Brief Alcohol Intervention for School-to-Work Transitions

NCT01546025 | Completed Results

• 1 other identifier: R01AA016000
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 168
• Locations: 0 countries
• Sites: N/A

Brief Summary

This is a 2-year research project to test the efficacy of brief motivational intervention for reducing heavy alcohol use in young adults transitioning out of high school. Participation occurs within 3 months prior to graduation or within 1 year following graduation or dropout from high school. Heavy drinkers ages 17-20 will be randomly assigned to receive one session of BMI or one session of relaxation training. All participants complete identical assessments at baseline and immediately post-intervention (during session 1). Participants also complete in-person 6-week and 3-month follow up assessments to evaluate intervention effects. Study aims involve: a) testing the comparative efficacy of BMI; b) identifying moderators (person-level predictors) of intervention response; and c) identifying mediators (mechanisms) of intervention effects, that is, how BMI exerts its effect on outcomes.

Conditions

Binge Drinking

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Timeline Follow Back Assessing Number of Standard Drinks

  This is a calculation of the number of standard alcohol drinks consumed per week, based on data collected via the timeline follow back interview

  3 months

Secondary Outcomes (6)

• Brief Young Adult Alcohol Consequences Questionnaire

  6 week and 3 month follow ups

• Help Seeking

  6 week and 3 month follow ups

• Drinking Reduction Strategies

  6 week and 3 month follow ups

• Employment Outcomes

  6 week and 3 month follow ups

• Satisfaction With Life

  6 week and 3 month follow ups

Study Arms (2)

Relaxation training (REL)

PLACEBO COMPARATOR

This was a 1-hr behavioral counseling session designed to control for nonspecific therapeutic effects by providing equivalent levels of attention from and rapport with a counselor. It began with an introduction and rapport building. The counselor asked about the participant's daily stress level and strategies used to cope. Experience with meditation and relaxation were explored. The counselor presented a rationale for the use of REL for alcohol reduction, namely: the transition to adulthood can be stressful, and stress can lead to increased alcohol use; meditation and relaxation can reduce stress and thereby prevent excessive alcohol use. Didactic information about mental and physical stress and coping was provided. Two strategies were practiced: a simple, guided breathing meditation and a full-body progressive muscle relaxation. The session concluded with a review of the participant's experiences during the 2 exercises and a recommendation to practice the techniques regularly.

Behavioral: Relaxation training

Brief Motivational Intervention (BMI)

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

This is a 1-hr motivational intervention session. The counselor built rapport while eliciting information about the participant's drinking, discussing current experiences, goals and plans in different domains (education, work, financial independence, social transitions, relationships). The counselor explored how drinking fit into the participant's life and explored risk and protective factors. The session involved: Assessing motivation; Enhancing motivation; Personalized feedback; Envisioning the future with/without change; Counselor summary; and Optional personalized change plan. Participant strengths, protective factors, and autonomy/ability to make changes were elicited and supported. Counselors used MI principles and techniques, including using open-ended questions, reflective listening, eliciting change talk, and supporting self-efficacy statements.

Behavioral: Brief Motivational Counseling

Interventions

Brief Motivational Counseling BEHAVIORAL

One hour session of brief motivational counseling focused on reduction of heavy drinking.

Also known as: Brief Motivational Intervention, BMI

Brief Motivational Intervention (BMI)

Relaxation training BEHAVIORAL

One hour training in relaxation techniques

Also known as: REL

Relaxation training (REL)

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 17 Years - 20 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• high school students anticipating graduation within 3 months, drop outs or graduates
• males must report at least one day drinking 5 or more standard drinks in past month
• females must report at least one day drinking 4 or more standard drinks in past month

You may not qualify if:

• plans to enroll at traditional 4-year college within 12 months
• plans to enter military within next 12 months
• plans to move more than 1 hour from current location in within 12 months

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Brown University: lead
• National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA): collaborator

Related Publications (1)

• Colby SM, Orchowski L, Magill M, Murphy JG, Brazil LA, Apodaca TR, Kahler CW, Barnett NP. Brief Motivational Intervention for Underage Young Adult Drinkers: Results from a Randomized Clinical Trial. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2018 Jul;42(7):1342-1351. doi: 10.1111/acer.13770. Epub 2018 Jun 6.

  PMID: 29750362 RESULT

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Binge Drinking

Interventions

Relaxation Therapy

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Alcohol-Related Disorders; Substance-Related Disorders; Chemically-Induced Disorders; Alcohol Drinking; Drinking Behavior; Behavior; Mental Disorders

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Mind-Body Therapies; Complementary Therapies; Therapeutics; Behavior Therapy; Psychotherapy; Behavioral Disciplines and Activities

Results Point of Contact

• Title: Suzanne Colby
• Organization: Brown University

Suzanne_Colby@brown.edu

4018636655

Publication Agreements

• PI is Sponsor Employee: No
• Restrictive Agreement: No

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: INVESTIGATOR
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Professor, Research

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: February 20, 2012
• First Posted: March 7, 2012
• Study Start: June 1, 2010
• Primary Completion: October 1, 2011
• Study Completion: October 1, 2011
• Last Updated: June 12, 2025
• Results First Posted: March 5, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-05