A new analysis published in the journal Prevention Science calls for a major shift in how the United States approaches substance misuse prevention strategies and programs. The findings argue that the current strategy for providing prevention services may not be reaching enough people or providing a worthwhile return on investment. Implementation efforts should instead focus on direct integration into schools, health care systems and digital technologies Americans already use every day.
The paper is titled "Reframing substance misuse prevention: a RE-AIM analysis of federal infrastructure and future directions." The authors, from the University of South Florida College of Behavioral and Community Sciences, examined the nation's current prevention framework, which relies heavily on community coalitions supported through federal initiatives.
While such coalitions often bring together schools, nonprofits, health care providers and law enforcement to coordinate local prevention efforts, the researchers found the model can be resource-intensive, inconsistently implemented and difficult to sustain long term.
"According to our analysis, the current prevention infrastructure has not evolved alongside new technological opportunities or leveraged advances in prevention science," said lead author Dane Minnick, a social work and public health researcher. "Additionally, because the coalition-based model has not been consistently demonstrated to produce sustainable, population-level effects at a national scale, continued reliance on this structure raises significant concerns about scalability, effectiveness and return on investment."
