Critique of a Qualitative and Quantitative Study on Adolescent Alcohol Use

Running head: CRITIQUE
Critique
Name of the Student
Name of the university
Author’s note

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CRITIQUE
Introduction
Alcohol is the most commonly used abused drug worldwide and the highest level of
alcohol is consumed by the adolescent group of people. Excessive use of alcohol has both
physiological and psychological effects that increases the risk of several health condition.
Consumption of alcohol not only increases the burden of health but also affects a person
economically. Indiscriminate use of alcohol by the adolescents has become a major concern for
the government as illness due to alcohol accounts for huge financial burden on government
(Mares et al., 2015). This paper would critically analyses a qualitative paper relating family
dynamics and alcohol abuse among the adolescents and the quantitative paper would describe
about the effectiveness of the personality targeted intervention in the programs for the
adolescents. The critical appraisal should be conducted by using the CASP tool analysis.
Critical appraisal
Quantitative Study: Randomised Control Trial
Paper
Conrod, P. J., O’Leary-Barrett, M., Newton, N., Topper, L., Castellanos-Ryan, N., Mackie, C., &
Girard, A. (2013). Effectiveness of a selective, personality-targeted prevention program
for adolescent alcohol use and misuse: a cluster randomized controlled trial. JAMA
psychiatry, 70(3), 334-342. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2013.651

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CRITIQUE
Answer 1
According to Banducci, Hoffman, Lejuez and Koenen (2014), the risk factor which
makes the young adults or the adolescent susceptible for alcohol misuse is behavioural
difficulties, emotional challenges, personality factors and other family related consequences. The
aim of the research article mainly encompass implementation of the personality target approach
over the secondary school students who are vulnerable in getting affected in substance abuse like
the students suffering from anxiety sensitivity, impulsivity, hopelessness and sensation seeking.
The authors also undertook Teacher-Delivered Personality-Target Interventions for Substance
Misuse Trial over the low-risk population in order to check the effect of the projected
intervention over the herd community.
Answer: 2
The recruitment of the patients to the study was completely randomised. 149 secondary
schools, which are proximal to the research centre, were invited for the study of them, the first 21
schools who signed up for study were recruited and this constitutes 14% of the schools in
comparison to the overall schools which were initially approached. The sample of each school
was diverse with 41% from the ethnic background. The eligibility for the projected interventions
upon the target population was determined via identification of youth who suffer from anxiety,
sensitivity, impulsivity, hopelessness and have a tendency of sensation seeking (Conrod et al.,
2013). According to Donovan, Paramasivan, de Salis and Toerien (2014), selection of the focus
group of the study via randomised recruitment of the population in the focus group helps to
increase the quality of the RCT study along with the reduction in the biased outcomes. Conrod et
al., 2013 also conducted the recruitment process via masking and that too in a highly confidential

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CRITIQUE
manner. This concealing from the participants (focus group and the target group) further
increased the quality of this RCT study (Donovan, Paramasivan, de Salis and Toerien, 2014).
Answer: 3
It was a 24 month follow-up study. All the high risk (HR) and low risk (LR) patients (N=
2643) were invited to participate in the follow-up assessment during their school time under a
periodic interval of 6, 12, 18 and 24 months after the interventions have been provided.
However, one placebo school, the follow-up rates were hampered as they failed to arrange the
same at 6-month interval. Another school experienced difficulty for a 24 month follow-up. In
some schools follow-up was arranged through telephonic interview as the students were unable
for face-to-face interview (Conrod et al., 2013). This lack of stringent follow up session
hampered the overall outcome of the study. In RCT study, loss of follow-up or increase in the
dropout rates cause the generation of biased outcomes (Brannen, 2017). However, the patients
were analysed in different groups based on the different students with complete blinding of the
students (Conrod et al., 2013).
Answer: 4
The students who participated in the RCT and were provided interventions were not
informed about the various other types of interventions that were being offered in their schools to
their friends. They were also not aware which of their friends were called on to take a part in
these other types of interventions. However, the teachers who were asked to access the outcome
of the interventions via a periodic follow-up were aware of the reason of the interventions
(Conrod et al., 2013). Thus the study was single blind and not double-blinded trial. According to
Misra (2012) randomised double blinded study are the gold standards for the RCTs. The
condition where the reviewer is aware of the projected outcomes and the nature of interventions