By Thomas Johns
School of Social Work
School of Social Work Professors, Dr. Dana Litt (Left)
and Dr. Melissa Lewis (Right)
The University of Texas at Arlington School of Social Work emphasizes advocacy, leadership and community involvement. Students in the program develop the skills necessary to influence and drive change, address issues often overlooked by the general population, and find solutions to problems faced by people across all levels and demographics worldwide.
Through this mission to drive change, two faculty members have developed a lab to target a growing issue within society. UTA School of Social Work professors, Dr. Melissa Lewis and Dr. Dana Litt, are leading the “Studying Alcohol and Related Risks Lab”, or STARR Lab, to seek answers to the ongoing issue of youth alcohol use.
“Why do some teens and young adults use substances while others don’t? Our lab is digging into that question to create solutions that work in the real world. We are working to understand why teens and young adults use alcohol and other substances, and how to help them make safer, healthier choices,” Lewis said. “By listening to teens and young adults and working with communities, we are creating real-world tools and solutions that prevent substance use, support families, and strengthen peer networks.”
The STARR Lab finds answers at the ground level by interacting and learning directly from teens and young adults making decisions about their own alcohol use.
“The STARR Lab at UTA is working to understand what drives substance use and related behaviors among teens and young adults. Our research focuses on how risky environments and thought patterns, also known as risky cognitions, influence decision-making. We study how peers, parent communication, social media, and other social factors shape behavior, especially in situations where risks are higher, such as parties or social gatherings,” Litt said.
“We use a wide range of research tools, including focus groups, interviews, long-term surveys and clinical trials, to understand what teens and young adults are thinking and experiencing in the moment. One of our key goals is to reduce normative misperceptions, such as the belief that most people their age are engaging in risky behaviors when, in fact, most are not, and to shift misperceived social norms that contribute to risk.”
By collaborating with key partners within the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, the STARR Lab collaborates with the local community to drive change, raise awareness and seek answers to this growing problem where it lives, with local teens.
“Using creative, research-based strategies developed with input from local communities, we design prevention programs that reflect the real needs of young people and families in North Texas,” Lewis said.
“Collaborating with partners like the Prevention Provider Coalition and SMART Arlington, under the umbrella of Challenge of Tarrant County, we help build safer and healthier decision-making and stronger support networks for local teens and young adults.”
While evidence-based research is sourced from communities within the DFW metroplex, the findings and benefits extend to a much larger community.
“Our work not only benefits DFW communities but also contributes to national and global efforts to reduce substance use and promote well-being among young people everywhere,” Lewis said. “We want to take what we know works, meaning programs that have been proven to help prevent or reduce substance use, and make them easy to use, free, and widely available.”
While the STARR Lab seeks to address teen and young adult alcohol use, it also increases public awareness of the issue to a wide audience.
“Alcohol use is common among adolescents and young adults, with 23% of eighth graders, 42% of 12th graders, and 65% of those ages 18–29 reporting use. This use is linked to serious harm, including injury and fatalities, yet many do not receive prevention services. In Texas, rates are particularly high: 36.8% of seventh through 12th graders reported past-year use, only 22% of college students abstained, and the state ranks second nationally for past-month use among 12 -20-year-olds, with 47% of high school seniors reporting use,” Litt said.
“Alcohol and other substance use and related risk behaviors among adolescents and young adults continue to be major public health concerns. These behaviors disproportionately impact adolescent and young adult populations and contribute to mental health, academic, legal, and social service challenges.”
The STARR Lab aims to improve the quality of life for our younger generations and tackle teen and young adult alcohol use at its core. In doing so, research conducted by the lab will have far-reaching and significant effects, educating the public and identifying new opportunities to reduce alcohol use and associated risks.
“The main goal of the STARR Lab is to make sure that the helpful programs and tools we develop through research actually reach the people who need them most. We want to take what we know works, meaning programs that have been proven to help prevent or reduce substance use, and make them easy to use, free, and widely available,” Lewis said.
“In the end, we want the STARR Lab to be a place where research leads to real-world change, helping people live healthier and safer lives.”