NCT04941950

Brief Summary

The primary hypothesis of this study is that at 3 months, there will be a higher proportion of intervention participants vs. control participants who report greater risk of harm from misuse of prescription opioids AND heroin.

Trial Health

87
On Track

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Enrollment
533

participants targeted

Target at P75+ for not_applicable

Timeline
Completed

Started Oct 2021

Longer than P75 for not_applicable

Geographic Reach
1 country

15 active sites

Status
completed

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

Click on a node to explore related trials.

Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

June 23, 2021

Completed
5 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

June 28, 2021

Completed
4 months until next milestone

Study Start

First participant enrolled

October 21, 2021

Completed
3.4 years until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

March 1, 2025

Completed
Same day until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

March 1, 2025

Completed
1.1 years until next milestone

Results Posted

Study results publicly available

April 24, 2026

Completed
Last Updated

April 24, 2026

Status Verified

April 1, 2026

Enrollment Period

3.4 years

First QC Date

June 23, 2021

Results QC Date

December 2, 2025

Last Update Submit

April 2, 2026

Conditions

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

  • Proportion Reporting 'Great Perceived Risk of Harm' From Opioid Misuse

    Perceived risk of harm from opioid misuse was assessed using eight items adapted from the U.S. Monitoring the Future survey. Five items assess perceived risk associated with heroin use and three items assess perceived risk associated with prescription opioid misuse. Participants were asked how much risk people have of harming themselves (physically or in other ways) if they use the drug once or twice, occasionally, or regularly. Response options were "no risk," "slight risk," "moderate risk," "great risk," and "can't say, drug unfamiliar." Items were scored from 1 to 4 (no risk = 1, slight risk = 2, moderate risk = 3, great risk = 4). Item scores were summed to create a total perceived risk score (range 8-32), with scores \<32 indicating "no great perceived risk of harm" and scores=32 indicating "great perceived risk of harm." The primary outcome was defined as the proportion of participants who reported "great perceived risk of harm" from opioids (score=32) at 3 months.

    3 months

Secondary Outcomes (5)

  • Intentions to Misuse Opioids (p2P Lab Questions)

    Baseline, 6 weeks, 3, 6, and 12 months

  • Self Efficacy for Refusing Opioids (p2P Lab Questions)

    Baseline, 6 weeks, 3, 6, and 12 months

  • Knowledge About Opioid Misuse and Its Risks (p2P Lab Questions)

    Baseline, 6 weeks, 3, 6, and 12 months

  • Positive Attitudes Toward Opioid Misuse (p2P Lab Questions)

    Baseline, 6 weeks, 3, 6, and 12 months

  • Negative Attitudes Toward Opioid Misuse (p2P Lab Questions)

    Baseline, 6 weeks, 3, 6, and 12 months

Other Outcomes (20)

  • Change in Perceived Risk of Harm From Opioid Misuse

    3 months

  • Percent Reporting Involvement With Legally Manufactured Opioids (Coordinating Center Questions)

    Baseline, 6 weeks, 3, 6, and 12 months

  • Percent Reporting Involvement With Illegally Manufactured Opioids (Coordinating Center Questions)

    Baseline, 6 weeks, 3, 6, and 12 months

  • +17 more other outcomes

Study Arms (2)

PlaySmart

EXPERIMENTAL

Video game intervention.

Behavioral: PlaySmart

Control Game

OTHER

Control video game intervention.

Other: Video Game Control

Interventions

PlaySmartBEHAVIORAL

PlaySmart is designed to provide players with behavioral skills and knowledge through repetitive and engaging videogame play to target adolescent perception of risk of harm from initiating opioid misuse.

PlaySmart

Participants in the control group will play another video game with no intended effect similar to PlaySmart.

Control Game

Eligibility Criteria

Age16 Years - 19 Years
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersYes
Age GroupsChild (0-17), Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

  • Participants must:
  • \) preferably be enrolled in their high school's School-Based Health Center;
  • \) report NOT having engaged in any prior opioid misuse;
  • \) be at "high-risk" based on their report at baseline of past 30-day use of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, Juul, alcohol, marijuana (including synthetics), amphetamine, cocaine, benzodiazepines, ecstasy, bath salts, or any other misuse of non-opioid prescription drugs or use of non-opioid illicit drugs OR have a score of ≥1 on the PHQ-2 OR a score of ≥1 on the GAD-2 (both screening tools used by SBHA);
  • \) be willing to sit for 60 minutes/session to play the game;
  • \) be able to provide assent/parental/guardian consent (if under age 18).

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (15)

Harding High School

Bridgeport, Connecticut, 06610, United States

Location

Coginchaug High School

Durham, Connecticut, 06422, United States

Location

CT River Academy

East Hartford, Connecticut, 06118, United States

Location

Fairfield College Preparatory School

Fairfield, Connecticut, 06824, United States

Location

Fitch High School

Groton, Connecticut, 06340, United States

Location

Hamden High School

Hamden, Connecticut, 06514, United States

Location

Weaver High School

Hartford, Connecticut, 06112, United States

Location

Maloney High School

Meriden, Connecticut, 06450, United States

Location

Platt High School

Meriden, Connecticut, 06450, United States

Location

Hopkins High School

New Haven, Connecticut, 06515, United States

Location

New London High School

New London, Connecticut, 06320, United States

Location

Stamford High School

Stamford, Connecticut, 06902, United States

Location

Westhill High School

Stamford, Connecticut, 06902, United States

Location

Academy of Information, Technology, and Engineering

Stamford, Connecticut, 06905, United States

Location

West Haven High School

West Haven, Connecticut, 06516, United States

Location

Related Publications (2)

  • Boomer T, Hoerner L, Larkin K, Maciejewski K, Kyriakides TC, Fiellin LE. A videogame for perceived risk of harm from opioid misuse in adolescents: a randomized controlled trial. Nat Health. 2026;1(1):78-89. doi: 10.1038/s44360-025-00010-z. Epub 2025 Dec 1.

  • Pendergrass Boomer TM, Hoerner LA, Fernandes CF, Maslar A, Aiudi S, Kyriakides TC, Fiellin LE. A digital health game to prevent opioid misuse and promote mental health in adolescents in school-based health settings: Protocol for the PlaySmart game randomized controlled trial. PLoS One. 2023 Sep 8;18(9):e0291298. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0291298. eCollection 2023.

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Opioid-Related Disorders

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Narcotic-Related DisordersSubstance-Related DisordersChemically-Induced DisordersMental Disorders

Results Point of Contact

Title
Katie Haile
Organization
Dartmouth College

Study Officials

  • Lynn E Fiellin, MD

    Director, play2PREVENT Lab & Professor, BDS at Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Publication Agreements

PI is Sponsor Employee
Yes

Study Design

Study Type
interventional
Phase
not applicable
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Masking
SINGLE
Who Masked
OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
Purpose
PREVENTION
Intervention Model
PARALLEL
Sponsor Type
OTHER
Responsible Party
SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

June 23, 2021

First Posted

June 28, 2021

Study Start

October 21, 2021

Primary Completion

March 1, 2025

Study Completion

March 1, 2025

Last Updated

April 24, 2026

Results First Posted

April 24, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-04

Data Sharing

IPD Sharing
Will share

The plan will comply with the NIH HEAL Initiative ClinicalTrials.govSM Public Access and Data Sharing Policy, NIH Data Sharing Policy, NIH Policy on Dissemination of NIH-Funded Clinical Trial Information, and NIH Clinical Trial Registration and Results Information Submission rule. All IPD will be in a repository supported by NIDA, the NAHDAP, following NIH requirements for sharing data via creation of public-use data sets. Data will be de-identified/masked to minimize risk of potential re-identification to participants. This may include modification of the original data to reduce risk of re-identification of participants. A structured process will evaluate the risk of re-identification based on guidance documents from the US DHHS, HIPAA, and quantitative evaluation of the data using statistical methods. Potential revisions to the data to prepare them for NAHDAP include omission of variables, collapsing of categories of a variable, or other coarsening of specific participants' values.

Shared Documents
STUDY PROTOCOL, SAP
Time Frame
HEAL Prevention Cooperative (HPC) data is anticipated to be archived in May 2026.
Access Criteria
The HEAL Coordinating Center will provide HPC data as well as supporting documentation for the HPC Common Measures as well as data that are uniquely collected as part of each HPC Research Project. The NAHDAP repository disseminates data to users based on its Access Policy Framework. Researchers who are not part of the HCP will be able to download HPC datasets and analyze them on their own computers. Access to data requires submission of username, institution, and analytic purpose and aim. There is no formal approval process initially planned by NIDA. Data users are expected to adhere to norms for responsible use.

Locations