Conceptualizing alcohol treatment research for Hispanic/Latino adolescents

Abstract: This paper briefly reviews the Community-Based Intervention Research Group’s ongoing efforts in conceptualizing alcohol treatment research for Hispanic/Latino adolescents. I begin by defining Empirically Supported Therapies (ESTs), Developmentally Sensitive Therapies (DSTs), and Culturally Sensitive Therapies (DSTs). I then argue that these three perspectives need to be integrated for the field to advance. Next, I discuss the complexities inherent in the integration of EST, DST, and CST, and suggest a ‘flexible core approach’ may be the most feasible and promising approach to integration. Finally, I introduce the concept of ‘amenability to treatment’ and describe how it may be applied to understanding how race/ethnicity-related variables may influence response to treatment.

Wagner, E.F. (2003). Conceptualizing alcohol treatment research for Hispanic/Latino adolescents. Alcoholism: Clinical & Experimental Research, 27(8), 1349-1352. doi:10.1097/01.alc.0000080201.46747.d5