Name of Project: Reducing the Disproportionate Impact of Orofacial Injury (Personalized Motivation Intervention)
Principal Investigator: Vivek Shetty, School of Dentistry
Co-Principal Investigator: Douglas Longshore
Project Director: Luis Santiago
Funding Agency: NIDA
Funding Period: October 2003-September 2008
Scope of Project: Intentional orofacial injuries (i.e., injuries to the jaw and teeth) occur disproportionately in low-income racial/ethnic communities, and alcohol/drug use is a risk factor for such injuries. Behavioral intervention to address the patient’s alcohol/drug problems and other risk behaviors needs to be an integral part of trauma care if we are to decrease the adverse consequences of injury and the likelihood of re-injury. In this project we will use a two-arm randomized control trial to test the effectiveness of a personalized motivational intervention aimed at reducing alcohol/drug use and psychological distress among orofacial injury patients who have alcohol/drug problems. The intervention will be culturally appropriate and feasible in a trauma center context. Participants will be 720 adults receiving treatment at County USC Medical Center. Our central hypothesis is that by integrating into trauma care a personalized assessment of alcohol/drug, psychological, and other service needs, plus active service referrals in a motivational intervention approach, we will significantly reduce the adverse consequences of orofacial injury, improve treatment outcomes, and decrease rates of re-injury, thus off-setting intervention costs.
For more information, contact Douglas Longshore.
Last updated - 04/12/04
Last reviewed 04/12/04