We ask authors to describe their impressions regarding the implications of their accepted work, how their findings will change practice, and what is noteworthy about the work.
What Works? An Empirical Perspective on How to Retain Youth in Longitudinal Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Substance Risk Reduction Studies
Erika Montanaro , Sarah W. Feldstein Ewing , Angela D. Bryan
Substance Abuse
Vol. 36, Iss. 4, 2015
One critical factor that complicates research on the long-term effects of behavioral risk reduction efforts in adolescents is retention. This study sought to directly address this gap in the literature by examining retention efforts and rates of retention for a six-month study period across two disparate samples (justice-involved youth and school-attending youth). Our results suggest justice-based youth require significant effort above and beyond school-based youth. Specifically, youth who had higher/more frequent alcohol and marijuana use were found to be more difficult to retain, suggesting that extra efforts may be required to retain justice-involved and substance-abusing youth. Different follow-up methods do not appear to be required, it is simply that more of the same efforts appear to be necessary to successfully retain justice-based youth.