Family Prevention Program Nurtures Genetically 'At-Risk' Teens

New research from the University of Georgia suggests that a family-based prevention program helps youth avoid binge drinking and other drug use even if they carry a gene linked to risky behaviors.

The study, which was supported by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), the National Institutes of Health, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), followed a group of 11-year-olds for two-and-a-half years. Study participants who participated in a family-centered prevention program were compared to a group that did not receive interventions.

The researchers found that program participants who carried the short allele form of 5-HTTLPR — a form of the gene that is associated with impulsivity, low self-control, binge drinking and substance use — were no more likely to engage in risky behavior than those without the gene who were enrolled in the program.

By contrast, adolescents carrying the gene who were not in the program were twice as likely to take part in risky behaviors as those carrying the gene in the prevention program.

“We found that the prevention program proved especially beneficial for children with a genetic risk factor tied to risky behaviors,” said lead author Gene Brody. “The results emphasize the important role of parents, caregivers, and family-centered prevention programs in promoting healthy development during adolescence, especially when children have a biological makeup that may pose a challenge.”

The study was published online May 15, 2009 in the journal Child Development.