The efficacy of peer-led interventions with ecstasy and related drugs (ERDs) users

NDARC Staff

Annie Bleeker, Paul Dillon and Jan Copeland

Aims

Design and Method

A quasi-experimental study design was utilised over four study sites - three in Australia and one in the Netherlands. Unfortunately different research methodologies were utilised in the Netherlands and their data were not comparable with data collected from the Australian sites. Although reference is made to the peer education methodology from the Netherlands study, all information presented in the final report is based on the Australian research study.

A literature review on the efficacy of peer-led interventions forms the first part of the project report. Using the review, a Peer Training Program was designed, developed and implemented in all research sites. Utilising information collected from a past NDARC project ('Development of materials on ecstasy and related drugs (ERDs) for primary health care practitioners') a unique message relating to serotonin syndrome was created and incorporated into the training program. The trained peers then attended18 events over the 2006/2007 summer across three sites in Australia (with cases and controls) where they disseminated a series of safer partying messages, including the serotonin message.

A series of instruments were designed to measure process mechanisms and assess the effectiveness of the peer education with ecstasy and related drug users. Follow-up interviews were conducted three months after the intervention messages were given to cases and controls.

Output

A total of 661 baseline interviews were conducted with ecstasy users at dance events in three study sites in Australia. A total of 349 follow up interviews were conducted with the sample to assess if health messages had be retained at three months later.

The results of the study indicate that there was a good recall of health messages disseminated to ERDs users using a peer-led methodology. At the three month follow-up, there was a high free recall of the two unique messages that were provided only to the experimental group (cases). The ‘serotonin syndrome’ message was recalled by 64% of cases at baseline interview and by 46% at follow-up interview, indicating that a significant proportion of the study population remembered what they had discussed with a peer educator at an event three months earlier.

Funding

Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing and ACT Department of Health