Families preparing a new generation: Adaptation of an adolescent substance use intervention for Burmese refugee families

Refugees frequently experience histories of trauma and stress of acculturation, which place them at a high risk for mental health and substance use problems. Although recently arrived foreign-born youths report lower rates of substance use than their American peers, substance use rates for children in refugee families often increase as acculturation occurs. We describe the adaptation of the Familias: Preparando a la Nueva Generación (Families: Preparing the New Generation; FPNG) parenting skills curriculum to prevent adolescent substance use among Burmese refugee families. The adapted curriculum introduces parents of newly acculturating adolescents to the problem of substance use and teaches them how to effectively communicate with their children to target specific adolescent risk factors. We conducted a pilot study of 10 FPNG sessions with 14 Burmese mothers at an urban community center. Pretest and posttest data and fidelity measures were collected to assess the effects of the adapted curriculum and the pilot study. We describe these measures and present a 3-phase cultural adaptation process model that details the study’s background and plans for future intervention adaptations. We also discuss challenges in adaptation and implementation of the FPNG intervention with Burmese refugee communities.