TY - JOUR
T1 - Policy Makers' Priorities for Addressing Youth Substance Use and Factors That Influence Priorities
AU - Purtle, Jonathan
AU - Nelson, Katherine L.
AU - Henson, Rosie Mae
AU - Horwitz, Sarah Mc Cue
AU - McKay, Mary M.
AU - Hoagwood, Kimberly E.
PY - 2022/4/1
Y1 - 2022/4/1
N2 - OBJECTIVE: Understanding public policy makers' priorities for addressing youth substance use and the factors that influence these priorities can inform the dissemination and implementation of strategies that promote evidence-based decision making. This study characterized the priorities of policy makers in substance use agencies of U.S. states and counties for addressing youth substance use, the factors that influenced these priorities, and the differences in priorities and influences between state and county policy makers. METHODS: In 2020, a total of 122 substance use agency policy makers from 35 states completed a Web-based survey (response rate=22%). Respondents rated the priority of 14 issues related to youth substance use and the extent to which nine factors influenced these priorities. Data were analyzed as dichotomous and continuous variables and for state and county policy makers together and separately. RESULTS: The highest priorities for youth substance use were social determinants of substance use (87%), adverse childhood experiences and childhood trauma (85%), and increasing access to school-based substance use programs (82%). The lowest priorities were increasing access to naloxone for youths (49%), increasing access to medications for opioid use disorder among youths (49%), and deimplementing non-evidence-based youth substance use programs (41%). The factors that most influenced priorities were budget issues (80%) and state legislature (69%), federal (67%), and governor priorities (65%). Issues related to program implementation and deimplementation were significantly higher priorities for state than for county policy makers. CONCLUSIONS: These findings can inform the tailoring of dissemination and implementation strategies to account for the inner- and outer-setting contexts of substance use agencies.
AB - OBJECTIVE: Understanding public policy makers' priorities for addressing youth substance use and the factors that influence these priorities can inform the dissemination and implementation of strategies that promote evidence-based decision making. This study characterized the priorities of policy makers in substance use agencies of U.S. states and counties for addressing youth substance use, the factors that influenced these priorities, and the differences in priorities and influences between state and county policy makers. METHODS: In 2020, a total of 122 substance use agency policy makers from 35 states completed a Web-based survey (response rate=22%). Respondents rated the priority of 14 issues related to youth substance use and the extent to which nine factors influenced these priorities. Data were analyzed as dichotomous and continuous variables and for state and county policy makers together and separately. RESULTS: The highest priorities for youth substance use were social determinants of substance use (87%), adverse childhood experiences and childhood trauma (85%), and increasing access to school-based substance use programs (82%). The lowest priorities were increasing access to naloxone for youths (49%), increasing access to medications for opioid use disorder among youths (49%), and deimplementing non-evidence-based youth substance use programs (41%). The factors that most influenced priorities were budget issues (80%) and state legislature (69%), federal (67%), and governor priorities (65%). Issues related to program implementation and deimplementation were significantly higher priorities for state than for county policy makers. CONCLUSIONS: These findings can inform the tailoring of dissemination and implementation strategies to account for the inner- and outer-setting contexts of substance use agencies.
KW - Adolescence
KW - Implementation science
KW - Policymakers
KW - Public substance use agencies
KW - Substance use
KW - Youth
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85128160503&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85128160503&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1176/appi.ps.202000919
DO - 10.1176/appi.ps.202000919
M3 - Article
C2 - 34384231
AN - SCOPUS:85128160503
VL - 73
SP - 388
EP - 395
JO - Hospital and Community Psychiatry
JF - Hospital and Community Psychiatry
SN - 1075-2730
IS - 4
ER -