Screening teens for drug and alcohol addiction risk could help them avoid it

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2025-12-19 03:00

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Assessing teens' personalities to identify those most at risk of addiction to drugs or alcohol could allow effective early intervention and help keep them on the straight and narrow, according to Canadian researchers. They looked at data from a previous study conducted between 2012 and 2017, including a total of 3,861 students from 31 Canadian schools. Among the students, 1,669 were identified as having a higher risk of addiction, based on personality tests that measured four things - anxiety sensitivity, hopelessness, impulsivity, and sensation seeking. The schools were then split into two groups at random, with 15 schools adopting early intervention based on personality, while 16 schools carried on as before. The intervention consisted of of two 90-minute group sessions, facilitated by a school counsellor. In four years of follow-up, they found the 'at-risk' kids in the intervention schools drank alcohol and used drugs less than those in the non-intervention schools. The difference was similar among both boys and girls, the scientists say.