Substance Use Interventions for Truant Adolescents

NCT03655574 | Completed DMC

• 2 other identifiers: 18020019931R01DA045396-01A1
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 110
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 2

Brief Summary

This study evaluates a brief motivation-building intervention for parents and teens to reduce truancy and substance use. It is hypothesized that the motivational intervention will result in better outcomes compared to an education-only intervention.

Conditions

Adolescent Problem Behavior; Truancy; Unsocialized; Marijuana Abuse; Truancy; Socialized; Substance Abuse; Alcohol Abuse

Keywords

Brief intervention; Behavioral intervention; Juvenile justice; Motivational enhancement

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Change in Frequency of Marijuana Use

  Total number of marijuana use days .

  Last 90 days at baseline, and 3, 6, and 12 months

• Change in Quantity of Marijuana Use per Occasion of Use

  Average quantity of marijuana use per day

  Last 90 days at baseline and 3, 6, and 12 months

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• Change in Days truant from school

  Last 90 days at baseline, and 3, 6, and 12 months

• Change in Days truant from school, self-report

  Last 90 days at baseline, and 3, 6, and 12 months

Study Arms (2)

Motivational + Family Check-up (MET+FCU)

EXPERIMENTAL

The MET individual session covers three constructs; 1) intentions to use marijuana; 2) normative beliefs about peer substance use; and 3) attitudes towards peer substance use. These same three constructs are also addressed with respect to truancy. In addition, motivation to abstain from substance use is discussed. The FCU session with teens and parents/caregivers begins by collecting self-report measures and conducting a videotaped Family Assessment Task (FAsTask) to assess parent-teen interactions. The FAsTask is the basis of FCU feedback. There are four specific phases of the feedback session: 1) Self-assessment, 2) Support and clarification, 3) Feedback, and, 4) Action plan.

Behavioral: Motivational + Family Check-up (MET+FCU)

Psychoeducation

PLACEBO COMPARATOR

An interventionist will review a set of educational materials with the parents regarding teen marijuana use, effects of marijuana on the brain, body and behavior, risks associated with marijuana use, how to tell if a teen is engaging in marijuana use or truancy, and parenting skills. A comparable set of materials will be reviewed with the adolescent.

Other: Psychoeducation

Interventions

Motivational + Family Check-up (MET+FCU) BEHAVIORAL

In the MET session, motivational strategies of individualized normative feedback, examining decisional balance, and providing information/advice will be used to support goals for behavior change and to examine barriers to changes. There are four specific phases of the FCU session: (1) Self-assessment: Parents are asked if they learned anything about their family from participating in the assessment. (2) Support and clarification: The interviewer supports the parent's self-assessment efforts, assesses their level of understanding, and clarifies issues within the family. (3) Feedback: A summary form of the assessment is reviewed. (4) Action Plan: Throughout the session, the counselor works with the parent to develop a brief, written Action Plan about communication and monitoring.

Motivational + Family Check-up (MET+FCU)

Psychoeducation OTHER

Psychoeducation about substances is provided to teens and parents.

Psychoeducation

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 12 Years - 18 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• the target child is in 6th-10th grade at the start of the project and living at home with at least one parent/guardian,
• the teen must report 6 or more incidences of marijuana use in the last 90 days (an approximation of biweekly use)
• by law, the teen must have at least 20 unexcused absences in an academic year to be in truancy court, and (4) parental consent and teen assent are obtained.

You may not qualify if:

• the family is not able to speak and understand English or Spanish well enough to complete study procedures
• developmental delay, as determined by school placements outside the regular classroom, that would affect comprehension of the intervention.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Brown University: lead
• National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA): collaborator

Study Sites (2)

Rhode Island Family Court

Providence, Rhode Island, 02903, United States

Location

Brown Univerity

Providence, Rhode Island, 02912, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Marijuana Abuse; Substance-Related Disorders; Alcoholism

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Chemically-Induced Disorders; Mental Disorders; Alcohol-Related Disorders

Study Officials

• Anthony Spirito, Ph.D.

  Brown University

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: DOUBLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Masking Details: Participants will not be informed about which intervention arm they receive. Assessors will have the condition of the participant masked.
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Model Details: Two-arm randomized controlled trial

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: August 1, 2018
• First Posted: August 31, 2018
• Study Start: January 1, 2019
• Primary Completion: October 30, 2023
• Study Completion: April 30, 2024
• Last Updated: June 3, 2024

Record last verified: 2024-05

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL, SAP, ICF
• Time Frame: I year after completion of all data collection
• Access Criteria: Contact PI

Locations

US (2)