Heather LaChance, Ph.D. - US grants

DESCRIPTION (Provided by applicant): The proposed training fellowship is designed to accomplish two primary objectives. First, it will provide training in clinical and scientific research skills, such as experimental design, intervention development and implementation, project management, treatment follow-up, statistical analysis, and manuscript preparation. Second, it will provide specialized, interdisciplinary training in the areas of behavioral genetics, structural equation modeling, alcohol dependence etiology, and treatment outcome research. The successful completion of this program will produce a committed scientist who has exceptional research skills and the ability to integrate and apply genetic, psychosocial, and cognitive factors to the study of alcohol dependence etiology and treatment development. This application proposes a clinical intervention study with alcohol-abusing older adolescents (n=l50), to investigate potential mediational and moderational variables underlying the efficacy of Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET). Further research is needed on the efficacy of MET to decrease problematic drinking with older adolescents (Monti et al., 1999). Additionally, studies have not adequately investigated the principal variables upon which MET operates, such as changes in motivation, self-efficacy, risk-perception, alcohol expectancies, and normative estimates. Moreover, studies have not investigated potential moderators of this intervention, such as, individual differences related to candidate genes for alcoholism and personality variables. In a controlled clinical trial, three primary empirical questions will be investigated. First, cognitive processes, conceptually related to MET, will be examined with pre- and immediate post-tests to analyze the active components of MET. Second, using a three-month follow-up, changes in problematic drinking and high-risk behavior will be assessed. Structural equation modeling will be used to model cognitive variables mediating the efficacy of MET on behavioral outcomes. Third, individual differences, such as genetic variables (e.g., DRD2, DRD4) and personality variables (impulsivity, etc.), will be explored as potential moderators of the efficacy of the MET intervention. Findings will suggest future directions in strengthening core components of the MET intervention, as well as treatment-matching based on genetic and/or personality factors.