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Hindi Research Article
Appreciative Inquiry: An Innovative New Strategy to Decrease Prescription Drug Abuse on a College Campus
Jeanelle Boyer, Marjorie Droppa*, John Finneran, Margaret Smith and Amanda BerniusHealth Science Department, Keene State College, 229 Main Street, Keene, NH 03435-2903, USA
- Corresponding Author:
- Marjorie Droppa
Health Science Department, Mailstop 2903
229 Main Street, Keene State College, Keene
NH 03435-2903, USA
Tel: (603)358-2014
Fax: (603)358-2892
E-mail: mdroppa@keene.edu
Received date: April 28, 2014; Accepted date: August 18, 2014; Published date: August 30, 2014
Citation: Boyer J, Droppa M, Finneran J, Smith M, Bernius A (2014) Appreciative Inquiry: An Innovative New Strategy to Decrease Prescription Drug Abuse on a College Campus. J Addict Res Ther 5:195. doi:10.4172/2155-6105.1000195
Copyright: © 2014 Boyer J, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Abstract
Introduction: This article explores the use of an innovative research tool called Appreciative Inquiry (AI) as a new method of inquiry to help devise prevention strategies to decrease the non-medical use of prescription drugs by college students. In 2011, 1.7 million college-age adults age 18 to 25 used prescription drugs for non-medical purposes, the second highest group for this type of abuse. Recently, New Hampshire (NH) prioritized AI as an evidence-based strategy for prescription drug abuse prevention. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether AI could effectively engage a college campus to decrease prescription drug abuse among its students. Methods: A study was performed at a NH college in 2013 involving 47 college students, faculty, administrators, and community partners. Central to the process was the concept of AI, a participatory research method that enables communities to discover its strengths, enhance interconnections, and use social capital to tackle significant issues. Results: Several grassroots strategies emerged to decrease prescription drug abuse including a vision for the college to be a national leader in prevention. Conclusion: Based on our findings, AI is valuable tools to help communities such as a college campus devise strategies to decrease prescription drug use among its population.
