Computerized Stage-Matched Intervention for Juvenile Offenders

NCT02023827 | Unknown Phase 2 DMC

• 1 other identifier: 5R44DA024900
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 1,000
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 5

Brief Summary

Juvenile crime imposes enormous costs on victims, on society, and on juvenile offenders themselves. However, research assessing the efficacy of interventions for young offenders show, on average, only small effects on recidivism, substance abuse, and other behavioral outcomes. A major problem with existing interventions is that they tend to neglect individual differences in motivation and readiness to make positive changes. In earlier research, we used an empirically validated model of behavior change, the Transtheoretical Model (TTM, the "stage" model), and expert system technology to develop the Rise Above Your Situation program (RAYS), a prototype of a multimedia computerized tailored intervention designed as an adjunct to traditional juvenile justice programs. The intervention delivers assessments and individualized feedback matched to readiness to stay out of trouble with the law and quit alcohol and drugs. At the end each session the program also generates a helpgiver report that summarizes the youth's feedback and presents concrete, easy-to-implement strategies helpgivers can use to reinforce stage-matched concepts. In the current research, the goals are to complete development of the computerized tailored intervention; develop training and other support materials for helpgivers; and assess the efficacy of the intervention package in a randomized clinical trial involving 700 medium- to high-risk court-involved juveniles aged 13-17 recruited by 54 probation officers randomly assigned to treatment or standard care. Primary outcomes will be criminal recidivism and substance abuse abstinence at 6 and 12 months follow-up.

Conditions

Delinquency; Substance Abuse

Keywords

Transtheoretical Model; Stages of change; Computer-tailored intervention; Delinquency; Substance abuse; Juvenile offender; Juvenile justice; Rise Above Your Situation (RAYS) program

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

• Criminal recidivism based on self-report

  Assessed using the General Crime Scale (GCS) of the Global Appraisal of Individual Needs (GAIN)

  12 months follow-up

• Criminal recidivism based on official records

  Data will be provided by the Iowa Division of Criminal and Juvenile Justice Planning (CJJP)

  12 months follow-up

• Substance use abstinence based on self-report

  Among youth who screened positive for substance abuse and/or dependence at baseline, assessed using the Substance Frequency Scale (SFS) from the GAIN

  12 months follow-up

Secondary Outcomes (7)

• Total count of criminal behavior based on self-report

  12 months follow-up

• Stage of change for staying out of trouble with the law

  12 months follow-up

• Emotional distress

  12 months follow-up

• Substance use frequency

  12 months follow-up

• Substance-related problems

  12 months follow-up

Study Arms (2)

RAYS intervention

EXPERIMENTAL

In addition to standard care, participants receive three monthly online RAYS sessions, each followed by a one-on-one discussion with the probation officer

Behavioral: RAYS Intervention

Standard care

NO INTERVENTION

Participants receive standard care from the probation officer

Interventions

RAYS Intervention BEHAVIORAL

The Rise Above Your Situation program (RAYS) is a multimedia computer-tailored intervention that relies on the Transtheoretical Model of Behavior Change (TTM) and expert system technology to deliver assessments, feedback, printed reports, and helpgiver reports with intervention ideas. Helpgivers (probation officers in this case) use the reports to guide 1/2 hour follow-up discussions to reinforce intervention ideas and provide support.

RAYS intervention

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 13 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Juvenile offenders:
• Score in the moderate- to high-risk range on the short-form Iowa Delinquency Assessment
• Age 13 to 17 at the time of recruitment
• Able to understand and read English
• Probation officers:
• Employed by Iowa Juvenile Court Services
• Work with moderate- to high-risk youth

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Pro-Change Behavior Systems: lead
• Iowa Juvenile Court Services: collaborator

Study Sites (5)

Iowa Juvenile Court Services, District 6

Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 52404, United States

Location

Iowa Juvenile Court Services, District 7

Davenport, Iowa, 52801, United States

Location

Iowa Juvenile Court Services, District 5

Des Moines, Iowa, 50310, United States

Location

Iowa Juvenile Court Services, District 3

Sioux City, Iowa, 51101, United States

Location

Iowa Juvenile Court Services, District 1

Waterloo, Iowa, 50704, United States

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Levesque DA, Johnson JL, Welch CA, Prochaska JM, Fernandez AC. Computer-Tailored Intervention for Juvenile Offenders. J Soc Work Pract Addict. 2012 Jan 1;12(4):391-411. doi: 10.1080/1533256X.2012.728107. Epub 2012 Nov 8.

  PMID: 23264754 BACKGROUND

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Substance-Related Disorders

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Chemically-Induced Disorders; Mental Disorders

Study Officials

• Deborah A Levesque, Ph.D.

  Pro-Change Behavior Systems, Inc.

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: phase 2
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Chief Science Officer

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: December 18, 2013
• First Posted: December 30, 2013
• Study Start: August 1, 2013
• Primary Completion: October 1, 2016
• Study Completion: October 1, 2016
• Last Updated: September 28, 2016

Record last verified: 2016-09

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (5)