Piloting a Deaf Accessible Pre-Treatment for AUD

NCT07269119 | Recruiting

• 2 other identifiers: STUDY00002259K23AA029466
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 30
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This pilot study will evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of an adaptation of Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET) titled "DeafMET", intended for Deaf adults with high-risk alcohol use. In this single intervention cycle, 10 Deaf participants will receive the DeafMET intervention delivered either in-person or via telehealth. Primary outcomes include change in participants' stage of change regarding alcohol use and measures of recruitment, retention, satisfaction, and adherence. Findings will inform further refinement of the intervention and planning for future research.

Conditions

Alcohol Use Disorder

Keywords

alcohol use disorder; deaf

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• University of Rhode Island Change Assessment

  URICA measures a patient's readiness to change using a self-reported questionnaire that categorizes the patient into one of the 4 following stages: precontemplation, contemplation, action, or maintenance. Potential scores range from -2 to 14. Scores below 8 indicate precontemplation. Scores between 8-11 indicate contemplation. Scores above 11 indicate preparation or action stage.

  From enrollment to end of participation at 3 months

• Stages of Change Readiness and Treatment Eagerness Scale (SOCRATES 8A)

  The Stages of Change Readiness and Treatment Eagerness Scale (SOCRATES) is an instrument designed to assess motivation for change in problem drinkers. There are three scales: Recognition (score range 7-35), Ambivalence (score range 4-20), and Taking Steps (score range 8-40). For all scales, a higher score is better in that they 1) recognize they have a drinking problem, 2) are thinking about their drinking's effect on people, and 3) are actively taking steps to change.

  From enrollment to end of treatment at 3 months

Secondary Outcomes (7)

• Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test

  From enrollment to end of treatment at 3 months

• Alcohol Timeline Followback

  From enrollment to end of treatment at 3 months

• Comprehensive Effects of Alcohol- Brief

  From enrollment to end of treatment at 3 months

• Penn Alcohol Craving Scale

  From enrollment to end of treatment at 3 months

• California Psychotherapy Alliance Scale

  From enrollment to end of treatment at 3 months

Other Outcomes (1)

• Client Exit Interview

  Upon completion of treatment at 13 weeks

Study Arms (1)

Experimental Arm: Deaf-MET Intervention

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants in the experimental arm will receive Deaf-MET, a culturally and linguistically accessible adaptation of Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET) for Deaf adults with high-risk alcohol use. MET is a client-centered counseling approach that enhances motivation for change by exploring and resolving ambivalence, using reflective listening, feedback, and collaborative goal-setting. Deaf-MET will be delivered in American Sign Language and incorporates visual handouts, plain language materials, and filmed educational content adapted from the original MET protocol into ASL teaching stories. Sessions are offered in-person or via telehealth.

Behavioral: Deaf-MET

Interventions

Deaf-MET BEHAVIORAL

Deaf-MET is a culturally and linguistically accessible adaptation of Motivational Enhancement Therapy (MET) for Deaf adults with high-risk alcohol use

Experimental Arm: Deaf-MET Intervention

Eligibility Criteria

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

You may qualify if:

• self-identification as a Deaf ASL user
• age 18+
• ability to access Zoom for screening, intervention delivery, and repeated assessment procedures
• problematic alcohol consumption, drinking behaviors, and alcohol-related problems" as identified by the AUD Identification Test (AUDIT), past-month referent time period: score at least 8 for men or at least 6 for women

You may not qualify if:

• Incapacity to consent due to guardianship or conservatorship

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Massachusetts, Worcester: lead
• National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA): collaborator

Study Sites (1)

UMass Chan

Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, 01545, United States

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Alcoholism

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

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

Study Officials

• Alexander Wilkins, PhD, MSCI

  UMass Chan Medical School

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Alexander Wilkins, PhD, MSCI

CONTACT

508-556-6261; alexander.wilkins@umassmed.edu

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor, Dept of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: November 18, 2025
• First Posted: December 8, 2025
• Study Start: February 5, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): August 1, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): August 1, 2026
• Last Updated: February 27, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-02

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will share
• Shared Documents: STUDY PROTOCOL, SAP, ICF
• Time Frame: The investigators will submit data on or before the NDA submission due dates (April 1 and October 1 each year) in accordance with the applicable Data Sharing Terms and Conditions of award.
• Access Criteria: Can be accessed via the NIAAA Data Archive (NIAAADA)

Locations

US (1)