Lions Quest Skills for Adolescence is a universal school-based intervention for children aged between 11 to 14 years old. It is delivered by trained teachers or youth workers to groups of children for nine months.
The information above is as offered/supported by the intervention provider.
11 to 12 years old
Group
Lions Quest Skills for Adolescence (SFA) is a universal school-based intervention for children aged between 11 to 14 years old. It is delivered by trained teachers or youth workers to groups of children for nine months.
SFA is a multicomponent life skills intervention that teaches cognitive-behavioural skills for building self-esteem and personal responsibility, communicating effectively, making better decisions, resisting social influences, and increasing knowledge with regards to drug use and consequences to children in the school setting.
Delivered through workbooks and activities like role-play, group work, and self-reflection, lessons follow a structured four-phase approach: Discovering, Connecting, Practising, and Applying. This method ensures children understand, apply, and practise the skills in real-life contexts.
Intervention content is separated into 5 units; Unit 1: Connecting with Others, Unit 2: Exploring My Values and Goals, Unit 3: Understanding my Emotions, Unit 4: Respecting Myself and Others and Unit 5: Making Responsible Decisions. Of note, while the intervention units remain consistent the lessons within each unit vary dependent on the year group receiving the intervention.
11 to 14 years old
This intervention is a universal intervention targeting the general population of adolescents.
Disclaimer: The information in this section is as offered/supported by the intervention provider.
Science-based assumption
Adolescent substance misuse, mental health, and behavioural problems are multi-determined by processes occurring at the level of the child, parent, family, and community.
Science-based assumption
Prosocial behaviours and a positive sense of self can be increased using social influence and social cognitive approaches, leading to a reduction in negative behaviours including drug use, violence, and discipline problems.
Science-based assumption
All children aged 11 to 14 years old.
Intervention
Prosocial behaviours are promoted by using social influence and social cognitive approaches to teach cognitive behavioural skills for building self-esteem and personal responsibility, communicating effectively, making decisions, resisting social influences and asserting rights, and increasing drug-use knowledge and consequences.
Short-term
Improved positive prosocial behaviours, including self-discipline, responsibility to self and others, good judgement, and the ability to get along with others.
Medium-term
Stronger social connections
Better self-understanding.
Long-term
Reduced drug use, violence, and discipline problems.
All children aged 11 to 14 years in secondary school classrooms.
Lions Quest Skills for Adolescence is delivered in 36 sessions of 45 minutes’ duration each by one practitioner to groups of children.
Children are taught the skills necessary to cope with physical, emotional, and social challenges of early adolescence.
Various themes are covered throughout the intervention, including strengthening self-confidence; dealing with feelings; relationships with friends; dealing with temptations and peer pressure; and decision-making.
Teachers (or youth work teams) and children are provided with workbooks to help guide them through the intervention content, which is taught using a combination of role-play, group work, discussion, and self-reflection.
Each lesson is divided into four phases of learning: (1) Discovering (explicit instruction defining the concepts addressed during the lesson); (2) Connecting (individual work applying the concepts of the lesson); (3) Practising (students role-play using the learned skills); and (4) Applying (students apply skills to a new situation).
The practitioner who delivers this intervention is a teacher
The practitioners have between eight and 16 hours of intervention training. Booster training of practitioners is recommended.
It is recommended that practitioners are supervised by one host-agency supervisor, with 12 hours of intervention training.
Intervention fidelity is maintained through the following processes:
Contact person: Matthew Kiefer
Organisation: Lions Quest Programmes
Email address: Matthew.kierfer@lionsclubs.org
Website: https://www.lionslifeskills.co.uk
*Please note that this information may not be up to date. In this case, please visit the listed intervention website for up to date contact details.
Lions Quest Skills for Adolescence’s most rigorous evidence comes from one cluster RCT conducted in the United States consistent with Foundations’ Level 3 evidence strength threshold.
This study identified statistically significant reductions in recent and lifetime marijuana use.
Lions Quest for Adolescence can be described as evidence-based: it has evidence from at least one rigorously conducted RCT or QED demonstrating a statistically significant positive impact on at least one child outcome.
Reduced lifetime marijuana use
Long term: A year later
Improvement index
Interpretation
Study
Reduced recent marijuana use
Long term: A year later
Improvement index
Interpretation
Study
| Identified in search | 6 |
| Studies reviewed | 1 |
| Meeting the L2 threshold | 0 |
| Meeting the L3 threshold | 1 |
| Contributing to the L4 threshold | 0 |
| Ineligible | 5 |
| Study design | Cluster RCT |
| Country | United States |
| Sample characteristics | 7,426 children aged 11 to 12 from 34 middle schools in metropolitan areas across Los Angeles, Detroit, Washington, D.C., and Boston. Over half of the sample were female (52%) with 34% Hispanic, 18% African American, and 7% Asian American students. |
| Race, ethnicities, and nationalities |
|
| Population risk factors | None reported |
| Timing |
|
| Child outcomes |
|
| Other outcomes | None |
| Study rating | 3 |
| Citations | Eisen, M., Zellman, G. L. & Murray, D. M. (2003) Evaluating the Lions-Quest Skills for Adolescence drug education program. Addictive Behaviors. 28, 883–897. |
The following studies were identified for this intervention but did not count towards the intervention’s overall evidence rating. An intervention receives the same rating as its most robust study or studies.
Kahnert, H. (2002) Evaluation of the Lions Quest program ‘Erwachsen Werden’ (German version of Skills for Adolescence). University of Bielefeld.
Kidron, Y., Garibaldi, M. & Osher, D. (2016) Lions Quest Skills for Adolescence: Implementation and outcome study in Wood County, West Virginia.
Malmin, G. (2007). It is my CHOICE (Lions Quest) evaluation part 5: The impact on the behavior of the students. Unpublished evaluation report.
Matischek-Jauk, M., Krammer, G. & Reicher, H. (2017) The life-skills program Lions Quest in Austrian schools: Implementation and outcomes. Health Promotion International.
Switzer, J. L. (2016) Evaluation of the intervention efficacy of Lions Quest Skills for Adolescence. Walden University, Walden Dissertation and Doctoral studies.
Note on provider involvement: This provider has agreed to Foundations’ terms of reference (or the Early Intervention Foundation's terms of reference), and the assessment has been conducted and published with the full cooperation of the intervention provider.
Rated 1: Set up and delivery is low cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of less than £100.
Rated 2: Set up and delivery is medium-low cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of £100–£499.
Rated 3: Set up and delivery is medium cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of £500–£999.
Rated 4: Set up and delivery is medium-high cost, equivalent to an estimated unit cost of £1,000–£2,000.
Rating 5: Set up and delivery is high cost. Equivalent to an estimated unit cost of more than £2,000.
Set up and delivery cost is not applicable, not available, or has not been calculated.
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Supporting children’s mental health and wellbeing: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Preventing child maltreatment: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Enhancing school achievement & employment: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Preventing crime, violence and antisocial behaviour: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Preventing substance abuse: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Preventing risky sexual behaviour & teen pregnancy: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Preventing obesity and promoting healthy physical development: Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Aenean commodo ligula eget dolor. Aenean massa. Cum sociis natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient.
Rated 2: Has preliminary evidence of improving a child outcome from a quantitative impact study, but there is not yet evidence of causal impact.
Rated 2+: Meets the level 2 rating and the best available evidence is based on a study which is more rigorous than a level 2 standard but does not meet the level 3 standard.
Rated 3: Has evidence of a short-term positive impact from at least one rigorous study.
Rated 3+: Meets the level 3 rating and has evidence from other studies with a comparison group at level 2 or higher.
Rated 4: Has evidence of a long-term positive impact through at least two rigorous studies.
Rated 4+: Meets the level 4 rating and has at least a third study contributing to the Level 4 rating, with at least one of the studies conducted independently of the intervention provider.
Rating has a *: The evidence base includes mixed findings i.e., studies suggesting positive impact alongside studies, which on balance, indicate no effect or negative impact.
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