LaunchPad: Supporting Healthy Decisions and Preventing Drug Use After High School
Preventing Drug Use Onset and Progression Toward Addiction During a Critical Transition Period: Optimizing an Online Intervention for High School Seniors
2 other identifiers
interventional
5,000
0 countries
N/A
Brief Summary
LaunchPad is an online substance use prevention program for high school seniors. The program is designed to help seniors develop skills and make informed decisions as they transition from high school to young adulthood. The purpose of this clinical trial is to learn whether individual LaunchPad lessons improve the specific attitudes, intentions, and skills they are designed to address. For example, researchers will examine whether the stress management lesson increases students' intentions to use healthy ways of managing stress. The main question this study aims to answer is: Does each individual LaunchPad lesson improve the specific outcomes it was designed to address? Researchers will compare students who receive a particular lesson with students who do not receive that lesson to determine whether the lesson changes the intended outcome. Participants will:
- Complete a brief baseline survey
- Complete two introductory online lessons
- Complete one or more randomly assigned LaunchPad lessons
- Complete a brief follow-up survey All surveys and lessons will be completed online.
Trial Health
Trial Health Score
Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach
participants targeted
Target at P75+ for not_applicable
Started Sep 2026
Typical duration for not_applicable
Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.
Trial Relationships
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Study Timeline
Key milestones and dates
First Submitted
Initial submission to the registry
June 11, 2026
CompletedFirst Posted
Study publicly available on registry
June 18, 2026
CompletedStudy Start
First participant enrolled
September 1, 2026
ExpectedPrimary Completion
Last participant's last visit for primary outcome
July 1, 2027
Study Completion
Last participant's last visit for all outcomes
April 30, 2029
June 25, 2026
June 1, 2026
10 months
June 11, 2026
June 22, 2026
Conditions
Keywords
Outcome Measures
Primary Outcomes (13)
Substance Use Injunctive Norms
To capture students' perceived approval of substance use among their peers, they will indicate how much typical same-sex college students and typical same-sex young adults not in college approve of: Drinking daily; Having 4-5 drinks nearly every day; Having 5 or more drinks once or twice each weekend; Trying marijuana once or twice; Using marijuana occasionally; Using marijuana regularly; Smoking one or packs of cigarettes a day; Using e-cigarettes/vaping. Response options will be 1=strongly disapprove to 7=strongly approve. Responses will be averaged across reference groups but each substance will be analyzed separately.
This measure will be completed at the pretest and immediate posttest
Substance Use Descriptive Norms
To capture students' perceived frequency of substance use among their peers, students will indicate what percentage of typical same-sex college students and typical same sex young adults not in college have done the following in the past 30 days: Drank alcohol, been drunk, used marijuana, smoked cigarettes, used e-cigarettes / vaped. Students will also indicate what percentage of each group they think have had 5 or more drinks in the past 2 weeks. The questions will allow open ended responses ranging from 0-100. Responses will be averaged across reference groups but each substance will be analyzed separately.
This measure will be completed at the pretest and immediate posttest.
Social self-efficacy
Students will report how confident they are that they could do things to meet new people in real situations. For example ("Start a conversation with someone you don't know or just met"; "Get to know new people without using alcohol or other drugs"). Response options will be 1 = Not at all confident to 4 = Completely confident. Responses will be averaged across items.
This measure will be completed at the pretest and immediate posttest.
Beliefs about social belonging without substance use
Students will indicate how much they agree with statements about the importance of substance use for young adults to make friends. Response options will range from 1 = strongly disagree to 6 = strongly agree. Responses will be averaged across items.
This measure will be completed at the pretest and immediate posttest.
Substance use refusal self efficacy
Students will indicate how confident they are that they could resist drinking or using drugs in different situations. There are three subscales: For emotional relief (e.g., When I feel upset), opportunistic situations (e.g., when I am at a party), and in situations where there is social facilitation (e.g., when I want to feel more accepted by my friends). Response options will range from 1 = I am very sure I could NOT resist drinking or using drugs to 6 = I am very sure I could resist drinking or using drugs. Responses will be averaged across items to create a single measure.
This measure will be completed at the pretest and immediate posttest.
Injunctive norms about Protective Behavioral Strategies
Students will report "how you think young adults feel if their friends did the following." Item content will be adapted from measures of alcohol, marijuana, and smoking / vaping harm prevention / protective behavioral strategies (e.g., "Refused to ride with a driver who had been drinking alcohol"; "Refused to play a drinking game even when everyone else is playing"). Response options will be 1=strongly disapprove to 6=strongly approve. Responses will be averaged across items.
This measure will be completed at the pretest and immediate posttest.
Injunctive norms about consequences of substance use
Students will report "how you think young adults feel if their friends did the following." Item content will be adapted from measures of alcohol, marijuana, and smoking / vaping consequences (e.g., "Said or did embarrassing things while drinking or using marijuana"; "Got into an argument or fight with someone after they had been drinking or using marijuana"). Response options will be 1=strongly disapprove to 6=strongly approve. Responses will be averaged across items.
This measure will be completed at the pretest and immediate posttest.
Attitudes about using Protective Behavioral Strategies
Students will identify how they feel about using protective behavioral strategies. Response options will be on a 5 point scale with anchors such as 1 = harmful vs 5 = beneficial and 1 = not worth it and 5 = worth it. Responses will be averaged across items.
This measure will be completed at the pretest and immediate posttest.
Intentions to use stress management skills
Students will complete a measure adapted from several subscales from the Brief COPE to indicate how often they intend to use different strategies to cope with stress over the next 3 months. The substance use items are: "Use alcohol to feel better", "Use marijuana (weed) to relax or feel better" and "Use nicotine pouches to relax". Response options will range from 1 = Never to 4 = Often. Responses will be averaged across items within the same subscale.
This measure will be completed at the pretest and immediate posttest.
Self efficacy to use different stress management skills
Students will complete a measure adapted from several subscales from the Brief COPE to indicate how confident they are that they could use different adaptive coping strategies. For example, "Break a big problem into smaller, manageable steps" and "Refrain from using alcohol, marijuana, nicotine (smoking, vapes, pouches) or other substances." Response options will range from 1 = Not at all confident" to 4 = Completely confident. Responses will be averaged across items.
This measure will be completed at the pretest and immediate posttest.
Injunctive norms about Bystander Intervention
To capture students' norms around the social acceptability of bystander intervention, they will indicate how they think most young adults would feel about their friends intervening in different ways, such as "Suggested their friends create a plan to stay safe before drinking or using drugs" and "Call for emergency help if someone is passed out, even if that person could get in trouble". Response options will range from 1 = Strongly disapprove to 6 = Strongly approve. Responses will be averaged across items.
This measure will be completed at the pretest and immediate posttest.
Attitudes about Bystander Intervention
Students will indicate how much they agree with several statements about bystander intervention: "It's my responsibility to look out for my friends when alcohol or drugs are involved" and "It's important for me to say or do something if a friend's drinking or drug use seems risky, even if it feels awkward". Response options will range from 1 = Strongly disagree to 6 = Strongly agree. Responses will be averaged across items.
This measure will be completed at the pretest and immediate posttest.
Self efficacy to intervene
Students will rate how confident they are that they could engage in different bystander behaviors, such as "Ask a peer who seems very drunk or high if they are okay, even if you don't know them well" and "Tell a friend you are worried about how much they had been drinking or using drugs."
This measure will be completed at the pretest and immediate posttest.
Study Arms (16)
Introduction + Norms re: Bystander Intervention
EXPERIMENTAL(1) Discusses choices and challenges students face as they transition out of high school to promote participant buy-in. Explains the consequences of SU, focusing on how these consequences can interfere with their life plans. (2) Provides normative feedback about intervening on behalf of peers and teaches strategies to intervene on behalf of peers.
Introduction + Norms re: Protective Behavior Strategies (PBS)
EXPERIMENTAL(1) Discusses choices and challenges students face as they transition out of high school to promote participant buy-in. Explains the consequences of SU, focusing on how these consequences can interfere with their life plans. (2) Provides messages from young adults that reveal positive attitudes (i.e., high injunctive norms) about using protective strategies to limit exposure to risky situations and behaviors. Messages will also emphasize low approval toward negative consequences of SU to motivate the need for PBS use.
Introduction + Life Skills
EXPERIMENTAL(1) Discusses choices and challenges students face as they transition out of high school to promote participant buy-in. Explains the consequences of SU, focusing on how these consequences can interfere with their life plans. (2) Teaches social and decision-making skills such as SU refusal skills and strategies for coping with stress and anxiety.
Introduction + Life Skills + Norms re: PBS + Norms re: Bystander Intervention
EXPERIMENTAL(1) Discusses choices and challenges students face as they transition out of high school to promote participant buy-in. Explains the consequences of SU, focusing on how these consequences can interfere with their life plans. (2) Teaches social and decision-making skills such as SU refusal skills and strategies for coping with stress and anxiety. (3) Provides messages from young adults that reveal positive attitudes (i.e., high injunctive norms) about using protective strategies to limit exposure to risky situations and behaviors. Messages will also emphasize low approval toward negative consequences of SU to motivate the need for PBS use. (4) Provides normative feedback about intervening on behalf of peers and teaches strategies to intervene on behalf of peers.
Introduction + Making Friends
EXPERIMENTAL(1) Discusses choices and challenges students face as they transition out of high school to promote participant buy-in. Explains the consequences of SU, focusing on how these consequences can interfere with their life plans. (2) Teaches strategies to make friends without SU.
Introduction + Making Friends + Norms re: PBS + Norms re: Bystander Intervention
EXPERIMENTAL(1) Discusses choices and challenges students face as they transition out of high school to promote participant buy-in. Explains the consequences of SU, focusing on how these consequences can interfere with their life plans.(2) Teaches strategies to make friends without SU. (3) Provides messages from young adults that reveal positive attitudes (i.e., high injunctive norms) about using protective strategies to limit exposure to risky situations and behaviors. Messages will also emphasize low approval toward negative consequences of SU to motivate the need for PBS use. (4) Provides normative feedback about intervening on behalf of peers and teaches strategies to intervene on behalf of peers.
Introduction + Making Friends + Life Skills + Norms re: Bystander Intervention
EXPERIMENTAL(1) Discusses choices and challenges students face as they transition out of high school to promote participant buy-in. Explains the consequences of SU, focusing on how these consequences can interfere with their life plans. (2) Teaches strategies to make friends without SU. (3) Teaches social and decision-making skills such as SU refusal skills and strategies for coping with stress and anxiety. (4) Provides normative feedback about intervening on behalf of peers and teaches strategies to intervene on behalf of peers.
Introduction + Making Friends + Life Skills + Norms re: Protective Behavior Strategies
EXPERIMENTAL(1) Discusses choices and challenges students face as they transition out of high school to promote participant buy-in. Explains the consequences of SU, focusing on how these consequences can interfere with their life plans. (2) Teaches strategies to make friends without SU. (3) Teaches social and decision-making skills such as SU refusal skills and strategies for coping with stress and anxiety. (4) Provides messages from young adults that reveal positive attitudes (i.e., high injunctive norms) about using protective strategies to limit exposure to risky situations and behaviors. Messages will also emphasize low approval toward negative consequences of SU to motivate the need for PBS use.
Introduction + Norms about Substance Use
EXPERIMENTAL(1) Discusses choices and challenges students face as they transition out of high school to promote participant buy-in. Explains the consequences of SU, focusing on how these consequences can interfere with their life plans. (2) Corrects misperceptions about prevalence of SU among young adults and young adults' approval of SU.
Introduction + Norms about Substance Use + Norms re: PBS + Norms re: Bystander Intervention
EXPERIMENTAL(1) Discusses choices and challenges students face as they transition out of high school to promote participant buy-in. Explains the consequences of SU, focusing on how these consequences can interfere with their life plans. (2) Corrects misperceptions about prevalence of SU among young adults and young adults' approval of SU. (3) Provides messages from young adults that reveal positive attitudes (i.e., high injunctive norms) about using protective strategies to limit exposure to risky situations and behaviors. Messages will also emphasize low approval toward negative consequences of SU to motivate the need for PBS use. (4) Provides normative feedback about intervening on behalf of peers and teaches strategies to intervene on behalf of peers.
Introduction + Norms about Substance Use + Life Skills + Norms re: Bystander Intervention
EXPERIMENTAL(1) Discusses choices and challenges students face as they transition out of high school to promote participant buy-in. Explains the consequences of SU, focusing on how these consequences can interfere with their life plans. (2) Corrects misperceptions about prevalence of SU among young adults and young adults' approval of SU. (3) Teaches social and decision-making skills such as SU refusal skills and strategies for coping with stress and anxiety. (4) Provides normative feedback about intervening on behalf of peers and teaches strategies to intervene on behalf of peers.
Introduction + Norms about Substance Use + Life Skills + Norms re: Protective Behavior Strategies
EXPERIMENTAL(1) Discusses choices and challenges students face as they transition out of high school to promote participant buy-in. Explains the consequences of SU, focusing on how these consequences can interfere with their life plans. (2) Corrects misperceptions about prevalence of SU among young adults and young adults' approval of SU. (3) Teaches social and decision-making skills such as SU refusal skills and strategies for coping with stress and anxiety. (4) Provides messages from young adults that reveal positive attitudes (i.e., high injunctive norms) about using protective strategies to limit exposure to risky situations and behaviors. Messages will also emphasize low approval toward negative consequences of SU to motivate the need for PBS use.
Introduction + Norms about Substance Use + Making Friends + Norms re: Bystander Intervention
EXPERIMENTAL(1) Discusses choices and challenges students face as they transition out of high school to promote participant buy-in. Explains the consequences of SU, focusing on how these consequences can interfere with their life plans. (2) Corrects misperceptions about prevalence of SU among young adults and young adults' approval of SU. (3) Teaches strategies to make friends without SU. (4) Provides normative feedback about intervening on behalf of peers and teaches strategies to intervene on behalf of peers.
Introduction + Norms about Substance Use + Making Friends + Norms re: PBS
EXPERIMENTAL(1) Discusses choices and challenges students face as they transition out of high school to promote participant buy-in. Explains the consequences of SU, focusing on how these consequences can interfere with their life plans. (2) Corrects misperceptions about prevalence of SU among young adults and young adults' approval of SU. (3) Teaches strategies to make friends without SU. (4) Provides messages from young adults that reveal positive attitudes (i.e., high injunctive norms) about using protective strategies to limit exposure to risky situations and behaviors. Messages will also emphasize low approval toward negative consequences of SU to motivate the need for PBS use.
Introduction + Norms about Substance Use + Making Friends + Life Skills
EXPERIMENTAL(1) Discusses choices and challenges students face as they transition out of high school to promote participant buy-in. Explains the consequences of SU, focusing on how these consequences can interfere with their life plans. (2) Corrects misperceptions about prevalence of SU among young adults and young adults' approval of SU. (3) Teaches strategies to make friends without SU. (4) Teaches social and decision-making skills such as SU refusal skills and strategies for coping with stress and anxiety.
Intro + Norms re SU + Making Friends + Life Skills + Norms re PBS + Norms re: Bystander Intervention
EXPERIMENTAL(1) Discusses choices and challenges students face as they transition out of high school to promote participant buy-in. Explains the consequences of SU, focusing on how these consequences can interfere with their life plans. (2) Corrects misperceptions about prevalence of SU among young adults and young adults' approval of SU. (3) Teaches strategies to make friends without SU. (4) Teaches social and decision-making skills such as SU refusal skills and strategies for coping with stress and anxiety. (5) Provides messages from young adults that reveal positive attitudes (i.e., high injunctive norms) about using PBS to limit exposure to risky situations and behaviors. Messages will also emphasize low approval toward negative consequences of SU to motivate the need for PBS use. (6) Provides normative feedback about intervening on behalf of peers and teaches strategies to intervene on behalf of peers.
Interventions
Discusses choices and challenges students face as they transition out of high school to promote participant buy-in. Explains the consequences of SU, focusing on how these consequences can interfere with their life plans.
Teaches social and decision-making skills such as SU refusal skills and strategies for coping with stress and anxiety.
Provides normative feedback about intervening on behalf of peers and teaches strategies to intervene on behalf of peers.
Teaches strategies to make friends without SU.
Corrects misperceptions about prevalence of SU among young adults and young adults' approval of SU.
Provides messages from young adults that reveal positive attitudes (i.e., high injunctive norms) about using protective strategies to limit exposure to risky situations and behaviors. Messages will also emphasize low approval toward negative consequences of SU to motivate the need for PBS use.
Eligibility Criteria
Contact the study team to discuss eligibility requirements. They can help determine if this study is right for you.
Sponsors & Collaborators
- Prevention Strategies, LLClead
- National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)collaborator
- NORC at the University of Chicagocollaborator
MeSH Terms
Conditions
Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)
Study Officials
- PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
Kelly Rulison, PhD
Prevention Strategies, LLC
Central Study Contacts
Study Design
- Study Type
- interventional
- Phase
- not applicable
- Allocation
- RANDOMIZED
- Masking
- NONE
- Purpose
- PREVENTION
- Intervention Model
- FACTORIAL
- Sponsor Type
- INDUSTRY
- Responsible Party
- SPONSOR
Study Record Dates
First Submitted
June 11, 2026
First Posted
June 18, 2026
Study Start (Estimated)
September 1, 2026
Primary Completion (Estimated)
July 1, 2027
Study Completion (Estimated)
April 30, 2029
Last Updated
June 25, 2026
Record last verified: 2026-06
Data Sharing
- IPD Sharing
- Will share
- Time Frame
- Beginning approximately 1 year after data collection wraps up
- Access Criteria
- Data will be made publicly available through a data sharing repository (exact repository to be determined)
All IPD collected as part of the trial