Parent resource to improve communication about media and substances for adolescents

Who could benefit from this research

What this research studies

This project aims to finish and test Media Ready Parent (MRP), an easy-to-use online program that teaches parents how to talk with their children about media messages regarding alcohol and drugs. The team will refine the web-based software and assess its impact on the quality of parent–adolescent conversations and the potential to reduce substance-use risk in kids aged 0-11 years (note: the target here references early adolescence in related work). The study uses a two-arm randomized design to compare MRP against a control condition, with active follow-up to monitor sustained effects. By improving communication skills and media literacy in families, the program seeks to empower parents to guide their children through a media-saturated environment. If successful, this could provide a scalable, online resource for families to prevent early substance use among youths.

Why it matters

Where this research is happening

• Innovation Research and Training, INC.
  Durham, United States Active

Researchers

• Principal investigator: Barrett, Tracy Marie — Innovation Research and Training, INC.
• Study coordinator: Barrett, Tracy Marie

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About this research

1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.