Evaluation of Family Skills Training Programs to Prevent Alcohol and Drug Use: A Critical Review of the Field in Latin America

Family skills training programs (FSTPs) are the interventions of choice for the prevention of alcohol and drug use worldwide. However, the majority of evidence about their effectiveness comes from high-income countries, such as the United States and European countries. Several systematic reviews point to the lack of research on the effectiveness of FSTPs in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Most importantly, to our knowledge, no review has explored the evidence on FSTPs exclusively in the Latin America. This critical reflection aims to (1) re-state a rationale for the prevention of alcohol and drug use through FSTPs in Latin America, (2) briefly review the existing literature, both in Spanish and English, on FSTPs in Latin America, (3) explore the challenges in the field of FSTPs in Latin America, and (4) provide recommendations for future research that could increase access and promote implementation and sustainability of FSTPs to prevent drug and alcohol use in the region. The paper is written from the perspective of a team of researchers evaluating FSTPs in Panama and narrates experiences and challenges encountered when conducting such studies in low-resource settings.