, and targeted at the specific substances that are prevalent in a given context. Identifying and curating interventions that can empower parents in addressing substance use can help mitigate the risks that immigrant youth may face. Methods: This scoping review aimed to identify the types, characteristics, and effectiveness of family-based substance use intervention programs. Based on Arksay and O’Malley’s guidelines, interventions included in the review must have met the following criteria: (a) was a family-based intervention aiming to prevent substance use; (b) targeted immigrant teens aged 12 to 17 years old; (c) was published in English; (d) originated from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, or the United States. The pinch table was used to synthesize included articles, after which studies were compared and categorized, and cross-cutting categories were identified. Results: After screening 4551 searched literature, 13 studies that utilized family-based interventions were included in the review. All interventions were face-to-face programs, and most interventions involved parents and youth as participants. Eco-developmental theory and active learning strategies were used by multiple interventions. Given immigrant families were target stakeholders, both deep structure and surface structure cultural adaptations were utilized. Interventions increased parents’ knowledge and skills regarding substance use prevention and delayed substance use initiation among youth. Conclusion: From the review, it was evident that parents are an essential element in any program aiming to prevent or reduce children’s substance use. Besides information about substance use prevention, the curriculum also involves parenting and communication skills for parents to understand the protective effects of family. Effective family-based interventions for immigrant youth require attention to parenting and immigration stress, while also considering cultural adaptation. Future directions and limitations are also discussed.