Enhancing Adolescent Substance Abuse Treatment

NCT03249350 | Completed Results DMC

• 1 other identifier: R01DA043578-01A1
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 129
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

The ultimate goal of this research is to facilitate rapid enhancement of youth substance abuse treatments by determining the key mechanisms of change (i.e., what to target more intensely to generate better outcomes). This work is critical because current outpatient adolescent substance abuse treatments yield only small to medium effects that diminish once treatment has ended. The proposed modern mediation study will address this serious public health problem by experimentally evaluating the most critical factors causing change in client outcomes during adolescent substance abuse treatment, directing the field to focus treatment efforts on those factors.

Conditions

Substance Use Disorders

Keywords

Substance Use Disorders; Adolescents; Treatment; Mediation

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Changes From Baseline Scores Compared to Post-Treatment Scores, Any Positive Youth Urine Drug/Alcohol Screens (Measured at 0, 2, 4, 6, 9, & 12 Months).

  Any positive urine screens for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), synthetic THC, amphetamines, opiates, phencyclidine (PCP), cocaine, and/or alcohol metabolites (ethyl glucuronide, ethyl sulfate).

  Baseline to 12 months

Secondary Outcomes (23)

• Changes From Baseline Scores Compared to Post-Treatment Scores for Youth Problem Behaviors (Measured at 0, 2, 4, 6, 9, & 12 Months).

  Baseline to 12 months

• Youth Receipt of Required Contingency Management (CM) Treatment Components.

  Course of treatment (length varied by participant)

• Changes From Baseline Scores Compared to Post-Treatment Scores for Parent Management - Inconsistent Discipline Subscale - Parent Report(Measured at 0, 2, 4, 6, 9, & 12 Months).

  Baseline to 12 months

• Changes From Baseline Scores Compared to Post-Treatment Scores for Parent Management - Positive Parenting Subscale - Parent Report (Measured at 0, 2, 4, 6, 9, & 12 Months).

  Baseline to 12 months

• Changes From Baseline Scores Compared to Post-Treatment Scores for Parent Management - Poor Monitoring Subscale - Parent Report (Measured at 0, 2, 4, 6, 9, & 12 Months).

  Baseline to 12 months

Study Arms (2)

Standard Contingency Management (CM)

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

This group will receive standard CM for adolescent substance abuse.

Behavioral: Standard Contingency Management (CM)

Enhanced Contingency Management (CM+)

EXPERIMENTAL

This group will receive an enhanced CM protocol for adolescent substance abuse that targets parenting more intensely.

Behavioral: Enhanced Contingency Management (CM+)

Interventions

Standard Contingency Management (CM) BEHAVIORAL

CM utilizes behavior modification \& cognitive behavioral strategies to target adolescent substance use. Protocol components are as follows: (a) The provider introduces CM to the youth and caregiver and engages them in the intervention; (b) The provider conducts Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence (ABC) assessments of the youth's AOD use with the youth and caregiver; (c) Based on the results of the ABC assessments, self-management planning and drug refusal skills training are implemented by the provider in collaboration with the youth and caregiver; (d) Concurrently, a point and level system contract is established with the family, which provides the youth with rewards/privileges for negative drug and alcohol tests and disincentives (e.g., extra chores) for positive tests. Until continued abstinence is achieved, components "b" through "d" are repeated; (e) The provider collaborates with the family to develop plans for sustaining long-term abstinence. Typical duration of CM is 12-16 weeks.

Standard Contingency Management (CM)

Enhanced Contingency Management (CM+) BEHAVIORAL

The CM+ protocol adds the behavioral assessment and teaching system from Parent Management Training Oregon (PMTO) to standard CM to enhance parent's skill acquisition more intensely. PMTO's behavioral assessment and teaching system uses three processes to bring about changes in parenting: daily parent reports on youth behavior, anti-coercive problem-solving, and structured learning and in vivo practice of new parenting techniques.

Enhanced Contingency Management (CM+)

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 12 Years - 18 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Age 12 to 18 years
• Presence of current substance use disorder
• Availability of a parent/guardian willing to participate

You may not qualify if:

• Actively psychotic, suicidal, or homicidal
• Pervasive developmental disorder or metal retardation

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Oregon Social Learning Center: lead

Study Sites (1)

Adolescent and Family Clinic, OSLC Developments, Inc.

Eugene, Oregon, 97401, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Substance-Related Disorders; Negotiating

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Chemically-Induced Disorders; Mental Disorders; Communication; Behavior

Results Point of Contact

• Title: Dr. Mike McCart
• Organization: Oregon Social Learning Center

MikeM@oslc.org

541-485-2711

Publication Agreements

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

Study Design

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

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 10, 2017
• First Posted: August 15, 2017
• Study Start: April 23, 2018
• Primary Completion: March 29, 2024
• Study Completion: July 31, 2024
• Last Updated: November 14, 2025
• Results First Posted: November 14, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-10

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)