A Pilot Efficacy and Implementation Study of the Strengths Intervention Project

Overview

The purpose of this study is to test a strengths-based intervention to be delivered in a primary care setting with adolescents and a parent. Investigators want to find out if the intervention can help parents and teens communicate. Specifically Investigators want to see if they can help parents and teens identify and build teen's strengths. Half the dyads will receive the educational materials in conjunction with their teen's well-child visit, while the other half will receive usual care at the well-child visit and receive the educational materials at the end of the study. Additionally, Investigators expect that a strengths-based intervention may also impact adherence to treatment in youth with a chronic illness. As such, Investigators will include a subgroup of teenagers diagnosed with asthma in this study, to assess whether the strengths-based intervention that the Investigators developed has an impact on adherence.

Recent research suggests that parents and adolescents report an interest in doctors facilitating increased parent-teen communication about teen strengths. However, little research focuses on how to address this need in a primary care setting. Content from subject matter experts along with data gathered from parents and teens were used to develop a novel strengths-based intervention to be tested in primary care. The study intervention being examined is called the Strengths Intervention Project and includes a written pamphlet, a guided discussion activity, in-person/phone health coaching, and in-person or mailed health care provider endorsement and key messaging. Measures will be collected at baseline pre-intervention (T1), in clinic or over the phone at the time of the intervention (T2), approximately two weeks post-intervention (T3), and approximately 2 months post-intervention (T4). Daily diaries will also be utilized twice to gather data pre- and post- intervention. We will measure feasibility of clinic implementation of intervention, as well as influence of intervention on parent-teen communication and adolescent outcomes.