Intended for healthcare professionals

News

Mental health approach works better than information at preventing problem drinking in teenagers

BMJ 2013; 346 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.f519 (Published 24 January 2013) Cite this as: BMJ 2013;346:f519
  1. Matthew Limb
  1. 1London

Schools can prevent teenagers’ misuse of alcohol and deliver “substantial savings” for society through a mental health approach that targets support at pupils with “high risk” personalities, say researchers.

Their study showed that cognitive behavioural group workshops led by trained staff improved pupils’ ability to cope with traits such as anxiety and impulsiveness and reduce the likelihood of problem drinking.1

The lead researcher, Patricia Conrod, of King’s College London’s Institute of Psychiatry, said that the mental health approach was “more successful in reducing drinking behaviour than giving teenagers general information …

View Full Text

Log in

Log in through your institution

Subscribe

* For online subscription